linuxgeek: Re: [LINUX_Newbies] Re: Installation

When I set-up a dual-boot, I had to learn to first defrag the Windows partition, then leave the space left blank after shrinking it if necessary, Linux is smart enough to use it to make the usual three partitions for \, swap and home. However, I usually use two hard drives, one for Linux and another for Windows. With a laptop that might be difficult to swap drives, or use an USB flash/or hard drive, then use the BIOS or PLoP CD to switch to the USB hard drive.
Joan in Reno

--- On Wed, 6/12/13, Pascal <pascal.bernhard@belug.de> wrote:

From: Pascal <pascal.bernhard@belug.de>
Subject: [LINUX_Newbies] Re: Installation
To: LINUX_Newbies@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 8:04 AM

Hi Michael, hi Loyal,

--- In LINUX_Newbies@yahoogroups.com, "loyal_barber" <loyal_barber@...> wrote:

>

>

>

> --- In LINUX_Newbies@yahoogroups.com, "mmorse757" <jm603@> wrote:

> >

> > In preparation for a Linux install, I used gParted to split my disk into two parts and created a logical partition on my laptop so that I could install Linux on the second partition. The issue is, the installer gives the following three options:

> >

> > 1) use entire disk

> > 2) set-up along side Windows 7

> > 3) other (manual installation)

> >

> > I don't want to use option one as it will erase my Win7. I tried to use option 2 but what happens is that the installer wants to shrink my Win7 partition instead of using the 2nd partition. The only way to use my 2nd partition is for me to choose option three but then the installer expects me to manually setup the partitions.

> >

> > Has anyone had this issue? Is there a way to force the installer to use the 2nd partition? Or do I have to Google on how to manually set up the partitions using the second half of the disk?

Actually settings up partitions isn't hard at all (When you know how to do it, of course), see below

> First, let me explain what options 2 and 3 mean. I assume you know

> what 1 means since you mention not wanting to erase Win7.

>

> #2 is for those who have NOT taken the step you already took: setting

> aside a partition using a partitioning tool. In such cases the person

> has a single partition with Win 7. The installer then shrinks the

> Win7 partition and creates a second (or more) where it installs Linux.

>

> #3 is for people like you who have already taken control of their

> disk partitions and don't want the installer to do anything you

> do not specifically say. This is the option you want in your

> situation. When you select this, you will see your Win7 partition

> plus some unpartitioned space. Put your Linux on this unpartitioned

> space. A note however: If you have 4 GB or less of memory

> you will want to create 1 to several swap partitions of approximately

> 2 GB each up to 1.5 times your amount of RAM. For example, if you

> had 4 GB RAM, you would have 5 total partitions:

> 1. Win7

> 2. Swap 2GB

> 3. Swap 2GB

> 4. Swap 2GB

> 5. Linux root (/) partition of the size of your free space - 6 GB.

>

@Loyal: why would you want to set up 3 SWAP-partitions? Never heard of that. Beside, are we talking about a laptop or a desktop PC? I'd say for only laptop computers is SWAP 1.5 times the size of physical RAM sensible, for suspension to RAM. Normally you do not do that with a desktop system.

Depending on whether the partition table is MS-DOS or GPT, you do not have to worry about primary and logical partitions, MS-DOS can only handle 4 primary ones, GPT a much larger number (of primary partitions), although I'm not sure how many exactly. For Linux you do NOT need to set any boot-flags for partitions! I do not know how to check whether one has a GPT-partition table, on a Linux live system, you would open a terminal and type the command (with root permissions or with 'sudo' prepended: fdisk -l or gdisk -l, if the latter is already installed on the live CD)

A traditional partitioning layout would look like this:

1. Windows 7 (Might actually be two partitions since Windows also creates a BOOT-partition

2. Linux: BOOT-partition (mount point: /boot) Size: 300-500MB (Should be primary partition)

3. Linux: ROOT-parition (mount point: /) Size: 20-30GB [depending on how much you want to install, this could also be considerably smaller] (Can be a logical partition)

4. Linux HOME-partition (mount point /home) (Can be a logical partition)

For /boot it is still advised to use the EXT3 file system, I do not know how stable EXT4 is for booting by GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader, the default Linux boot loader). For / and /home you may use any file system you want, EXT4 would be standard.

The ROOT-partition is your system drive, the HOME-partition is the place of your personal data. It makes sense to have them on two different partitions for system maintenance, thus you can unmount your HOME-partitions while the system is running, not possible with /. If you do not specify a HOME-partition during the installation process, the installer still creates a /home directory for your data, but it does not reside on a separate partition.

Hopefully that wasn't too confusing,

Pascal

[snip]

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