Partition confusion

jb mesimpleton at yahoo.com
Mon Nov 10 11:12:50 EST 2003


I'm just curious about not having a /boot partition. All the info I have
says you need to make one, but one reference says it is a recommended
partition. That leads me to believe there may be other ways. This
appears to be the other way? If someone could touch on the subject I
would appreciate it. When I made my /boot partition, I tried 50 meg and
RedHat install complained and said it had to be at least 75 meg?
Thanks,
JB

On Sun, 2003-11-09 at 19:53, Michael Brown wrote:
> I got everything working by reformatting and reinstalling windows. Then
> running rescue from the Mandrake boot CD and reinstalling the lilo
> bootloader.
> 
> On Sun, 2003-11-09 at 00:08, Michael Brown wrote:
> > On Sat, 2003-11-08 at 09:52, Cyber Source wrote:
> > > 1. I would use the 15GB partition to share your photos between Linux &
> > > windows
> > 
> > OK but it would need to be a fat32 partition correct? 
> > 
> > Is there a way to read/write Linux partitions from the windows side?
> > 
> > > 2. The lilo.conf file looks OK. I can tell this is a Mandrake box from
> > > the file. If windows was booting OK before, it should boot OK now,
> > > unless you did something bad on the Linux install.
> > 
> > Yes, it was booting fine before. The one thing that comes to mind is I
> > did a selected "custom disk partitioning". I did not change any
> > partitions details.
> > 
> > I did reformat all the ext3 partitions.
> > 
> > I did have it working somewhat but windows had a mysterious "E:" drive.
> > I discovered the extended partition was setup as a FAT32 ext'd. As a
> > result, it eventually, I believe, caused errors on a Linux partition
> > which, after fsck tried to repair, damaged files on the windows
> > partition.
> > 
> > Anyway, I fixed that by changing the partition to an extended Linux
> > partition. Then reinstalling windows and Linux. Which lead me to this
> > point.
> > 
> > It now occurs to me that when I did have it working I choose "use
> > existing partitions" during the Mandrake setup rather than "custom disk
> > partitioning". Maybe Mandrake install did rewrite the partition table.
> > Perhaps, one more install is called for.
> > 
> > > 3. You must have a motherboard with a high speed controller, hence the
> > > /dev/hde. That is ok, the lilo.conf file seems to be written correctly
> > > for that, so again I repeat #2 above.
> > > Can you start your windows in safe mode? If so, a driver may have
> > > gotten whacked, and first off, I would suspect the ide controller.
> > > Can't see how a driver would have gotten whacked individually but I'm
> > > also have not seen what happened since you started this, again #2
> > > above.
> > 
> > Yes, I have promise ATA100 controller on my motherboard with an updated
> > bios to handle larger drives.
> > 
> > Looks like I may try again. But, if I continue to have problems I
> > suspect a controller and/or WinME problem. I may need to pick up a copy
> > of Win2k. 
> > 
> > Question: What does the (+) indicate in the printout of the partition
> > table?
> > 
> > ex: /dev/hde1   *         1       608   4883728+   c  Win95 FAT32 (LBA) 
> > 
> > > 
> > > On Fri, 2003-11-07 at 19:47, Michael Brown wrote: 
> > > > On Fri, 2003-11-07 at 08:37, Cyber Source wrote:
> > > > > I started getting a head ache reading this one, lol,
> > > > 
> > > > my confusion/frustration must have come out in the email
> > > > 
> > > > >  so I will give you a quick reply. Things you should probably do.
> > > > > 1. Keep it simple, if this is just a workstation, go with the default
> > > > > setup of the partitions.
> > > > > 2. Keep the windows side down to a small partition, it won't get
> > > > > fragmented as bad.
> > > > > 3. Try to loose the WinME if you can, if not, install that first, give
> > > > > it say a 5GB partition at most, with a dual boot, you can use the
> > > > > Linux side to store everything.
> > > > 
> > > > I am not in position to switch from WinME right now. I have heard many
> > > > people complain about it but I have had good (relative to windows) luck
> > > > until now. 
> > > > 
> > > > I setup 2 FAT32 partitions. A 5GB for windows and 15GB for files. I
> > > > would like to use Linux to store everything but how do I access Linux
> > > > partitions from within windows? I mainly need access to my photos. I do
> > > > most of my photo editing in windows.
> > > > 
> > > > > 4. After Windows installs properly and can start and reboot without
> > > > > problems, put in the Linux cd and boot.
> > > > 
> > > > this was done
> > > > 
> > > > > 5. Go with the auto partition from Linux and remove all previous Linux
> > > > > partitions.
> > > > 
> > > > this could be done....but I don't need to use all the free space. I
> > > > would like one large partition for backups/archives etc.
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > > 6. Install and enjoy.
> > > > > Problems that might arise....
> > > > > 1. The Linux installs that I do (RedHat) default to setting in LILO of
> > > > > "linear", if your using LILO for the boot loader that is. If you do
> > > > > not see the LILO screen after the Linux install, it has a problem with
> > > > > this line. You need to run the rescue mode from the Linux cd and mount
> > > > > your Linux install in rescue mode, change the line of "linear" to
> > > > > "lba32" in the file /etc/lilo.conf and then rerun lilo by typing
