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OpenSUSE 13.2: Will show disks, allows to delete and create partitions, and even create a new partition table. But won't format the disks, launchs the error "can't mount /dev/sda1: device or resource busy" for all partitions that should be formated.

Debian 8/8.1, Ubuntu 15.04: Won't show the hard disks at all! making it impossible to select them and manage partitions

Full question is here: https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/210034/cant-format-hdds-and-install-linux-to-dell-hybrid-ultrabook

I'm sorry for cross-posting, but stackoverflow is the most helpful and active forum I know, and the ONLY answers I got were in here (the comments bellow)

Community
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dcr
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  • Is this one of those Windows-only hybrid drive setups that requires a custom third-party device driver to access the drive? Regardless, this would be better suited for one of the other non-programming sites - serverfault or such... – twalberg Jun 16 '15 at 18:33
  • @twalberg it is a hybrid ultrabook, but I have no idea if this is one of those "windows-only" you mentioned. How could I check this? What I can say is, when I changed it from Windows 8 to Windows 7, it only required the Windows 7 DVD, it didn't require any aditional drivers for the SSD/HDD or for the disk controller. I just deleted the partitions and created new ones, using Windows 7 regular installer only. Honestly I also tried other sites, but yours were the first reply! – dcr Jun 16 '15 at 20:40
  • @twalberg I just tried to install Ubuntu 15.04 and I have exactly the same issue. Then I just ran Ubuntu live, and gparted sees all drives and partitions. What the hack! – dcr Jun 16 '15 at 21:05
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    Not a programming question - try on [SuperUser](http://superuser.com). – unixsmurf Jun 17 '15 at 09:30
  • @unixsmurf, I tried. But unfortunatelly the only answer I got was twalberg's, here in stackoverflow! – dcr Jun 18 '15 at 02:50
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    @dcr and that is genuinely a shame, but it's still off-topic here. Maybe post the link to that question here? – unixsmurf Jun 18 '15 at 17:13

1 Answers1

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I finally figured it out myself.

Solution:

  1. First I booted OpenSUSE from USBKEY in UEFI mode.

  2. In the intaller partitioner, I removed all partitions from the SSD and HDD

  3. Then I created a new partition table, still using the partitioner.

  4. Booted up from Ubuntu 15.04 USBKEY installer and it finally could manage partitions and install the system properly.

Although it sounds simple, it took some time and required two operating systems to solve the issue.

Since I booted in UEFI mode, when I created a new partition table, I believe it converted the disks to GPT format, and Ubuntu could finally "detect" and manage the disks partitions.

It remains a mystery why it didn't work in MBR/Legacy mode at all, even after creating a new partition table, and why OpenSUSE couldn't format/mount the partitions it created.

Finally I got linux on it.

dcr
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