Preinstallation woes.

[StuartNaylor]

Because there is no GUI of a windows type in the installer you can grab ubuntu desktop burn it to a cd and boot from it in live mode.

You can use gparted on the live CD and create partitions raid and stuff. Then on the installer dont do the automated.

Personally with your level and no disrespect because there are quite a few important mount points I would create a RAID5 and just have it all on that.

M$ is disk based and Linux is file based so there isn't really a comparison as with linux you can have a huge collection of disks mounted and its still looks like the same basic file structure.

I am just going to run up a VM and jog my infamous bad memory and will edit this post give me ten.


Zentyal 3.5

Install  Zentyal 3.5 (Expert Mode)
Partitioning method manual.

Create a partition on your first drive make it half your ram amount in size and choose beginning of disk primary partition. (500mb or 2GB whatever is half your ram) change the partition type from ext4 to physical volume for raid.
You just just hit enter when that drive is highlighted
Create a partition on your first drive make it 500mb choose end of disk primary partition and again physical volume for raid and hit enter on bootable
Create a partition on your first drive use the rest of the space default setting change from end to beginning of disk primary partition. physical volume for raid.

Do the exact same on the next two disks.

Then choose configure software raid.
create a md (multiple disk device) choose raid5 and it will be sda1,sdb1,sdc1 the first partition check that the size is right
create a md choose raid5 and it will be sda2,sdb2,sdc2 they will be the biggest partition.
create a md choose raid1 and it will be sda3,sdb3,sdc3 and again the 500mb partition

choose finish

Now you will see those raid partitions listed just as if they where disks.

Choose the first raid5 partition same size as your ram hit enter
Change use as to swap.
Choose 2nd raid5 partition the big partition
Change use as to use as to ext4
Change mount point to / root
Choose 3rd raid1 partition
Change use as to ext2
Change mount point to /boot

Scroll down to bottom and write changes to disk.

Sometimes the installer can be a right pain and you have to use a live disk of ubuntu to wipe previous partitions / swap files

Continue with expert install which is easy

Guess it would be wise for you to choose an install with a gui. So choose no to continue without a graphical interface.

The partitions need to be the same size and a raid5 swap is debatable but for the noob its a good simple redundant setup.
The system is all on one big RAID5 disk across 3 drives.
This is apart from one small partition and 500mb is enough to create the /boot files and folder it is what will get you going.

Its raid1 just a simple mirror and the only raid type linux doesnt have to load drivers for so it loads boot first then brings in the other raid.

Rest of install just as normal.

Open up a terminal on the zenbuntu desktop and sudo apt-get install gparted

This way there isn't a partition not under raid

You will notice when it asks to install the grub boot installer it will show sda,sdb,sdc so each disk is prepared to boot
 
4 disks with raid 5 is preferable but I always think to much is made of raid when there is any singular point of failure.

[Gator Tech]

personally with your level and no disrespect because there are quite a few important mount points I would create a RAID5 and just have it all on that.

none taken, but remember I'm the noob so I'd really like to keep things as is, if at all possible as their are reasons. I noob, hear me squeak and annoy!
but in reloading with the drives set up already, I think the reload should be able to correctly figure things out. Chief amongst those being the Mounts and fstab entries! Looks like Ubuntu command line entries in the admin console for me! Reminds me where in Zentyal can you see the file locations?

Couple of things, 1. Unity has a great file folder gui in it to look at the folders. does Zyntel have similar besides the Disk usage screen?  2. I wanted to clarify that everything is "apparently" workin as I have it loaded now. I have access the the Zentyal firefox modules and everything looks good to go.

My thinking is that F Stab and mount / permissions are not correct on the Raid drive.  That rasies a question in my mind, once that is good to go, how can you see the files on the RAID drive in Zentyal? or even the files on C for that matter?

[StuartNaylor]

I wouldn't use ubuntu-desktop as the network-manager is going to cause havoc.

Use either ubuntu server and install zenbuntu desktop or learn how to remove network-manager

Have a go in a vm with what I said and have a look

[Gator Tech]

Thanks will do! Hey just noticed all the 3.5 stuff! Thanks will give this a go!