recover from a bad F16 install

[Paul Allen Newell]

On 3/18/2012 12:05 PM, R. G. Newbury wrote:
> Paul Allen Newell wrote
> >>>> its does the same "No usable disks"
>
> >>
> >> PartedMagic was the one option I asked about in my original email 
> and it
>
> >On both the LiveCD and the installation DVD troubleshot into a bash
> shell, I am getting "parted - Invalid partition table - recursive
> partition on /dev/sr0" and I am pretty certain it is looking at the
> CD/DVD as that's the device it displays. So I don't know whether I am
> even able to get at the hardware via parted/cfdisk (???)
> dn't make sense of them.
>
> >I am also going to look at the sysresccd site and see if it
> presents me with easier to understand access.
>
> >All I want to do is get it back to a sane minimal state that I can run
> the installation DVD and let it do the proper partitioning.
>
> Paul, you really do need the system rescue disk. Grab the cd iso and 
> read the instructions to make a usb stick from the iso. The iso is 
> 84Meg. I carry one of my oldest memory sticks in my briefcase with 
> this installed. Then it is a quick matter to interrupt a boot and 
> select the usb stick as the boot medium (F12 on my Thinkpad). Or 
> change the boot order in the bios on the desktop.
>
> Also, there is a good explanation of GPT vs MBR boot processes on the 
> sysrescue site. I STRONGLY suspect that your prior attempt at 
> installation failed with the disk prepared for, but not yet 
> partitioned as GPT.
>
> And no software not GPT-aware can deal with that. Thus 'no usable 
> disks'. (The F16 repos now carry the 'gdisk' package which is a 
> gpt-aware version of fdisk but I am not sure that the install uses 
> that capability.)
>
> The system rescue cd is based on the 3.2 kernel and has gparted .12, 
> which should be gpt aware. It should allow you to change back to a 
> blank MBR setup drive.
>
> If that does not work, then use gdisk from the the Fedora16 LiveCD. 
> You will need to use the -x option and then -z to zap the (wrong) gpt 
> structures. Again, luckily you need not worry about zapping any data 
> or even an mbr setup.
>
> How did this happen? The anaconda installer will leave an mbr 
> partitioned disk as is, but will use gpt if the disk is blank or if 
> you let *it* partition the drive. Thus another poster's comment: 
> 'never let fedora partition your disk.' Always pre-partition, and 
> select 'Custom', so you are in control of the partition sizes and names.
>
> HTH
>
> G.
> -
>              R. Geoffrey Newbury
>

G.:

I downloaded and burned last night, testing to make sure that it ran on 
the brick in question. Today I am reading up on the program (and 
partitioning in general) as I want to make sure I have some idea what I 
am doing before running the program.

As for "never let fedora partition your disk", I might end up knowing 
enough about partitioning by the time I finish this that such might be 
an option in the future.

Appreciate the help,
Paul