Ubuntu Server.... Can't format, partition discs

[bugeyewrx]

I'm setting up a new media server using Ubuntu Server. I've installed the OS on an ssd and it's all up and running. I'm accessing it via a virtual desktop and or Webmin.

When I add a drive ( the content drives ) I can see the drive in the disc manager in both Webmin and the virtual desktop but I can't do anything to it. If I try to partition or format the drive I get an error saying 'Not authorized'.

After much searching I think the problem maybe to do with Ubuntu thinking the disc is part of a RAID setup.

I've checked in the bios and RAID isn't setup. The only solution I've found on the Ubuntu formum is to stop dmraid running on startup but as far as I can see I don't have dmraid installed ?

Any ideas ?

Would say I'm a bit of a Linux noob and although I can muddle through my knowledge isn't exactly deep

 

[bugeyewrx]

Thanks I'll give it a go when I get home

 

[bugeyewrx]

Thanks for the replies

I was going to suggest fdisk but that might be a little too risky for a noob

Install and run gparted ... maybe your disk is part of array. delete all partitions / references to RAID member

Just tried that... gparted shows in the application on my virtual desktop but won't run... just downloading the live version to try.

From ssh run
cat /proc/mdstat

Should say no devices, otherwise it thinks its part of a raid. mdadm will pick up intel snf other fake onboard array's as well as it's own.

It's also possible you have some old raid metadata from your mobo on the drive, in which case if you look at "man dmraid" you will see the switch to remove that info.

Ran cat /proc/mdstat and got this....

Don't think it's old data... it's a new drive. Also tried it with an old one and I get the same error ?

Isn't it the case that you are logging into the virtual desktop as a non-root user and then trying to do tasks against the new disks without escalating your privilege level up to root?

Hence the user you are using doesn't have the permissions to act against the device hence is not authorised to carry out the task?

Quite possibly. I've just realized that although I've done a few Ubuntu installs I've never added a drive to any of them

 

[bugeyewrx]

Well using gparted live I've managed to format and partition the drive. I couldn't mount it through the virtual desktop but I could with Webmin.

I can see the drive in the virtual desktop and navigate through the directories until I reach the 'lost and found' folder when I get the not authorized error message again.

So it looks like memyselfandi is right and the problem lies with how I'm logging into the virtual desktop?

I'm using vncserver .... any ideas on what to do now?

 

[bugeyewrx]

Thanks for the link and I seem to be off and running again in the right direction I've managed to get gparted to run on my virtual desktop ( gksudo rather than sudo ) . I haven't had a chance to work through the link but at least I'm making progress again and have a much better understanding of how users and permissions etc work