On 29 Aug, Jan Herbert wrote: > Hello, > > I just picked up linux 6.0, and I want to know if I can install > linux on a 4 gig partition that I already created on an 8.4 gig drive? > Windows is also installed on the other partition of that drive. > > thanks in advance, > Ian Herbert Yes, it is absolutely possible to install Linux on pre-existing partitions. What you have to watch out for the filesystem on those partitions. Linux uses the second extended (ext2) file system for it's data partitions, and a special "Linux Swap" filesystem for swap partitions (swap partitions give better performance than swap files). If you created this partition from Windows' fdisk, then it will be FAT, and Linux will need to reformat it (not a big deal). If you only have the one, count on deleting it & making two more (one / & one swap). One advisory: this will not take as long as Windows "formatting a drive," as long as you don't check the "check for bad blocks" option. As I understand it, all Linux does is change the partition table & make the filsystem, while Windows' format command actually re-writes the disk structure. I don't totally understand that part, so perhaps someone else can provide more info. Another option for installing Linux on FAT partitions is UMSDOS- this creates (kind of) a Linux filesystem inside the FAT partition. Linux Mandrake includes a "Lnx4Win" directory on the CD-ROM that has a UMSDOS install, I believe. Using this option will give you quite a performance hit, though- and Linux will be subject to all the problems associated with FAT filesystems i.e., fragmentation, large cluster size, etc. Anyway, I wouldn't go with this option unless you have some particularly compelling reason to. -- -Matt Stegman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
