How to install OpenElec to a partition of HDD

[LaFemme69]

Hi all,

wondering if you genius pple out there can help me.

I have an old quad core PC laying around that has 8GB RAM and multiple HDDs. I want to install OpenElec directly to the one of the partitions (1st partition) of one of the HDDs and use that partition to boot. I don't want to mess up with the other partitions. is it possible?

I have successfully prepared, installed and boot up fine with a bootable USB flash. Everything runs great, but I want to be able to boot up from one of the HDDs instead of the USB flash drive..... with the assumption it will be faster to boot and process data from HDD or SSD instead of the USB flash drive, am I wrong to assume that?

that partition of the HDD is formatted under MAC NFS file system. I tried to use a USB installer, it recognized the 'whole' drive and will format the entire drive as suppose to just that one particular partition that I want to install OpenElec in. Perhaps I may have to preformat (under Windows, MAC or Linux) that partition with a 3rd partition app into a file system that my OpenElec usb installer flash drive could recognize....... or my only option is to wipe out the other partitions as well?

If this is possible, please direct me to the a step-by-step instruction on how to. i've googled but I could not find anything straight forward for my mind to comprehend......

Thank you.

KD

[chewitt]

The OE installer requires a whole disk so it will nuke everything. To install to a single partition or create a multi-boot setup you need to do a manual install. There are some overly long-winded instructions in the wiki, but in summary:

Boot from an Ubuntu LiveCD and use Gparted to remove the existing HFS+ (not NFS) partition and create two in it's place - the first being 250MB in size and the second using the remaining free space. Format both to ext4, label the first BOOT and the second SYSTEM, then install the syslinux bootloader to the first partition and copy over extlinux.conf from the boot partition on the USB that you're using - and edit boot params there to use the partition UUIDs of the two new partitions you created for boot=UUID=<string> and disk=UUID=<string>. It can be done in 5-10 mins .. more if you need to read slowly

[LaFemme69]

The OE installer requires a whole disk so it will nuke everything. To install to a single partition or create a multi-boot setup you need to do a manual install. There are some overly long-winded instructions in the wiki, but in summary:

Boot from an Ubuntu LiveCD and use Gparted to remove the existing HFS+ (not NFS) partition and create two in it's place - the first being 250MB in size and the second using the remaining free space. Format both to ext4, label the first BOOT and the second SYSTEM, then install the syslinux bootloader to the first partition and copy over extlinux.conf from the boot partition on the USB that you're using - and edit boot params there to use the partition UUIDs of the two new partitions you created for boot=UUID=<string> and disk=UUID=<string>. It can be done in 5-10 mins .. more if you need to read slowly

Thank you for replying so soon.

Yes, I did see that page from wiki webpage (http://wiki.openelec.tv/index.php/Manual_Installation) with long-winded instructions..........that i could not digest because I am not familiar much with command lines. perhaps you can clarify a few things to my level of understanding...... SORRY if my questions may sound 'stupid', but just to show how LITTLE i know about Linux.....OpenElec.....and need as much guidance as I can.

(1) so, I get a ubuntu livecd, burn to a CD and boot up my pc with the cd. which version would you recommend? Where do i enter the command lines, using Terminal in Ubuntu desktop or will the livecd boot up to something like DOS environment and i can type the command lines? How do I use those command lines like....o, n, p.....just type as is on each line?

(2) is Gparted included as part of the livecd or something else I have to download and run in ubuntu desktop? and if I use gparted, I don't have to use those command lines?

(3) on that wiki page, what do they mean by "remember to enable the needed universe repository for the extlinux"? how do i achieve that?

(4) while doing all this with the livecd, I assume I would also have to have my OE usb installer plugged in correct?

(5) on the very bottom of the instructions, 'Umount'........or 'Unmount'?

(6) I would only need to follow instructions for sections: Create the needed partitions, Create filesystem on partitions, Install the needed extlinux bootloader & Install OpenELEC. While omitting sections: For SD, CF & SSD disable ext4 journal, Experts All in One Command & SSD Trim Support

thank you.

