Partition layouts 1

[skiflyer]

Here's an oft discussed topic I wanted to bring to Tek-Tips since I can't find much discussion of it here.

How to partition for a Linux/WinXP dual boot. Not how is in how to do it, but how is in, what's a good final setup?

I have a laptop with 37 (real, not marketting) gigs. It has WinXP pre-installed... and I want to keep it that way because of all the particulars of a laptop, and the fact that it comes with recovery CD's, not software CD's.

So, what's a reasonable layout for my partitions. Here's what I'm thinking...

Windows 15 Gigs of NTFS goodness.
Linux 10 Gigs of Ext3
LinuxSwap 1.2 Gigs (I have 768 Mem, so that sounds about right)
Shared 9.8 Gigs of universally readable FAT32

Who says, hey good plan! and who says... woah, what're you thinking?

I've read this and that on how Linux should really have 3 or 4 partitions of it's own, one for the OS, one for /usr
files and one for log files... but I'm thinking on a laptop (i.e. a desktop system, not a server), I should be fine with one.

I dunno though, and I'm wondering if I'm wasting storage on such a big FAT partition, should I keep it smaller? Should I grow it and make it the program install partition for Windows as well, or will I notice significant performance problems (I know wrong forum) for those programs. What about using that shared drive for parts of my linux install, i.e. maybe putting my log files there.

I'm baffled, I'm still a linux newbie in alot of fronts, though somewhat experienced in many others... partitioning, total newbie.

Looking forward to some advice.

-Rob

 

[RhythmAce]

I don't see a problem with what you have. Don't worry about the linux partitions. When you install, choose to let the installer configure the drive automatically with Disk Druid. Tell it not to touch the partitions you want to leave alone such as NTFS and FAT32. It will create 3 partitions /swap /boot and / (root). With this setup, you don't have to worry about how much to give /usr and did you make /home big enough. All these will be created on one partition and will work just like directories on a Windows drive. When prompted install the boot loader (grub or lilo) on the MBR.

 

[stefanwagner]

Two issues:
A big fat32 partition might lead to long running disk-checks.
I would rethink this issue. NTFS - write-support isn't claimed stable yet, but this seems to be a very defensive description.
(You thought of writable, though writing 'readable' - did you?)
My win2k is always partition-checking, though I always shut it down orderly.

I would tend to split the linux-partion for one reason:
When installing a new kernel/ system, it's fine to leave the running system untouched, till the new system on the other partition works stable. /boot needn't be an own partition.

If it's easy to put in a second drive later, you may of course leave it on a single partition.

 

[flugh]

I use a single partition for /, and 1 for swap, on my home desktop systems (well, I do mount a partition on the second hard drive as /home, but just so personal data lives through a reinstall/try-a-new-distro experiment). The only time I get fancy is with the production box at work. It has /, /boot, /var, /tmp, /usr, and /home.

----
JBR

 

[tnall]

i have winxp pro installed on my lap top. as well.
i then created a new 5 gig partition for redhat 8.0
and then 5oo megs for swap(doubling my ram memory).

i did not select to install lilo or grub during the redhat
install. the install went great, but now i can't figure out how to setup winxp bootmanger to point to the new partition.

my laptop has a single hard drive.

partition magic reports the following,
\\.\disk1.part2
linux swap is located at
1st physical Cyl 4812,hd 1,sect 1
last physical Cyl 4863,hd 254,sect 63

main linux "/" partition
type 0f- extended.
cyl 4099,hd 0,sect 1
cyl 4863,hd 254,sect 63

my boot config file has this in it.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
C:\ = "Microsoft Windows"


what do i need to point winxp to select my installed redhat
partition ?


thanks

troy nall

 

[sh00der]

tnall, I have a dual boot XP and Fedora pc. From what I gather it's easier to set up Grub or Lilo than to try and configure the win boot manager (I've never tried messing with the win boot manager). Why didn't you want to install Grub or Lilo? I use Grub on mine, it works great, it's very versatile and easy to configure. You can still install it now even though you've already installed RedHat.

 

[AP81]

Correct me if I am wrong, but won't installing the Linux bootloader onto the MBR of the NTFS partition be a potentional problem?

I think there is no problem with the partition layout you have.

I would however install the Linux Bootloader into the superblock of the Linux root partition, then add an entry into the Windows Boot.ini file to boot linux.




------------------------------------
There's no place like 127.0.0.1
------------------------------------

 

[skiflyer]

There's no problem putting Grub or LILO in the MBR of an NTFS partition... however, a couple months ago there was a bug with the way Fedora handled it which would make Windows partitions unaccessible. You may want to research this bug before using it.

 

[sh00der]

I think you're right Skiflier, definitely check first. The way I did mine was by downloading the latest Grub and installing it manually. I made a boot floppy first and got that working before installing on the MBR of the XP NTFS partition.