Stop Microsoft
Operating Systems => Linux and UNIX => Topic started by: bwid_s_01 on 27 August 2003, 20:01
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I'm about to install my very first Linux system and begin learning it so that I can eventually move the fuck away from Windoze. However I'm in a bit of a rush to install it (along with the Windows it's gonna dual boot with) on my laptop before I leave for school. Can anyone please suggest to me the best partition configuration for doing this. Here are the specs:
30 GB Hard Drive:
- 2GB FAT32/Primary partitionfor Win2k
- 2GB FAT32/Primary partition for another Win2k (for testing purposes)
- 2GB FAT32/Primary partition for WinXP (for some XP-only stuff)
- 20GB NTFS/Logical partition for personal stuff and multimedia
That leaves me with 4 GB for Linux. What I need to know is how many partitions does Linux need (and what kind primary or logical) and what the file system of each has to be. The Linux i'll be installing is Red Hat 9.
I'm using Partition Magic for the partitioning and System Commander for the multi booting.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
P.S. I'll be getting a book on Linux and/or reading online tutorials and stuff. I just need this advice now because I'm in a rush to set up my computer.
[ August 27, 2003: Message edited by: bwid_s_01 ]
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Very quick reply....
You need 2 partitions.
1 for swap space size = 2xRAM aprox type = 82
so if you have 128MB of ram build a 256MB swap partition.
1 partition for file system type = 83 as big as you can make it.
Quick and easy not necessarily the best way but it will get you started
Have fun
Sime
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quote:
Originally posted by sime:
Very quick reply....
You need 2 partitions.
1 for swap space size = 2xRAM aprox type = 82
so if you have 128MB of ram build a 256MB swap partition.
1 partition for file system type = 83 as big as you can make it.
Quick and easy not necessarily the best way but it will get you started
Have fun
Sime
Thanks for the quick reply, but there is something I don't understand. What is type 82 and 83?? Partition Magic supports Linux Swap, Linux Ext2, and Linux Ext3. I don't know what any of that is. Also for each partition I must specify Primary or Logical.
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Hi,
all partitions have a type associated with them - For example if fdisk (from memory you can allow the system to set this up during the install) however I usually do this by hand using either fdisk or cfdisk to create the partitions. Under Linux you can set up the following partition types as shown below. Notice DOS, NTFS etc are all there this is why Linux recognises the partition type.
Command (m for help): l
0 Empty 1b Hidden Win95 FA 64 Novell Netware bb Boot Wizard hid
1 FAT12 1c Hidden Win95 FA 65 Novell Netware c1 DRDOS/sec (FAT-
2 XENIX root 1e Hidden Win95 FA 70 DiskSecure Mult c4 DRDOS/sec (FAT-
3 XENIX usr 24 NEC DOS 75 PC/IX c6 DRDOS/sec (FAT-
4 FAT16 < 32M 39 Plan 9 80 Old Minix c7 Syrinx
5 Extended 3c PartitionMagic 81 Minix / old Lin da Non-FS data
6 FAT16 40 Venix 80286 82 Linux swap db CP/M / CTOS / .
7 HPFS/NTFS 41 PPC PReP Boot 83 Linux de Dell Utility
8 AIX 42 SFS 84 OS/2 hidden C: df BootIt
9 AIX bootable 4d QNX4.x 85 Linux extended e1 DOS access
a OS/2 Boot Manag 4e QNX4.x 2nd part 86 NTFS volume set e3 DOS R/O
b Win95 FAT32 4f QNX4.x 3rd part 87 NTFS volume set e4 SpeedStor
c Win95 FAT32 (LB 50 OnTrack DM 8e Linux LVM eb BeOS fs
e Win95 FAT16 (LB 51 OnTrack DM6 Aux 93 Amoeba ee EFI GPT
f Win95 Ext'd (LB 52 CP/M 94 Amoeba BBT ef EFI (FAT-12/16/
10 OPUS 53 OnTrack DM6 Aux 9f BSD/OS f1 SpeedStor
11 Hidden FAT12 54 OnTrackDM6 a0 IBM Thinkpad hi f4 SpeedStor
12 Compaq diagnost 55 EZ-Drive a5 BSD/386 f2 DOS secondary
14 Hidden FAT16 <3 56 Golden Bow a6 OpenBSD fd Linux raid auto
16 Hidden FAT16 5c Priam Edisk a7 NeXTSTEP fe LANstep
17 Hidden HPFS/NTF 61 SpeedStor b7 BSDI fs ff BBT
18 AST SmartSleep 63 GNU HURD or Sys b8 BSDI swap
If you are still worried just shout.
