Problems installing kubuntu on USB drive

[Alma J Wetzker]

Rick Bowers wrote:
> I have a Dell Latitude D610 that I'm trying to install ubuntu on. It 
> has a 100GB internal drive and I also have a 250GB external drive 
> connected on the USB port.
> 
> When I run through the install "wizard", I get to step 5 asking me to 
> select the installation disk.
> 
> It shows:
> Select disk to install on
> O /dev/sda (SCSI1) and
> O /dev/sdb (SCSI3)
> 
> I select the second, /dev/sdb (SCSI3)
> 
> The next screen shows:
> O Erase entire disk
> O Manually edit the partition table
> 
> I select the 2nd option, then see the messages "Getting information 
> about /dev/sda2
> 
> Eventually I see the partition list for /dev/sda, with what appears 
> to be a drop-down to select /dev/sda or /dev/sdb.
> 
> At this point, the process is frozen. I cannot select <<Back, I 
> cannot open the drop-down, nothing.
> 
> There is a "progress bar" above the partition list that shows in 
> yellow, and slowly scrolls right, the resets to the left and scrolls 
> right again, ad nauseum.
> 
> So, why does it show /dev/sda when I've selected /dev/sdb? Why can't 
> I do anything from this screen (but kill the process)?
> 
> Any thoughts???

Are you giving it enough time?  USB drives are not the snappiest things
in the world, and a big one may take some time for *ubuntu to get all
it's ducks in a row.  (I am not certain what the OS is doing at that
point in the install, but on my systems, it takes way longer than I
think it should.)

    -- Alma