[GRLUG] trouble formatting Lenovo computer for Ubuntu install

[Eric Beversluis]

On Sat, 2011-08-27 at 20:14 -0400, Eric Beversluis wrote:
> > On Sat, 2011-08-27 at 17:42 -0400, Eric Beversluis wrote:
> > > On Sat, 2011-08-27 at 17:18 -0400, Eric Beversluis wrote:
> > > > On Sat, 2011-08-27 at 17:10 -0400, Eric Beversluis wrote:
> > > > > I've got a new Lenovo ThinkPad x120e.
> > > > > 
> > > > > I tried to install Ubuntu. I chose the "reformat the whole disk" and set
> > > > > up the partitions I wanted (/, /home, and swap). But then when it tried
> > > > > to proceed Ubuntu three times said, 
> > > > > 
> > > > > "The ext4 file system creation in partition #1 of SCSI (0,0,0)(sda)
> > > > > failed."
> > > > > 
> > > > > Does anyone know why this might be?
> > > > > 
> > > > > Thanks.
> > > > > 
> > > > PS--the Win OS is gone--it reports no OS when I start it. 
> > > > I wonder what gparted will show?
> > > > 
> > > PPS:
> > > gparted wouldn't work either. What I was able to pick out of the lines
> > > flashing by:
> > > 
> > > at one point: 
> > >    unable to open /dev/sr0
> > >    unable to access /block/sr0
> > > 
> > > later a bunch of "SQUASHFS errors"
> > >    :squashfs-read-data failed to read block 0x403e15e
> > >    :Unable to read fragment cache entry [403e15e]
> > >    :Unable to read page, block 403e15e, size 71b1c
> > > 
> > > another attempt gave same error messages with different block number
> > > 
> > > later I got 'user at debian: ~$' prompt
> > > 
> > > later still something about an i/o error
> > > 
> > > then later it seems to keep cycling around identifying the USB DVD
> > > drive.
> > > 
> Well that didn't work. It seemed to go ok--no warnings, but two hrs or
> Hubblean colors on the screen with no progress bar, and when I powered
> off I saw a number of similar SQUASHFS errors about not being able to
> read some block.
> 
> Brand new computer. Any good ideas out there?

Looks like other people have had the problem:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SquashfsErrors

"These errors can be due to a variety of reasons:

    * bad memory modules (solution: use memtest86+ to check your memory)
    * a bad dvd drive (solution: if possible, try using a different
cd/dvd drive)
    * bad data cable (solution: change it for a new one)
    * bad media (solution: try burning the iso image to a new disc)
    * a corrupted iso image (solution: run an md5 checksum, and if they
don't match, download the iso image again)"

I'll need to try a different dvd drive--the x120e hasn't liked my Sony
DVD drive from the start. (No on-board optical drive.) Hopefully not bad
memory on a new computer. Windows seemed to run ok, though it seemed a
bit slow for a 4GB RAM machine. Media should be ok. I used first a disc
I had successfully installed from before and then I used a disc from
Canonical. I might also try with a different data cable since I don't
have access tonight to a different DVD drive. Some of the other advice
seems to assume that one has a functioning machine.

Thanks.



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