inept use of gparted capability "I believe"

Hello potteryladymkm,

Partition    File Sysyem    Mountpoint    Label       Size   Used    unused   Flag
sdb2          ext3          /                        64.04   4.72     59.32
sdb3          Extended                                       1.24
sdb5          Swap                                           1.24
sdb1          ext3          /media/          /       83.77   1.50     82.27

I just sorted your print-out (written copy of GParted's graphic ? ). Is it true, that numbering of partitions ( sdb2 left from sdb1 ) is not in disk order as you showed it in the above table ?

I would suggest, that you redo it, which is much easier, than to correct the problematic actual situation. Since you created only two partitions - as you stated  -  Debian must have created the extended (swap) partition and used the free sdb1 partition as media storage area. Probably you selected options during installation without exactly knowing, what would happen.

How to

1. Delete all partitions on sdb by creating a new partition table.
2. Create  one (first primary) partition ( for Ubuntu), leave enough unallocated space for Debian. Do not format it.
3. Install Ubuntu. Do not create a swap partition, let Debian do the job later and use one swap for both distros.
4. Create a second primary partition (for Debian) and leave sufficient unallocated space for the swap and new /media (data)partition, which can be used by both or even all three distros.
5. Install Debian. Do NOT agree to create the /media partition with Debian. Create it afterwards within the extended partition, where Debian  - and Ubuntu - put their swapped data.
6. "Tell" Ubuntu, where it finds the swap partition.
7. Probably you get a confusing Grub boot menu afterwards. If you don't know, how to get it clear, post  sda1/boot/grub/menu.lst (a text file) here, and we recreate it slim and individual.

Regards
cmdr

@potteryladymkm :

Yes , of course, approximatly as you described it. I would correct the partition order with "fdisk" (Debian gets sdb1, by simply exchanging the partition table content), then delete the content of the /media partition (sdb2), not the partition itself, nor its file system (take Mepis for that task). And finally install "Ubuntu", use the Debian swap area for Ubuntu, too. Don't forget to correct "menu.lst" and replace (hd1,1)  =sdb2 by (hd1,0) =sdb1  within the menu command lines for Debian.

Regards
cmdr

Cmdr
http://s677.photobucket.com/albums/vv131/MKM1939
Those might help and do those key icons on external signify mounted?
here is menu.1st from boot folder/grub

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#            grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
#            and /usr/share/doc/grub-legacy-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default        0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout        5

# Pretty colours
color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line)  and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
#      password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title        Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root        (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader    +1
#
# title        Linux
# root        (hd0,1)
# kernel    /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/sdb2 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd1,1)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##      alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##      lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
##      lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(single-user) single
# altoptions=(single-user mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
##      howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
##      memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title        Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.26-1-amd64
root        (hd1,1)
kernel        /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-1-amd64 root=/dev/sdb2 ro quiet
initrd        /boot/initrd.img-2.6.26-1-amd64

title        Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.26-1-amd64 (single-user mode)
root        (hd1,1)
kernel        /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-1-amd64 root=/dev/sdb2 ro single
initrd        /boot/initrd.img-2.6.26-1-amd64

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title        Other operating systems:
root

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title        MEPIS at sda1, newest kernel (on /dev/sda1)
root        (hd0,0)
kernel        /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda1 nomce quiet splash vga=791 resume=/dev/sda2
initrd        /boot/initrd.img
savedefault
boot

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title        MEPIS at sda1, kernel 2.6.27-1-mepis64-smp (on /dev/sda1)
root        (hd0,0)
kernel        /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-1-mepis64-smp root=/dev/sda1 nomce quiet splash vga=791 resume=/dev/sda2
initrd        /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-1-mepis64-smp
savedefault
boot

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.
title        MEMTEST (on /dev/sda1)
root        (hd0,0)
kernel        /boot/memtest86+.bin 
savedefault
boot