Paganarchy Press

Hello,

if anyone out there tries to install kubuntu linux on their new vaio ar61s, and they choose the default options, their installation will fail upon the first reboot and return either an "error 21" or an "error 2". these basically mean that GRUB cannot find the disk specified during the grub configuration step. this has something to do with RAID on the disks - but it's not real RAID so you have to turn it off for kubuntu to work:

i was battling the box for feckin' ages and came up with this solution:

* go into BIOS by pressing F2 during startup.

* within BIOS, tell it to "SHOW RAID INFORMATION".

* save and exit BIOS. it will restart.

* during restart, a new screen appeared - this is the RAID INFORMATION. when it asks you to during a splash screen, press Control+I which takes you into the RAID and partition info & config screens.

* In that screen, disable RAID on the first disk. it's not real RAID and it's just software trickery! you don't need it.

* so you've done that, now save and exit and reboot - and presto the ERROR 21 has disappeared.

* So has RAID.

* i am posting this from a fully functioning kubuntu vaio ar61s laptop. yay!

* next stop - the motion eye camera and the minjack output. let me know if you got these sorted, and how.

good luck with it.

If this has been helpful, please drop me a comment and I'll be happy to drop in other bits of kubuntu/linux/vaio that I come across...

Sean

UPDATE: FEB 2009

A lot of people find this page through googling LINUX AR61S. Just about everything works fantastically for me - My OCR Scanner, Networking, the camera, speakers...

Alas, I still haven't configured my microphone to work, or bluetooth or the headphone minijack. If you manage to get any of those working then please please please drop instructions to me in the comments below... Thanks!!