# [SOLVED] Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive



## alphaamanitin (Nov 5, 2008)

Hello Linux Users:

After taking a Bioinformatics class I recently decided to purchase a Seagate FreeAgent Go external hard drive and install Linux on it to boot from. I am planning on having Vista on my Laptop and Linux on the external drive. However, I recently read about the problems with these Seagate drives and I am not able to return my drive. In case anyone doesn't know what I am talking about apparently when these drives power down after a few minutes of disuse it causes severe problems when Running Linux off of it. 

I am not a great technical wizard when it comes to changing hardware settings but I was wondering is the a possible fix, and how hard is it too fix. Google did not provide me much help. 

Oh, I plan on installing Ubuntu on this drive.

Thanks everyone.


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## wmorri (May 29, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

Hi,

Ya know I really don't know on this one. I hadn't heard about that problem until you mentioned it. I guess the thing to do is to try it and then see what happens. If something does happen then we can go from there, but if there isn't a problem yet I can't think of anything to do. 

Cheers!


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## shuuhen (Sep 4, 2004)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

Should be fine, but you may have to tinker with settings. I don't have one of those drives, so I don't know much about the issues. Here's a potential solution I found: http://alienghic.livejournal.com/382903.html

Some things you'd need to do with any external (at least for USB): You would want to make sure the bootloader was installed to the external drive and add a delay to the kernel arguments in /boot/grub/grub.conf.


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## alphaamanitin (Nov 5, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

Thanks for the info guys. Unfortunately, it is finals week so I am not sure I will be able to even get what I want done this week. Most likely I will be posting with problems working this install and boot loader in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks


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## wmorri (May 29, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

Take your time, we are here all the time so whenever you get to it that is fine.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

There was a BIOS fix that sorted out problems with large seagate drives (500MB & 1TB drives) I'd suggest you check the` seagate site to see if they have a fix for your problem


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## ahmorrow (May 5, 2009)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

Always check with the manufacturer's site first. Not saying everyone here isn't a guru, it's just good practice.


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## alphaamanitin (Nov 5, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

yeah, usually I would have but every on the net said that Seagate was refusing to offer any sort of support for Linux systems.

Thanks Though.


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## alphaamanitin (Nov 5, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

Hey Guys,
Well I said I'd be back and here I am. I tried to install ubuntu on my Seagte drive. Well it said it worked and all but it won't boot up from the drive and now none of my computers, two XP computers and one vista computer can recognize my seagate. They all say the drive is successfully installed, I can find it in the Device Manager and it is an option to boot from in the boot menu, and when I run Ubuntu live off the CD it finds it but says it isn't mounted. Any suggestions on how to get it to work in any OS, but preferably in all three??

Thanks All


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## Rome5 (Nov 25, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*



> Hey Guys,
> Well I said I'd be back and here I am. I tried to install ubuntu on my Seagte drive. Well it said it worked and all but it won't boot up from the drive and now none of my computers, two XP computers and one vista computer can recognize my seagate. They all say the drive is successfully installed, I can find it in the Device Manager and it is an option to boot from in the boot menu, and when I run Ubuntu live off the CD it finds it but says it isn't mounted. Any suggestions on how to get it to work in any OS, but preferably in all three??
> 
> Thanks All


When you boot the pc, after the POST screen, exactly what happens? Do you get a GRUB menu or error, by chance? Are you taken into the Windows bootloader? Have you changed the boot order in BIOS and tried booting directly from the USB drive? 

As far as Windows not recognizing the drive, that's typical. By default, Windows can't access a Linux file system. There's more than one way to fix that but, we can get to that after the boot problem is resolved. Same goes for the live CD question.


# _sorry for the two posts_


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## alphaamanitin (Nov 5, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

Hello,

I just did a complete reinstall of Linux on that Seagate and it now boots fine from the external hard drive. Thanks for all the help. I do have a problem with the Seagate drive not being mounted, which I find funny since I am running Linux off of it, but I do not understand hardware and software at this level. I think there is another thread for that issue but if it isn't against the rules I would like to know how to fix that. I read a fix that said that this command would fix it:

sudo mount -t nfts /dev/sdb1/mediasdb1

I tried that in the terminal and it failed. 

Rome, I felt like a dolt after I re-installed Linux and watched it talk about changing the format: of course the jerks at Microsoft would recognize Linux. I still don't know if the original problem about Seagate FreeAgent Go drives is an issue. I didn't fully understand the issue in the first place and am not sure when/if I will/have experienced it.

Should I make a new thread since it is now way off the original topic?

Thanks, forum guys you have saved me lots of trouble over the last year, not to mention money:smile:

AA


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## Rome5 (Nov 25, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

I'm a bit confused about exactly where you're trying to mount from. Are you working from a live CD or from the Ubuntu install off the seagate? Your 'mount' command suggest you're trying to mount a Windows partition?

If you would, aside from the above, open a terminal and run the following command (can be done from the live CD or from your Ubuntu install):

```
[color=red]sudo fdisk -l[/color]
```
then copy and paste the output here. That'll give us a better idea of your drive/partitions scheme and help with mounting any partitions you need.


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## alphaamanitin (Nov 5, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

Okay, here is what I got after doing "sudo fdisk -l"

[email protected]:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0d2a596c

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1416 11373988+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 * 1417 38913 301194652+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0003a16e

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 37787 303524046 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 37788 38913 9044595 5 Extended
/dev/sdb5 37788 38913 9044563+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris



I really don't know exactly what this means. Though I do sort of understand it. I am a Biology person not CS. Anyways, I will soon have to mail this laptop back to gateway to fix the power button. So here is my question. If we fix this mounting thing will it be fixed on every computer I boot from this external drive? Could we keep working on the before mentioned problems on a different computer?

