Hi,

I am a newbie to linux and this is the first tiuume i am installing
linux on a PC.

My home PC is 500MHZ P3 with a 40 GB HDD.
While partioning the HDD, i am faced with a dilemma.

Let me explain, I have 1 primary partition(C and one logical
partition (D.

C: has Win98 with 14 GB used and 4 GB free space.
D: has win2k with 6.5 GB used and 12 GB free space.

As per the Slackware Essentials book, I need at least 2 more partitions
(for / and swap).

But all my free space is on the logical partition (D, 12 GB. and I do
not want to delete that partition as it has a Database server and
related s/w installled on it.

Can anyone tell me what to do ?

Can I free some space on C: and then split C: to create the Linux
partitions.

Can I avoid deleting the D: partition ? What do I do after deleting ?

Do all the linux partitions have to be primary partitions ?

I plan to use Linux fdisk of fips for making the partitions.

Thanks for youe help,
Hemant

hemant_ng@yahoo.com's fingers wander over the keyboard and thus
produced:

> Hi,
>
> I am a newbie to linux and this is the first tiuume i am installing
> linux on a PC.
>
> My home PC is 500MHZ P3 with a 40 GB HDD.
> While partioning the HDD, i am faced with a dilemma.
>
> Let me explain, I have 1 primary partition(C and one logical
> partition (D.
>
> C: has Win98 with 14 GB used and 4 GB free space.
> D: has win2k with 6.5 GB used and 12 GB free space.
>
> As per the Slackware Essentials book, I need at least 2 more
> partitions (for / and swap).
>
> But all my free space is on the logical partition (D, 12 GB. and I
> do not want to delete that partition as it has a Database server and
> related s/w installled on it.
>
> Can anyone tell me what to do ?
>
> Can I free some space on C: and then split C: to create the Linux
> partitions.
>
> Can I avoid deleting the D: partition ? What do I do after deleting ?
>
> Do all the linux partitions have to be primary partitions ?
>
> I plan to use Linux fdisk of fips for making the partitions.
>
> Thanks for youe help,
> Hemant

Or add a second hard drive to put Linux upon.

On Sat, 17 Sep 2005 12:50:30 -0700, hemant_ng wrote:


> Let me explain, I have 1 primary partition(C and one logical
> partition (D.
>
> C: has Win98 with 14 GB used and 4 GB free space.
> D: has win2k with 6.5 GB used and 12 GB free space.

I have a similar "Windows" drive that is 45GB.

> As per the Slackware Essentials book, I need at least 2 more partitions
> (for / and swap).
>
> But all my free space is on the logical partition (D, 12 GB. and I do
> not want to delete that partition as it has a Database server and
> related s/w installled on it.
>
> Can anyone tell me what to do ?
>
> Can I free some space on C: and then split C: to create the Linux
> partitions.
>
> Can I avoid deleting the D: partition ? What do I do after deleting ?

You could shrink the D: partition by 6-8GB and install on the newly freed
space.

> Do all the linux partitions have to be primary partitions ?

No. Linux will install on logical partitions just fine.

> I plan to use Linux fdisk of fips for making the partitions.

If you can possibly afford a second hard drive, You could also install
Slackware on it, and leave the "Windows" drive intact, and untouched.

If you install the new drive as /dev/hda, the master on the first ide
controller, and set the present "Windows" drive as either slave on the first ide
controller, /dev/hdb, or master on the second ide controller, /dev/hdc,
you can then install Slackware on /dev/hda, partitioned any way you wish,
and install the boot loader, either lilo or grub, in the MBR of /dev/hda.
Thiis has the added advantage that any future repairs/reinstalls of either
Windows version will not overwrite your Linux bootloader.

I have a varying number of Linux distros installed on this machine, and
they are on the first two hard drives, with the dual boot "Windows" drive
on the third physical drive, attached to /dev/hde. It boots fine from
there. I've run setup.exe on the Win98 partition, to repair damaged
system files, numerous times, as well as the Win2K "repair existing
installation" process, (I believe it's winnt32.exe, but it's been a while)
which overwrite the MBR as part of the process, but it only overwrites the
MBR of the disk it is installed on, not the MBR on /dev/hda, so the common
problem of having to reinstall lilo, or grub, after Windows repairs, is
eliminated.

