While installing Debian 6.0 I went with manual partitioning and apparently messed up.The OS only loads if I start the computer in recovery mode and fdisk output doesn't have primary partition. AFAIK - I must have at least 1 primary partition for PC to boot - right? Is there a way to convert a partition from extended to primary?Currently my partition table looks like this:   cme@cmehost:~$ sudo fdisk -c -l /dev/sda    Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes    255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders    Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes    Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes    I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes    Disk identifier: 0x00010629   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System/dev/sda1               1        1216     9764864   82  Linux swap / Solaris/dev/sda2            1216       60802   478618625    5  Extended/dev/sda5   *        1216        6091    39158784   83  Linux/dev/sda6            6092       60802   439458816   83  LinuxHere is my /boot/grub/grub.cfg file:# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE## It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub#### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then  load_envfiset default=0if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then  set saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}  save_env saved_entry  set prev_saved_entry=  save_env prev_saved_entry  set boot_once=truefifunction savedefault {  if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then    saved_entry=${chosen}    save_env saved_entry  fi}function load_video {  insmod vbe  insmod vga  insmod video_bochs  insmod video_cirrus}insmod part_msdosinsmod ext2set root='(hd1,msdos5)'search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 19b27164-6e7a-4d55-89be-9986c2a5fe73if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then  set gfxmode=640x480  load_video  insmod gfxtermfiterminal_output gfxterminsmod part_msdosinsmod ext2set root='(hd1,msdos5)'search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 19b27164-6e7a-4d55-89be-9986c2a5fe73set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/localeset lang=eninsmod gettextset timeout=5### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###insmod part_msdosinsmod ext2set root='(hd1,msdos5)'search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 19b27164-6e7a-4d55-89be-9986c2a5fe73insmod pngif background_image /usr/share/images/desktop-base/spacefun-grub.png; then  set color_normal=light-gray/black  set color_highlight=white/blackelse  set menu_color_normal=cyan/blue  set menu_color_highlight=white/bluefi### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 2.6.32-5-amd64' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {    insmod part_msdos    insmod ext2    set root='(hd1,msdos5)'    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 19b27164-6e7a-4d55-89be-9986c2a5fe73    echo    'Loading Linux 2.6.32-5-amd64 ...'    linux   /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-amd64 root=UUID=19b27164-6e7a-4d55-89be-9986c2a5fe73 ro  quiet    echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'    initrd  /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-5-amd64}menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 2.6.32-5-amd64 (recovery mode)' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {    insmod part_msdos    insmod ext2    set root='(hd1,msdos5)'    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 19b27164-6e7a-4d55-89be-9986c2a5fe73    echo    'Loading Linux 2.6.32-5-amd64 ...'    linux   /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-amd64 root=UUID=19b27164-6e7a-4d55-89be-9986c2a5fe73 ro single     echo    'Loading initial ramdisk ...'    initrd  /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-5-amd64}### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom #### This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change# the 'exec tail' line above.### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###if [ -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then  source $prefix/custom.cfg;fi### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###I checked /var/log/boot and it is empty. Are there some other files I should check? :)UPDATEWell - I'm sort of beginning to believe that this might be some hardware issue. Since setup never even gets to grub menu.  Anyway, I'll just nuke it and reinstall, no biggie.  :)UPDATE 2 - RESOLUTIONOk - sorted! The problem as I found out was my honest belief that unetbootin was designed to allow us to install various OS'es from usb drives onto computers - which ...umm...was totally wrong. Unetbootin is a piece of software to create live usb drives so you can boot your PC from them.So, I simply had to recreate my install thumb drive like this:cat image.iso > /dev/sdb1syncordd if=image.iso of=/dev/sdb1And of course everything installed just fine and easily after that.Sorry for confusion everyone. ;)
How can I manually set a partition as my primary one in Debian 6.0?
debian;grub2
I strongly agree with Faheem.This is kind of a Why choose the easiest solution when one can do it the hard way? case.Seriously, put your CD, erase everything, let the installer choose or just use 2 partitions: / (Root) and Swap (2 times your RAM). Done.I like to put my /home in another partition to make backups and re-installations easier.