Problems with LVM on the install process

Hi,

I have downloaded last version of eCS, the 1.2_MR.

With Acronis Disk Suite 10 booting from CD-ROM I have created a OS/2 JFS 
primary partition.

Ok, now I start the setup process for eCS 1.2 MR. When I reach the 
partition configuration, first LVM doesn't detect any partition available 
to install the system (though I have a OS/2 JFS partition created).

Then I enter on LVM panel administration. When I enter on it LVM tells me 
the partition table on Disk 0 is not valid. From this point, whatever 
operation I do is not valid, so I cannot create a partition to install eCS.

My question is, people have recommended me DFsee, but how could I launch 
it on the installation process to solve this problem with LVM? I can 
imagine use it with eCS is installed, but I don't know how launch it on 
the setup process.

Perhaps Acronis, like Partition Magic, does nasty things to the 
partition table. E.g., my notebook computer's hard disk had been 
manipulated by PM8, including the creation of a small FAT partition on 
which to store my registration key and some other files. But then eCS 
and DFSee both complained that the partition table was corrupted, and I 
couldn't install Boot Manager.

The only solution was to use PM8 again to delete that FAT partition and 
recreate it using eCS. The fact that PM8 had moved and expanded other 
partitions didn't seem to be a problem at all.

It's not the fault of eCS if Windows apps make their own rules.

IAC, where on a typical store-bought computer is anybody going to find 
space to install eCS? They'll either need to add an extra drive or use 
PM or DFSee -- and I do not find the latter easy to use.

Perhaps you should have used Acronis only to make space available for 
the eCS volume (leaving it as free/unallocated space), then let eCS 
create and format the volume.

-=-
Alan


On 11/25/05 04:10 am rondo tossed the following ingredients into the 
ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

> I have downloaded last version of eCS, the 1.2_MR.
> 
> With Acronis Disk Suite 10 booting from CD-ROM I have created a OS/2 JFS 
> primary partition.
> 
> Ok, now I start the setup process for eCS 1.2 MR. When I reach the 
> partition configuration, first LVM doesn't detect any partition 
> available to install the system (though I have a OS/2 JFS partition 
> created).
> 
> Then I enter on LVM panel administration. When I enter on it LVM tells 
> me the partition table on Disk 0 is not valid. From this point, whatever 
> operation I do is not valid, so I cannot create a partition to install
eCS.
> 
> My question is, people have recommended me DFsee, but how could I launch 
> it on the installation process to solve this problem with LVM? I can 
> imagine use it with eCS is installed, but I don't know how launch it on 

I really understand your concerns because I had exactly the same problems 
when installing eCS 1.2 MR on many computers (more than 10) and when it 
arrives, one feels as trapped in a fatal lock !!!

What I did is rebooting from the eCS CDROM, did not select installations 
but "management console". Then selected menu option "run"
and entered the 
command CMD.EXE to open an OS/2 window. From this window I could start 
DFSEE from Floppy disk A:

I admit it is a little bit complicated but it finally worked. What is 
totally abnormal is that LVM lets non experimented users in the gap !!!

LVM should provide an option to either:
 - force the correction of the partition table in accordance to LVM 
constants
 - enable a total reset of the partition table (all hard disk data lost)
Without that I'm afraid no normal person is able to install eCS anymore.

Bye.

I had a similar problem. I think that eComStation's lvm tool insists that 
LVM information be included before accepting the partition as valid. So 
you could try what I did, which was run DFSee from a bootable floppy, and 
use the 'Add Default LVM Information'. Then use the Management Console 
from the installation CD to add drive letters and format installable 
partitions before you try the actual install.

Ok, so LVM tells me partition table is not valid and this is all, I can do 
nothing and I cannot install the system, can you believe it?

Also if Linux, QNX, BeOS, FreeDOS and other operating systems supports 
standard partition table, why does eCS have to be special? Why cannot eCS 
support standard partition table like the rest of OSes? Why if LVM detects 
errors on partition table cannot fix them? Why do I have to spend more 
money purchasing other product to can install eCS on my computer?

Really I think this is a big problem with eCS and I hope on next version 
(eCS 2.0) it will be solved.

Furthermore, yesterday I installed eCS 1.2 MR. After installing it I 
install Acronis bootmanager. From this point eCS didn't work anymore. I 
remove Acronis bootmanager, I checked LVM configuration with Dfsee. What I 
only reached was an error message after logo image of eCS telling me OS/2 
cannot boot.

I like eCS and OS/2, but I think it cannot miss the boat of the OSes, 
Linux is taking long advantage respect to eCS.

I think for next versions of eCS it should fix these errors and to 
incorporate at least native support for FAT32 (read/write) and NTFS (only 
read) including for USB hard disk (currently not supported).