On Thursday 12 February 2004 12:43 pm, John Richard Smith wrote:I,m using PM v8, so if my memory serves me correctly PM v7 does not recognise ext2 cannot format in it, and marks ext2 partition as unallocated, but don't worry that does not really matter. Just go ahead and create the partitions you want for linux, have the sectors checked, the partitions formatted in say FAT32 and give them a volume lable.Then reformat the linux partitons with diskdrake during linux install( I take it we are talking about Mandrake)
At the end of the day the decision whether to use PM has to be yours. All I can add is, that in my now fairly extensive experience I would not mix my partition tools on the same drive.
If something went wrong with PM last time it has to be because you did something wrong with it. In my experience it is a fine partioning tool. I would not use PM to repartion anything diskdrake has already created though.If you create something with PM use PM to alter it, If you created a partion with diskdrake use it to undo it.
So if you have this HD and it has a windblows ntfs partion with a windblows OS, I would use PM to resize it. then with the remaining disc space I would use PM to partion it for my linux install, I would have PM format those linux partitions in FAT 32 and assign a volume label, helps to keep track of which partition does what. Then leave PM and reboot into the linux boot disc and proceed to intall the linux OS, and when you come to the choosing of partions I would have diskdrake format those linux partitions. It has never failed me doing this.There may be other ways of doing it, but that is what I would do. If you do what you propose, and you want to resize a diskdrake partioning later on it can lead to difficulties when that repartioning has been done with anything that is not the same partioning convention as the windblows OS use.
For me the golden rule is never mix partioning tools on the same HD. You already have a windblows OS that you do not want to disturb, fine, PM will easily repartion that OS's partition and retain data.
To me your question ought to be what did I do wrong with PM to mess up the your first experience.
PM, is quite a slow tool, if you use it to repartion , reformat and assign a volume label it certainly takes it's time, especially if the partions are large, but then it does more than that, it checks up on your drive and looks for bad sectors, if it finds any it marks them for you so that nothing gets written over those bad sectors in any future install, and that bad sector is written to the drives sectret index of the hard drives construct, that is important. You do not want wonky installs on bad sectors. All this takes a long time. I remember partioning a 40 gig drive last time and about 8 partions took the best part of an evening to accomplish. But it was worth it.
What version do you have, is it the latest, cannot remember what the latest version number is but mine can format and recognise ext2, but not the other linux file systems. For that reason alone I would not use PM to final format a linux OS install, but it's perfectly good enough to format and check for bad sectors on any partion in any windbows file system. Once those bad sectors are marked they remain marked. After that use diskdrake to reformat those partions during the install prcedures.
John
I used PM 7 to create my extra space for Linux, then auto allocated with the Linux install.
Well if you do screw up don't panic, it's all recoverable , just don't do anything to mess your windblows OS.
Thanks for your advice, I supposed I'll just use PM for everything. I'll create FAT32 at the end of the Extended partition so I can easily transfer from linux to windows, and also so I don't mess up labels and screw over fdisk.
Thanks, Marc
If you do have trouble just ask again here on this list. Plenty of people with loads of experience to help you. What I have described is my way, I'm not presumptious enough to say it's the only way, but it's never failed me, and I've used most of them.
John
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John Richard Smith
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