Have fun
Sime
[ August 27, 2003: Message edited by: sime ]
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quote:
Originally posted by bwid_s_01:
Thanks for the quick reply, but there is something I don't understand. What is type 82 and 83?? Partition Magic supports Linux Swap, Linux Ext2, and Linux Ext3. I don't know what any of that is. Also for each partition I must specify Primary or Logical.
If this is your first Linux installation, leave the 4gig as free space and let Redhat do the partitonning.
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Insomnia is correct,
the install should just get on with it unless you actually want to do things by hand (loonies like me tend to split the file system across multiple partitions for redundancy and other reasons).
All things being equal it will automatically create a swap partition for you.
The current installs of most Linux distributions are very good, so just take your time, read the screen messages four times and press return once, when you are happy.
Enjoy
:D
Sime
[ August 27, 2003: Message edited by: sime ]
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quote:
Originally posted by insomnia:
If this is your first Linux installation, leave the 4gig as free space and let Redhat do the partitonning.
I'm actually thinking of doing that. But I have the following questions:
Does Linux support read/write to NTFS and/or FAT32? If so then I don't need RedHat to allocate its own program & data partition for me because then I would prefer to use the same Data partition I use for my personal date from Windows.
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Careful,
I can't remember if it can write to NTFS or not off the top of my head but in any case will most likley read NTFS - FAT32 is OK and should be rw no problem.
Be careful though you should create a standard filesystem (ext2 / ext3) for Linux and then mount your NTFS / FAT32 partitions separatley under /mnt/blah from within /etc/fstab. You may well be given the option to do this from within the install.
Windows will NOT recognise the Linux partitions (unless someone knows different).
PLEASE, PLEASE backup all your important data BEFORE you start, just incase something goes pear shaped!
Remember million to 1 chances happen 9 out of 10 times!
Having fun yet?
:D
Later
Sime
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Just a quick note,
Linux can read/write Fat32, Fat16 etc....
BUT
It can read NTFS but NOT write to NTFS!!
(http://tongue.gif) :( :cool:
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Cool I got it right without looking @ my book, not such an old fart after all :D
Later
Sime
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I thought writing to NTFS was possible, just experimental? Anyway, the default redhat partitioning of your free space is good, but just FYI ext3 and swap will be what it uses. (So thats probably what 82 and 83 are.) BTW three Windows partitions??? You certainly aren't going to have much left for programs on those little 2 gig partitions... ???
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"just experimental"? experimental sounds pretty damn dodgy to me!
i saw void main once said that the read/write support for NTFS in linux should more appropriately be called read/obliterate support, and that's good enough for me...
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Eeek,
I hope it doesn't create a 2GB swap partition ... Kind of over kill. The norm is to take RAM and * by 2 so if you have 128MB of ram you would end up with a 256MB swap partition which should be more than adequate. So he should end up with 2 partitions 1 3.blah and one small swap partition roughly twice the size of his available RAM
The idea of the swap is so the OS can write out 64K blocks of memory to disk and read them in when necessary. If the swap partition is not there and you actually push the machine then it will end up spending it's time thrashing rather than doing any real work.
The NTFS must have been experimental for ages now but hey it's Linux (and Linus is a GOD) so it will probably be more reliable than an official MS$ released bit of software.
The partition types i.e. 82 and 83 are just that partition types. ext2, ext3, swap etc are file systems types that can sit on top those partitions. So I could create a partition type of 83 (Linux) then I could put an ext2 file system onto that partition type or an ext3 (or others). The partition type would still be type 83 but the file systems running on the partition would be different depending on my choice e.g. I would choose ext3 if I wanted a journaling capable file system.
The poor fella or lass that asked the question is probably confused to hell by now :D
Hey Calum, do you have a degree in music? if so do you play a guitar?
Later
Sime