Re: Debian 6.

[Osamu Aoki <osamu@debian.org>]

Hi,

On Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 05:10:38PM +0000, Bill Applebee. wrote:
> Hi,
>   Help! Help!  
> 
>       For years I have Debian installed but for demo purposes put Ubuntu
> 10 on to an old Notebook and it has worked fine.

Well Debian does not gurantee automatic upgrade fom Ubuntu although it
may happen in many cases.
 
>    Getting Linux Format I decided to replace the Ubuntu with Debian6,
> for its stability and robustness for my a person with no knowledge of
> computers to try, but only get as far as "Partitions formatting....
> Creating Ext 3 .. 33%   "   I tried various... auto, expert etc etc..

You are reformating some partition which is likely your current Ubuntu.
So you chose o wipe all data there.  This is probably due to user
misunderstanding of what will happen with each steps you accept as Debian
installation.   At least this is not normal thing to happen when you
switch APT archive URL to update system.
 
>    I have also lost the Ubuntu that was working.

Sorry but it seems you chose to kill it.

>     Can you help please?

Sorry, not much.

You need to be careful when you tweek sytem and when you post to mailing
list.  If you do not, you end up erasing working system and posting to
wrong list.

I suggest you to reboot system with some live CD to inspect what you
still have on your harddisk and recover whatevey you need to retain.

If you do not care much about data, then make fresh install of system,
be it Ubuntu or Debian.

Good luck.

Osamu