partition help

[worker201]

So I'm trying to install Blue Linux (which gave me full ISOs without much hassle) on my computer at work so that I can run a GPL sonar program.  The computer is currently running Windows XP Pro.  Apparently, I need to make a couple partitions, which is where my problem starts.

1. Should I stick with the recommended 1 Linux partition and 1 swap partition?  I have about 40gig to work with?

2. In order to create non-dos partitions, I have to use fips.exe, right?  Which doesn't work from the WinXP command prompt.  Easy solution would be something like "restart in MSDOS mode" or create a bootable floppy.  Unfortunately, neither option seems to be available.  They used to be!!!!!  :mad:  

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.  By the way, this is my first time attempting to install Linux.

[Faust]

First attempt to install / work computer.  Maybe not a happy combination there.

[TheQuirk]

1. I'd create four partions--/boot, /, /home, and swap.

2. Fdisk should come with your Linux distro--it's not very hard to work with. I assume you're not trying to resize an NTFS partion, because then it's a totally different story.

[SAJChurchey]

I would also recommend a /usr partition.  It cuts down on writing to the / partition so there is less fragmentation, which can slow down your system, b/c /usr is where all of your programs are installed to; therefore, it can be written to quite often.

[ September 12, 2003: Message edited by: SAJChurchey ]

[Seth]

For a personal desktop configuration, in RH 9, I went with the default partition with /boot, and /swap. I am not too comfortable with this setup as I don't like everything under one big partition. I want to do a complete reinstall next week, and after doing a little research, I would like to add these partitions as well: /usr, /home, and /temp.
OK, I figured out how to do this during installation using the disk druid.
The HDD is 40 GB.
My problem is deciding how much space to assign to these partitions. Should they be fixed or allowed to grow to a certain size/disk space ?
If these are mounted during the installation, will RH 9 automatically install the appropriate softwares under them, or do I have to decide which goes where, and move them manually after the installation is complete ?

Any suggestions/help would be appreciated.

[worker201]

quote:Originally posted by TheQuirk:
I assume you're not trying to resize an NTFS partion, because then it's a totally different story.

gawddammmit, I just knew this was going to be a hassle.  It is in fact an NTFS partition.  Thanks so much for the warning.  If you have a few spare minutes, please advise further.

On a side note: before, I was planning to make the switch to Mac or Linux for personal political reasons.  You know, promote open source, give my money to companies that really care about computing, that sort of thing.  Sure, I saw what Windows was doing with my network connection and my files, but I figured "Hey, no big deal, I still get my mail on time, right?"
But really, this is just too much.  Why can't I make a bootable floppy for my own computer?  Why does the mouse need to access the internet?  What the fuck are "Dell Support Updates"?  How come there is a new critical update every damn week that claims to solve the exact same problem as the last one?  Why can't I resize my partitions?  They're my fucking partitions!!!!!!!

sorry about that.  bad week.

[Calum]

i understand

NTFS is a closed format of filesystem. microsoft made it that way and they like to keep it that way.
basically the solution is to back everything up, make your partitions using the linux installer disk (don't know what blue linux does about partitions, but i find a mandrake install CD number one is the perfect GUI partitioner, you just go through the install till you've written the partitions and then reboot), and then install windows on a fat32 partition at the start of the drive. install it before you install linux by the way. windows will arse up your master boot record if you install linux first. and remember to make a linux bootdisk too, for when you need to reinstall windows in the future and it arses up your master boot record.