Kate D

[LaFemme69]

so, this is what I've tried to do so far......

(1) DL'ed Ubuntu LiveCD and boot up the PC into Ubuntu

(2) open Terminal, with command lines sudo fdisk -l (from the wiki OpenElec installation). Listed all my drives with messages because my drives are HFS+, so command lines will not work......something along that line, and recommended to use GNU Parted.

(3) DL'ed Gparted and used that to wipe out the 1st partition, create 2 other primary partitions in place of it: (a) SYSTEM (250MB) - set to boot & (b) STORAGE (remainder HDD); of which ext4 file system. I can see in gparted all the work done.....

now I run into trouble. I went back to terminal sudo fdisk -l, the HDD still say HFS+ format and that command lines will not work, have to use GNU PARTED...... WHY???? Because of that, I cannot continue on (1) install the syslinux bootloader to the first partition and (2) copy over extlinux.conf. In terminal, unless I am not doing it right. I cannot change directory into the 1st partition so i cannot follow the instructions on that wiki webpage. My Ubuntu file folder only show the STORAGE partition and didn't even show the SYSTEM partition so i can't even copy and paste......? what can I do now?

I plan to start over.....go back into my MAC OS X and reformat that HDD 1st partition to DOS-FAT then repeat the procedure......boot in ubuntu, gparted.....but I want to know what you guys think.....

thanx. and sorry for long-winded post!

Katie D

[chewitt]

Gparted is a two stage process. First you change everything and then you "apply" the changes. It sounds like you may have done the first but not second.

[LaFemme69]

Gparted is a two stage process. First you change everything and then you "apply" the changes. It sounds like you may have done the first but not second.

I'm awared of that it's a 2 stage step and I did both steps. Originally i thought i may have to reboot for Terminal to pick up the change but after a reboot, same thing......Gparted showed as 2 ext4 partitions but yet, Terminal still saying it's a HFS+ drive. Could this be a limitation of a LiveCD?

just curious, according to wiki to install extlinux, where do i type "sudo apt-get install extlinux". Within the SYSTEM partition?.....I can't even change into that partition in Terminal to execute that command.

As i mentioned from OP that I successfully created a bootable OpenElec USB flash, not the OE installer but the actual program.......so i am thinking maybe I can clone the entire USB flash to the newly created partitions. I googled, linux clonezilla can do that but it's also a LiveCD. wondering if anyway i can use it within the ubuntu livecd environment or the only way is to boot through liveCD......unless there is another solution that I can do it under ubuntu livecd

thank you.

[chewitt]

If I were you I'd shift the content of the HFS+ partition to some other drive, and make the whole thing one partition so that OE can be installed to it using the normal installer. If you wanted you could then shrink the storage partition via Gparted and create an HFS+ partition again. It's probably the easiest option - as I'm not sure I or anyone else around here has the willpower to teach "partitioning and filesystems 101" at the moment. It's just a shitty and complex topic to learn.

[LaFemme69]

If I were you I'd shift the content of the HFS+ partition to some other drive, and make the whole thing one partition so that OE can be installed to it using the normal installer. If you wanted you could then shrink the storage partition via Gparted and create an HFS+ partition again. It's probably the easiest option - as I'm not sure I or anyone else around here has the willpower to teach "partitioning and filesystems 101" at the moment. It's just a shitty and complex topic to learn.

I decided to use a separate HDD all together. boot up with ubuntu livecd. Then in Terminal, i cloned my working OE USB flash to the new HDD with "sudo dd...."
when done, reboot with the new HDD and OE works great, with all the same setups as on the USB flash.......'so far'.

Thank you for your help.

kate

[Artisingh1]

Third, insert the USB stick into your home theater PC and boot the computer with the USB stick. After the installer has been loaded, just select the quick installation option and when the installation is finished, reboot the computer.