Kubuntu 10.10 crashes when installing

Binary package hint: ubiquity

Here's the error:

[QUOTE]Installer Crashed
We're sorry; the installer crashed. Please file a new bug report at
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+filebug
(do not attach your details to any existing bug) and a developer will attend to the problem as soon as possible. To help the developers understand what went wrong, include the following detail in your bug report, and attach the files /var/log/syslog and /var/log/partman:
[/QUOTE][CODE]Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/frontend/kde_ui.py", line 1054, in watch_debconf_fd_helper_read
      if not callback(source, debconf_condition):
   File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/filteredcommand.py", line 252, in process_input
     self.status = self.wait()
   File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/filteredcommand.py", line 148, in wait
     self.cleanup()
   File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/plugins/ubi-language.py", line 744, in cleanup
     self.ui.controller.translate(just_me=False, not_me=True, reget=True)
   File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/frontend/kde_ui.py", line 115, in translate
     self._wizard.translate_pages(lang, just_me, not_me, reget)
   File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/frontend/kde_ui.py", line 591, in translate_pages
     self.translate_widgets(lang=lang, widgets=widgets, reget=reget)
   File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/frontend/kde_ui.py", line 637, in translate_widgets
     i18n.get_translations(languages=languages, core_names=core_names, extra_prefixes=prefixes)
   File "/usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/i18n.py", line 120, in get_translations
     for line in db.stdout:
 IOError: [Errno 4] Interrupted system call
[/CODE]

I was unable to locate the /var/log/syslog or /var/log/partman files as there was no way to get to a terminal from there. It also would not open any browser from the bug reporting link. HOWEVER, I was able to right-click the kde icon in the upper-left corner of the error window, and it had options like Advanced Desktop Settings, etc. (can't remember precisely) and from there, I opened a help menu, and then from there, I opened a bug report window in rekonq, and from there, I logged in to post the bug info I copied from the window into the forums, so I would be able to save it. Also, I was able to use the tools menu with the open file command, and view pretty much the entire file system, including the whole ntfs file system of my windows install. However, I could not find any files mentioned for the bug report inside the ubuntu folder. All it had was the grub boot files inside it so far. But I found it odd that I could reach anything in the file system that way.

Later I attempted an install of the Kubuntu 10.10 iso via a bootable usb drive, and this also failed, but differently. This attempt did not precisely give an error, it just hung once it got to the actual "installing" part. I had attempted installing alongside my windows install. It successfully resized my ntfs partition, went through all the rest of the steps in the list (brief message about unable to unmount the cdrom, however I wasn't using a cdrom, so not sure what it meant. however it allowed me to continue forward with the rest of the steps). It got to the last step, where it does the slideshow of all the ubuntu features, and finally ended the slideshow saying the installatino would complete soon, and just stayed there. After about an hour, I finally tried to reboot. Couldn't halt the system with ctrl-alt-del, there was nothing to click on, couldnt open a terminal, etc. I finally pushed the power button, and the kubuntu screen said to remove the install media and hit enter. I did so, and it shut down. I booted back up, and it just booted into windows normally, with no reference to any kubuntu install. I checked my disk management area, and it had indeed resized the windows partition as requested, but it left the free space with no new partition. nothing had been created or installed in the newly vacated free space.

I'm fairly new to any sort of linux, so I'm not sure what to do next. Not sure why it's doing this, and already tried getting help on the forums.

I'm pretty sure it should have created some sort of linux partition to install to, right?

And I'm pretty sure the wubi installer shouldn't do that either.

So it appears I can't install either inside or outside of windows at this point.

I tried the various installing options, with acpi workarounds, safe mode video, etc. nothing worked so far.

I read in another bug report about unknown partitions. I have a pre-loaded diagnostic/recovery partition on the first 10gb of my drive. when I ran sudo fdisk -l >fdisklist.txt from a terminal on the live cd version(which works flawlessly by the way, created with the same downloaded iso), then it gave me this info about the drive (I ran this before repartitioning windows - havent run it again since):

[code]Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 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: 0xbb6ec618

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1306 10490413+ 27 Unknown
/dev/sda2 * 1307 19458 145798144 7 HPFS/NTFS

[/code]