> > > > > "lilo" after you change the file. If it comes back ok, you should see
> > > > > your lilo screen on the reboot.
> > > > 
> > > > I can see the lilo menu fine. But if I select windows it does not boot.
> > > > It's as if the registry is missing.
> > > > 
> > > > > 2. If you are jumping around from different disks, you will need to
> > > > > (map) the drives in the /etc/lilo.conf file, with a statement like
> > > > > this,  
> > > > >         table=/dev/hdb
> > > > >         map-drive=0x80
> > > > >         to=0x82
> > > > >         map-drive=0x82
> > > > >         to=0x80
> > > > > adjust accordingly. Hope some of this helps ya.
> > > > 
> > > > I have a single drive and lilo.conf says:
> > > > 
> > > > boot=/dev/hde
> > > > map=/boot/map
> > > > vga=normal
> > > > default="linux"
> > > > keytable=/boot/us.klt
> > > > prompt
> > > > nowarn
> > > > timeout=100
> > > > message=/boot/message
> > > > menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
> > > > disk=/dev/hde bios=0x80
> > > > image=/boot/vmlinuz
> > > > 	label="linux"
> > > > 	root=/dev/hde5
> > > > 	initrd=/boot/initrd.img
> > > > 	append="devfs=mount hda=ide-scsi acpi=ht splash=silent"
> > > > 	vga=788
> > > > 	read-only
> > > > image=/boot/vmlinuz
> > > > 	label="linux-nonfb"
> > > > 	root=/dev/hde5
> > > > 	initrd=/boot/initrd.img
> > > > 	append="devfs=mount hda=ide-scsi acpi=ht"
> > > > 	read-only
> > > > image=/boot/vmlinuz
> > > > 	label="failsafe"
> > > > 	root=/dev/hde5
> > > > 	initrd=/boot/initrd.img
> > > > 	append="failsafe devfs=nomount hda=ide-scsi acpi=ht"
> > > > 	read-only
> > > > other=/dev/hde1
> > > > 	label="windows"
> > > > 	table=/dev/hde
> > > > other=/dev/fd0
> > > > 	label="floppy"
> > > > 	unsafe
> > > > 
> > > > Seem Okay?
> > > > >  
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > On Fri, 2003-11-07 at 00:02, Michael Brown wrote: 
> > > > > > Greetings All,
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > I recently installed a new 200GB hard drive in my PC. Previously, I had
> > > > > > 2 40GB drives. One partitioned for Windows ME and one partitioned for
> > > > > > Linux (Mandrake/Redhat, whatever the flavor of the week happened to be).
> > > > > > This dual boot system worked great.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > The problem now is I can't seem to get the dual boot to work correctly
> > > > > > with a single hard drive.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > I have tried several different ways to partition the new drive. I have
> > > > > > been able to install windows and get it setup fine. Then I setup Linux
> > > > > > and all goes well until I have to reboot into windows. Currently,
> > > > > > windows reports an registry error and does not boot not even in safe
> > > > > > mode. Previously, I booted to the startup disk and ran scanreg then it
> > > > > > reports several missing files and instructs me to reinstall windows.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > I posted the output of fdisk /dev/hde below:
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >    Device Boot    Start       End    Blocks   Id  System
> > > > > > /dev/hde1   *         1       608   4883728+   c  Win95 FAT32 (LBA) C:
> > > > > > /dev/hde2           609      2432  14651280    c  Win95 FAT32 (LBA) D:
> > > > > > /dev/hde3          2433      7722  42491925   85  Linux extended
> > > > > > /dev/hde4          7723     24321 133331467+  83  Linux /archive
> > > > > > /dev/hde5          2433      2675   1951866   83  Linux /
> > > > > > /dev/hde6          2676      2736    489951   82  Linux swap
> > > > > > /dev/hde7          2737      3952   9767488+  83  Linux /usr
> > > > > > /dev/hde8          3953      5168   9767488+  83  Linux /var
> > > > > > /dev/hde9          5169      7600  19535008+  83  Linux /home
> > > > > > /dev/hde10         7601      7722    979933+  83  Linux /tmp
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > I did use cfdisk to setup this partition scheme. I also ran the command
> > > > > > dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda1 bs=512 count=1 on hde1 and hde2 per man
> > > > > > fdisk. cfdisk originally setup hde3 as type f (win95 ext'd) which caused
> > > > > > windows to "see" a third partition. But, I was able to boot back and
> > > > > > forth to Linux and windows until fsck complained of errors on hde4 and
> > > > > > they were too numerous to repair so I formated the partition again (it
> > > > > > was blank). Then windows could not boot.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Changing hde3 to type 85 (Linux extended) cured the ghost partition
> > > > > > under windows after reformatting C: again.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > I should also note that during the current Mandrake 9.2 install lilo
> > > > > > found 2 windows installations. I did delete the windows2 option. But now
> > > > > > while Mandrake boots fine windows does not.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Is this a partitioning issue or perhaps do I need to switch the bootable
> > > > > > flag from hde1 to hde5?
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > I am hoping there is a simple solution without the need to repartition,
> > > > > > format, reinstall, etc. (again!) But, if I must, I will as long as I
> > > > > > know how to get it right this time.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Michael Brown




More information about the nflug mailing list