Chuck MATTSEN wrote:
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Johan Sch wrote:
| Chuck MATTSEN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
~ [...]
|> XP Pro NTFS hda1 14 GB
|> unassigned -- -- 9.7 GB
|> / ext3 hda5 5.8 GB
|> swap -- hda6 0.5 GB
|> /home ext3 hda7 6.5 GB
|>
|>I'd like to make the currently unassigned drive space (or most of it,
|>anyway) a FAT32 shared data partition, but want to make sure that I
|>understand the procedure -- and any potential problem areas -- before
|>I attempt it, as I'd /like/ to leave the current installation and data
|>intact, rather than doing so via a wipe/reinstall.
[...]
|>1. Am I correct in assuming that, because Windows flavors tend not to
|>play well with others, that the formatting/assignment of the free
|>space to FAT32 should be done from within Mandrake, or not? If so,
|>would I then have trouble getting XP to recognize it.
|>
|>2. Regardless of where the operation is performed, the drive
|>assignments (currently hda5-7) would end up getting renumbered,
|>correct? If so, will Mdk handle this automatically, or need I be
|>prepared to do some manual editing of config files?
[...]
|>What I probably really need is a detailed step-by-step before I'm
|>comfortable performing this, but I certainly don't expect anyone here
|>to go to such lengths. So, if anyone has a pointer to a really
|>//basic// step-by-step, a link would be appreciated. All I've found
|>so far is either not Mandrake-specific or details only part of the
|>procedure/concept.
|
|WARNING.. that unassigned space can/must only be created as PRIMARY
partitions. Only two more can be done.
|
| There is various tools to do this. Depending on what you have.
| Partition Magic can do it. Rescue cdrom can do it.
|
| Can be done with mandrake distro . but you must know what you are doing.
| good luck
| ***************
| Some more info . what is bothering me is I see no extended partition
on your info.
|
| Should my info for the above be correct then it will be no good for
using it as scrarchpad for windows. Win can only see one primary
partition . in this case its own. Linux have no problem.
|
| Should any changes you make change the excisting partition numbers
you will have problems booting your linux system. Unless you can make
the corrections in fstab and bootloader.
Yeah, that's where I stopped the process before :-), when I started getting advisories about primary partitions, as I can't afford to mess up my XP install (much as I'd like to wipe it, I need it for work on a daily basis), and the info I was getting was sufficiently cryptic/over my head that I didn't dare go further at that point.
I have Partition Magic and, in fact, it's what I originally used to set up the dual boot. Subsequent to that, however, it began balking at any attempt to resize/reallocate anything further, saying it had "found errors," etc., and I felt (and was also advised) it would be wise to /not/ let Partition Magic "fix" them, as it offered.
I also /do/ have Partition Manager, which seems to be better able to handle dealing with a mixed NTFS/ext3 environment. I guess I'm confused about the distinction (if there is one) between partitions, primary partitions, logical drives, etc.
As for the partition numbering, I was hoping that if it was done from within Mandrake that it would be taken care of, but am certainly willing to manually edit, should that be a necessity.
Partition numbering is a combination of fixed and variable numbering. The primary partitions are always 1 through 4, and are independent of the logical partitions created in the extended partitions.
Extended partitions are a special type of primary partition that define a chunck of disk space that is then broken up into smaller logical partitions. You can have a total of 4 primary partitions and extended partitions. ( 0P, 4E or 1P, 3E or 2P, 2E or 3P, 1E or 4P, 0E) Each extended partition can have 4 logical partitions. (This is if you are going to have a DOS type partition table - there are other formats, but windows doesn't like them.)
The "correct" way to do it is to create a second extended partition using the free space, and then create a logical drive in it. I do not have enough experience with XP to know if it will handle having a FAT32 primary partition, along with a NTFS primary partition. I know Windows 95 and 98 would handle having 2 primary partitions, even though you are not supposed to do it.I dunno ... I'm sure it's all obvious to those who've been around the Linux "block" a few times, but in my many years on the Windows side of things I've never had to do any partitioning or similar -- indeed, I never even once had to do an OS reinstall, as things remained stable throughout the various upgrades to 98se. This new system came with XP Pro preloaded, and I'm much less familiar in that environment.
Before you start changing things, would you send the output of "fdisk -l /dev/hda" so we can see how things are now. I don't know if your free space is part of your extended partition, or if it is not claimed by any partition. Space can be claimed by an extended partition, but not used by a logical partition, or not claimed by any partition. It makes a difference on what you can do with it.
Mikkel
--
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
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