Help with setting up

[maccamlc]

I am greatly thinking of getting Linux, but want to check something. I have 2 hard drives, and windows is on C:/ and other important programs, etc. including win386.swp on D:/ D has about 15GB free, and i'm thinking of getting Redhat 7.3. Basically, when the installation guides talk about partitioning your hard drive, etc. would I be able to install this to D:/ without loosing any data.

Or would I need to back it up, previously and if so, how can this be done easily, as there is a fair bit.

And finally, by installing linux, is there no risk at all of loosing any data, or should the whole system be backed up as well?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[clegtw]

I am a Linux novice but I have gotten past the disk allocation problems you described, but with some difficulty. This was with RH7.3. I tried several times to let RH do the allocations with repeated failures. Then I purchased Powerquest Partition Magic and succussfully completed the installation. Points to consider are these (assuming a Win/Lin dual boot): 1). Linux boot code must be in low cylinder addresses. 2). Keep Win happy.

Using Partition Magic here is what I did. (ref. hda is first physical HD, hdb is second). I left hda configured for Windows except for letting RH mess with the MBA to setup the dual boot. On hdb I created a minmum sized FAT16 partition, cyls 1-203, reserved for the Windows swap file, this becomes Drive D:. Following this I set up the main Linux partition as EXT2 (see below) from cyls 204-624. Then the Linux swap from 625-625. The remainder of the space was allocated to 3 Fat32 windows partitions. This may not be the optimum setup but I was able to install and run RH7.3 from the CDs.

Note: Ext2 vs Ext3 I started with EXT2 format and later changed to EXT3; this was a mistake. With Linux defined as EXT2 I can use my PowerQuest DriveImage v5.0 that I have used for windows backup for several years to backup and recover the Linux system. I did an RH "Upgrade" to add features and allowed it to convert the Ext2s to Ext3s and DriveImage says "No-Way!", I don't speak to Ext3s.

Good Luck,
Cleg`

[michaelk]

Always backup anything that you consider important. There is always some risk but I have installed linux many many times as a dual boot system and haven't lost any data.

Depending on the distro some of the automatic install features will resize and format your whole system if your not carefull.

Partition Magic in my opinion is the best program for resizing existing partitions without losing data.

[l01yuk]

Linux boot code must be in low cylinder addresses.
This is only true if you want to use something like LILO. You can put it anywhere and use the windows boot manager or loadlin.exe. I used to have Linux starting 10GB in and used loadlin.exe which runs from the windows partition and boots Linux.

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/mini/Install-Strategies/x349.html

[maccamlc]

Thanks for the quick help. I will probably get a copy of Partition Magic and Drive Image, but just have 1 other question.

The above link talks about Linux needing 3 partitions. Does this mean, having Windows on C:/ and Windows and Linux partitioned on D:/. Or does the Linux partition on D:/ jave to split up even further, and finally, how much space do you normally allocate Linux.

Thanks for your help

[clegtw]

You have now gone beyond my Linux experience and knowledge level. I re-configured my second drive yesterday and with the 4-FAT32 described above and 1 3000mb Linux Ext2 and 1 8mb Linux Swap ptn. I Then restored Linux with Powerquest DriveImage. It seems content so far.

My earlier comment about putting Linux below the 1024 cyl boundry was based on RedHats propensity to choose Grub as the dual boot loader. I know that other loaders don't have this restriction but complying with it did not cause a problem.

Maybe someone with more Linux experience will jump in to teach us both. I have a ton of "don't knows".

Cleg

[michaelk]

You will need as a min two partitions for linux.
A linux swap partition and a root partition.

This nhf might help: http://www.linuxnewbie.org/nhf/Installation/How_to_Create_a_Multiple_Partition_System.html

[liquidfx13]

Originally posted by l01yuk

This is only true if you want to use something like LILO. You can put it anywhere and use the windows boot manager or loadlin.exe. I used to have Linux starting 10GB in and used loadlin.exe which runs from the windows partition and boots Linux.

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/mini/Install-Strategies/x349.html


someone correct me if i am wrong but this is no longer a concern with LILO. I currently have my Linux partitions starting 20GB in and it starts/boots/runs fine using LILO. If for some reason it doesn't work, you can always use Grub as i think that has never had that problem of the 1024 cylinder thing.

[DaveZ]

First of all always back anything important up! This is key I have been in "IT" for about five years and the key to not doing anything you won't regret is to back it up, things can happen no matter how safe they are. Second of all I have experience using windows and linux at the same time it is very easily done but i would suggest that you create more than two partitions.
Also if you are starting from scratch always install windows first and then linux