Thanks for all the help guys and sorry it took me so long to reply. I graduated and had to move back home which is the middle of the country with no Internet access.

AA


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

Congrats on your graduation 

AFAIK .. fixing for this computer should allow it to work from any computer/laptop that 

1) HAS THE SAME CHIPSET 
2) can boot from USB

That is something I have not proven can be done with Linux and definitely cannot be done with windows. Changing the environment of an OS usually ends up with some very strange and frequently catastrophic results as far as "stored code" is concerned.

ROME helped me get a LIVE Ubuntu CD that I had Installed on a 2.5" laptop drive to boot via a CD on my laptop that did not have "boot from USB" option

By creating a drive using CD2USB I have a Ubuntu LIVE CD environment installed on a hard disk drive that allows me to boot from ANY PC or LAPTOP regardless of the hardware and that can also be updated. 

It is slow to boot, since it must load drivers etc every time it boots, but I have persistence (in as much as every time I shut-down whatever changes have been made are stored) unlike the LIVE CD plus I don't have to worry about changes in hardware unless the hardware is extremely new.

For example I needed to open and repair an Acer 5520 laptop recently which required that I check out functionality after re-assembly. 

I allowed it to boot from the windows operating system then re-booted using the CD ROME5 helped me to build so that I could boot from the drive via the USBand thus ensuring that both CD and USB were working. 

In Ubuntu I then opened up & configured the wireless network connection and accessed the Internet via my wireless router thus ensuring that most of the hardware had been re-assembled correctly and was functioning 

all this with the added bonus that I didn't need to invade the laptop owners privacy, by poking around and reconfiguring to fit my network.


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## alphaamanitin (Nov 5, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

Yeah I do have a LIVE CD of ubuntu but I really just want to keep it on this external hard drive; which I have no idea how to mount in ubuntu. So far though none of my original concerns have appeared to be a problem. But if you are correct, and I am sure you are, I will have to wait until I get my laptop back to continue working on the mounting because I have sent it to gateway to have the power button fixed. They say they currently have a 10 week or so turn around so hopefully I can get it soon. 

Thanks for the responses guys.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

We'll be waiting for you ..

I must admit that I am also somewhat confused as to what you are trying to do but if I patch the ideas together properly you are looking for a Ubuntu install that can wander between PC's booting off of your external 320GB drive.

As far as I can say from experience, the use of CD2USB to make an installation of the LIVE CD to a USB connected Hard Drive is viable. If you want to have some sort of trade off between Windows and Linux in the form of sharing files, you'll need to format a "shared partition" in FAT32 which can be easily used by both OS's. If memory serves me well even if you mount your NTFS partition in Linux it will be read only since Linux and windows do not support each other without some intermediary .. as a matter of interest SysInternals has a Linux Partition reader for windows that allows you to see what is going on with your Linux partitions (the ones that are not FAT32)

I am working quite happily with a 20GB drive (2.5" laptop drive) on a usb adapter which has been formatted into 2 FAT32 partitions. using CD2USB I have made the first partition bootable & copied the live CD contents to it. It works really well. I have other Ubuntu installs for other PC's using internal drives but the beauty of the CD2USB one is that I can boot from any USB bootable device to access my files without intruding upon any previously installed Operating System that is on the PC.


When you get things sorted just get back in this thread so that we can give you any further assistance should it be required .. you have plenty of time also to research what you have to do.


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## alphaamanitin (Nov 5, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

Well Done_Fishing, this is what I am trying to do. I want to boot ubuntu on that laptop from my Seagate drive. I don't really care if I can boot any computer from that Seagate as long as I can boot my laptop. The only thing I would really like is for the vast majority of my Seagate drive to be able to be used as excess storage and read/writable in both windows and unbutu-which it currently is not in either. 

In my windows it recognizes the drive as being plug in and there in device manager and as working properly but an icon for it doesn't appear in My Computer, which I assume is because it has been formatted to a Linux format. In ubuntu when I try to open the drive from well I forgot its name, but the ubuntu "My Computer" if you will, it says device failed to mount. So I know I need to mount it in ubuntu. 

I would like to get this fixed soon but I will not be around for at least a week as I am going out into the middle of the desert in New Mexico and will not have either internet access. 

Once, again thank you guys for taking the time to help me.

------
AA


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

check out these sites

I'd suggest that you split your external drive for Ubuntu / Windows Usage depending upon what you think may be your future requirements

http://hacktolive.org/wiki/Cd2usb

http://hacktolive.org/wiki/Cd2usb_requirements

and this looks interesting .. first time I see it 

http://hacktolive.org/wiki/Super_Ubuntu


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## alphaamanitin (Nov 5, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

Hey guys,

I just wanted to let you all know that a Computer Science professor, my Bioinformatics prof, helped me and got it working exactly the way I want it. Thanks for all you help though guys I think the problem was beyond my understanding so I am not sure that I could have been able to follow all the directions online.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

I'm glad you got it sorted .. I won't ask you what you did. Glad to hear though that Uni Prof's are able to do what they preach .. my experience is that they are great in Theory but lacking in Practice .. you must have one of the good ones :wave:


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## alphaamanitin (Nov 5, 2008)

*Re: Linux on 320gb Seagate FreeAgent Go external Hard drive*

All I can say is he was able to show me how to partition the hard drive correctly and after that he did lots of messing around in the terminal. I know it was involving the settings on whether or not the drive mounted automatically and he had to create a directory for my fat32 partition that both vista and linux could use. I really don't know exactly what he did for this, and for some reason he couldn't just make a partition in the installation process and he had to do that in the terminal as well. Also, he had to do something odd because it didn't want to recognize the fat32 format. Anyways guys thanks for all you hard work and advice.


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