--
imotgm
"Lost? Lost? I've never been lost... Been a tad confused for a
month or two, but never lost."

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In alt.os.linux.slackware, hemant_ng@yahoo.com dared to utter,
> C: has Win98 with 14 GB used and 4 GB free space.
> D: has win2k with 6.5 GB used and 12 GB free space.
>
> As per the Slackware Essentials book, I need at least 2 more partitions
> (for / and swap).
>
> But all my free space is on the logical partition (D, 12 GB. and I do
> not want to delete that partition as it has a Database server and
> related s/w installled on it.

Well, you have a number of options at this point. You can backup your
data on C:\ to D:\, then re-partition the drive for Windows 98, Win2k,
and Linux. If this seems like too much work, you can use tools like
parted or Partition Magic to split the vfat partition (C:\). I would
try to shy away from splitting the NTFS partition (D:\). vfat is pretty
old and stable and the tools for splitting it are mature. As always,
YMMV.

- --
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise,
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:5
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On 17 Sep 2005 12:50:30 -0700, hemant_ng@yahoo.com wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I am a newbie to linux and this is the first tiuume i am installing
>linux on a PC.
>
>My home PC is 500MHZ P3 with a 40 GB HDD.
>While partioning the HDD, i am faced with a dilemma.
>
>Let me explain, I have 1 primary partition(C and one logical
>partition (D.
>
>C: has Win98 with 14 GB used and 4 GB free space.
>D: has win2k with 6.5 GB used and 12 GB free space.

If you can access a copy of Partition Magic, try opening a gap between
C: and D: of about 5GB. Then insert a primary / partition and a swap.

old:
C: 18GB
D: 20GB

new:
C: 18GB /dev/hda1
/ 5GB /dev/hda2
swap 250MB /dev/hda3
ext --- /dev/hda4
D: 10GB /dev/hda5
/home 5GB /dev/hda6

booting:
The above suggestion will change the partition count for ntldr,
adjust boot.ini so win2k still boots --> this is still prior to
slackware install, you want to keep old system running...

The two lines with "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)"
^-> needs adjustment

When install slackware, tell bootloader to point at /, NOT use
MBR. After install, change active partition to /dev/hda2 and then
lilo gets control, from where you can boot slackware or windows.

>
>Can anyone tell me what to do ?

No, but I suggest one way to accomplish the doings, there are other
ways.
>
>Can I free some space on C: and then split C: to create the Linux
>partitions.
>
>Can I avoid deleting the D: partition ? What do I do after deleting ?

Yes, you can, but backup important data just in case 'magical things
happen'.
>
>Do all the linux partitions have to be primary partitions ?

No, but you need a primary bootable to play nice with a windows MBR
dual boot, the suggestion above is how I'd do it. The advantage is
that you can simply set active primary back to /dev/hda1 and linux
'disappears'. Good for when the first few installs blow up in your
face. --> I know mine did )
>
>I plan to use Linux fdisk of fips for making the partitions.
Yes, use linux fdisk, fips I've not used, I'm assuming you have win2k
on NTFS, in which case it may be safer to use windows tools to resize
live partitions.

Cheers,
Grant.

On Sat, 17 Sep 2005 12:50:30 -0700, hemant_ng wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I am a newbie to linux and this is the first tiuume i am installing
> linux on a PC.
>
> My home PC is 500MHZ P3 with a 40 GB HDD.
> While partioning the HDD, i am faced with a dilemma.
>
> Let me explain, I have 1 primary partition(C and one logical
> partition (D.
>
> C: has Win98 with 14 GB used and 4 GB free space.
> D: has win2k with 6.5 GB used and 12 GB free space.
>
> As per the Slackware Essentials book, I need at least 2 more partitions
> (for / and swap).
>
> But all my free space is on the logical partition (D, 12 GB. and I do
> not want to delete that partition as it has a Database server and
> related s/w installled on it.
>
> Can anyone tell me what to do ?
>
> Can I free some space on C: and then split C: to create the Linux
> partitions.
>
> Can I avoid deleting the D: partition ? What do I do after deleting ?
>
> Do all the linux partitions have to be primary partitions ?
>
> I plan to use Linux fdisk of fips for making the partitions.
>
> Thanks for youe help,
> Hemant

All you need to do is use the partitioning tools available with any modern
Linux disto. They will allow you to resize your MS partitions and make new
partitions for your install. 512mb or 1gb or so is all you need for swap.
Linux does not care an iota whether it is using primary partitions. I run
off hda12 on one system. You can resize either of both of your MS
partitions quite safely. You should checkdisk and defrag them both first,
and backups are always a good idea.

