Information and Recommendations: Repartition

[Mike McCarty]

Paul Howarth wrote:
> Mike McCarty wrote:

[snip]

>> Disk /dev/sda1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

>> Question 1: If there is no valid partition table, then how did I do
>> a mount?
> 
> 
> Disks have partition tables, partitions don't. You probably meant:
> 
> # fdisk -l /dev/sda


What a BONEHEAD! Of course! Thanks for pointing out the obvious!

:-)


> 
>> Now, concerning repartitioning. I installed FC2 last October on
>> a Compaq Presario. It is now a dual-boot system with Windows XP
>> bootloader managing a secondary boot to GRUB which manages
>> the Linux boot. Placing GRUB into the MBR is not an option on
>> this machine, as it causes F10 auto-recovery to begin.
>>
>> I used resizentfs and parted when I did the install, intending
>> to make XP and Linux have about 20G apiece on this 40G drive.
>> But I flubbed something, and Linux now has only 7G. It looks
>> like this:
>>
>> # fdisk -l /dev/hda

[snip details]

>>
>> # mount
>> /dev/hda5 on / type ext3 (rw)
>> /dev/hda3 on /boot type ext3 (rw)
>>
>> I believe that /dev/hda1 is the "Compaq Recovery" partition,
>> /dev/hda2 is the Windows XP boot, /dev/hda5 and /hdev/hda6
>> are the logical volumes I created inside /dev/hda4.
> 
> 
> These are "logical partitions", not "logical volumes" - there is a 
> difference.

Erm, yes. I realize that. Sloppy use of language. Sorry.

>> Is there any simple way of doing another resize/parted which
>> can make this setup more like what I originally intended, or
>> am I basically SOL? (IOW, re-install time?)
> 
> 
> You could shrink hda2 to 15G or so, expand hda4 to include the recivered 
> space, move hda5 to the start of hda4 and then size it to include the 
> extra space up to the start of hda6. But I'd be inclined just to 
> reinstall personally.

What tools are capable of performing these feats of magic?

>> If re-install is needed, what is the recommended new partition
>> layout? (I realize that the answer here is partially a matter
>> of taste.)
> 
> 
> Indeed it is. Also a matter of what your requirements are.

I'd like to get Linux about 1/2 of the disc, or maybe somewhat
more, maybe 2/3. I realize that swap space is more a black art
than a science, as well. I hardly ever boot XP. But some contract
work I'm doing requires me to test under a few versions of Windows.
I have a Windows 98 machine, and this machine (dual boot) for
Windows XP. Mostly I build/test under FC. But the actual targets
are SCO and Windows console. I happen to prefer the Linux environment
to either Windows (any flavor) or SCO. And I try to write my code
to be as portable as possible, so I deliver source, and they compile
for SCO and Windows Console, and it (mostly) works.

If I had another bay in my machine, I'd add an internal hard drive,
and let XP own one drive and Linux own the other.

Thanks.

Mike
-- 
p="p=%c%s%c;main(){printf(p,34,p,34);}";main(){printf(p,34,p,34);}
This message made from 100% recycled bits.
You have found the bank of Larn.
I can explain it for you, but I can't understand it for you.
I speak only for myself, and I am unanimous in that!