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Hash: SHA1

In alt.os.linux.slackware, imotgm dared to utter,
> If you install the new drive as /dev/hda, the master on the first ide
> controller, and set the present "Windows" drive as either slave on the first ide
> controller, /dev/hdb, or master on the second ide controller, /dev/hdc,
> you can then install Slackware on /dev/hda, partitioned any way you wish,
> and install the boot loader, either lilo or grub, in the MBR of /dev/hda.

This is completely optional and to be honest, I don't recommend it as
it uneccessarily complicates things. If LILO (LInux LOader) is
installed to the MBR (Master Boot Record) of the first hard drive the
BIOS finds[0] it can boot Linux or Windows regaurdless of the drives
the operating systems are installed on. Thus you could have this
setup:

/dev/hda
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 638 5224703 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda3 639 7476 48781372+ 5 Extended
/dev/hda4 639 7476 48781372+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

/dev/hdb
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 1 638 5224703 82 Linux swap
/dev/hdb2 639 7476 55927235+ 83 Linux

In this scenario your /etc/lilo.conf file should look like this:

boot = /dev/hda
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hdb2
label = linux
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

This would work just fine, just make sure you setup your windows
partitions to boot properly. The important thing to make sure of is
that you set "boot = /dev/hda". This tells LILO to install itself to
the MBR of /dev/hda, rather than /dev/hdb.

[0] It searches in this order: /dev/hda, /dev/hdb, /dev/hdc, /dev/hdd
for IDE drives and can search in all kinds of orders if you are using
SCSI drives, but I will not complicate things for the OP with a
discussion on SCSI and SATA drives.

- --
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise,
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:5
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hemant_ng@yahoo.com wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am a newbie to linux and this is the first tiuume i am installing
> linux on a PC.

Am taking this as reference.
Do yourself a big favor, borrow/buy/steal an *old* 3-4 gig disk, attach
it to your system, and do all your tests on it.
Then when you feel comfortable start experimenting.

> Thanks for youe help,
> Hemant
>

Stanislaw
Slack user from Ulladulla.

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In alt.os.linux.slackware, Grant dared to utter,
> you can simply set active primary back to /dev/hda1 and linux
> 'disappears'. Good for when the first few installs blow up in your
> face. --> I know mine did )

Just want to mention to the OP not to be too scared of putting LILO in
the MBR. I know there are lots of warnings out there about that, but
in reality they are a bit silly. If you do choose to put LILO in the
MBR (the easiest way to do it, IMHO), you can easily restore the
default MBR if you have a Windows 98 boot disk. Since you mentioned
you have that installed, you can use it to make the boot disk. Should
things go wrong, you can boot that disk and execute this command to
restore things the way they were.

A:\fdisk /mbr

- --
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise,
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:5
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Stanislaw Flatto wrote:
> hemant_ng@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am a newbie to linux and this is the first tiuume i am installing
>> linux on a PC.
>
>
> Am taking this as reference.
> Do yourself a big favor, borrow/buy/steal an *old* 3-4 gig disk, attach
> it to your system, and do all your tests on it.
> Then when you feel comfortable start experimenting.
>
>> Thanks for youe help,
>> Hemant
>>
>
> Stanislaw
> Slack user from Ulladulla.
>

This is outstandingly *good* advice.
As one new to Linux...it would be a great idea to completely disconnect
the present drive...then experiment to your heart's content on a spare
drive...
No need to risk data loss...or worry about making a mistake.
I installed Linux dozens of times before I finally started feeling
comfortable.

To this day i use removable drives and only occasionally
set up one drive as dual boot.