Installing Mandrake 10.0 (Partition Question)

[Guest Anorak]

I'm currently using Windows XP Pro on a 120GB NTFS HD. I have Partition Magic 8 and was wondering if I should create another partition using that, or simply resize the current one (only one) to allow free space on the HD for Linux to utilize.

[Ixthusdan]

I would definitely use partition maginc to create a new partition in which to install linux. I would also be sure to leave it unformatted and reboot windows once, so that it only has control of its resident partition. That way, it will not try to "fix" the drive later.

[Guest Anorak]

So you recommend creating a new partition for Linux using Fat32? Then after the partition has been created, reboot Windows once?

[liquidzoo]

No, resize your NTFS partition and leave the space created blank. Then reboot Windows once, then install Mandrake on the blank partition.

[Guest Anorak]

Do you recommend creating another partition (FAT32) that both OS's can recognize? So I'd essentially have a Linux partition, Windows partition, and another one for files to use on both platforms.

[Ixthusdan]

Yes. Ideally, a windows area (prtition), a fat partition for file sharing, and a linux area (partitions). Remember that linux will take the space allocated and create at least 2 partitions within that area. I would do the following:

60G windows

20G vfat

40G unpartitioned (for linux)

When installing linux, 5G for /, 15G for /home, 19.5G for /usr, and 500MB for swap.

[bvc]

Do you recommend creating another partition (FAT32) that both OS's can recognize?  So I'd essentially have a Linux partition, Windows partition, and another one for files to use on both platforms.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I do that. Sorta. PM8 can create an ext3 partition and a swap for linux and update XP just fine for a reboot. Then install mandrake telling it not to format. I do not use linux partition utilities and let PM8 do it all. It's nice to XP.

[Guest sci_fi]

No, resize your NTFS partition and leave the space created blank.  Then reboot Windows once, then install Mandrake on the blank partition.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Having done the above, which OS will come up when I re-boot? Should I now (after the Mandrake installation): 1) boot to XP (how?); 2) install Bootmagic and configure it to let me choose which OS on subsequent reboots. Or do something else?

 

Ideally I want a prompt on re-boot asking which OS I want. BootMagic promises this but how to get there is confusing to me.

 

Thanks.

 

sci_fi

[Ixthusdan]

lilo or grub either one will do that. I use lilo. I boot from 4 different os. (See my sig)

[bvc]

You want to have BTmagic already installed, having ran it and rebooted with it enabled, B4 you instal linux. This saves the mbr for later restoration should it be necessary, and can be done from the PM8 cd or floppy. You then disable BTmagic and reboot to win making sure all is well. Then install mandrake telling it to put the linux bootloader in

/

instead of the default which is the

mbr

I have had mandrake ignore this request for both lilo and grub, so don't be supprised to reboot and see a linuxloader instead of win. Then boot to win and run and enable BTmagic then add linux. Reboot to linux through BTmagic bootmenu. That will chainload you to the linuxloader.

Edited September 2, 2004 by bvc

[Guest sci_fi]

BVC and IXTHUSDAN, thank you greatly for your comments.

 

Still with this, your patience is appreciated. A bit more:

 

1. If I do the reboot after the Mandrake install (having hopefully put the linux bootloader in /) and find myself in Linux, rather than windows (meaning, I think, that Mandrake did not put the bootloader in / as instructed), how do I get back to windows. Total re-boot from my last system back up or is there an easier way?

 

 

2. Setup and Install Procedure (my current best guess): Please correct as necessary. (I am running XP on a 1.8 ghz Celeron with 512 Mb ram and 27-28GB hdd currently with just 1 big partition)

 

Steps:

0. Confirm bio settings; Boot from CD before HD; PnP OS set to NO.

1. Install Partition Magic

2. Install Boot Magic

3. Enable Boot Magic

4. Reduce size of Primary partition (windows c:) to 12G using Partition Magic

5. Create Linux Partition (14G); type: ext3 ;do not format

6. Create LInux swap partition (1G); type: Linux swap ;do not format

7. Reboot Windows

8. Disable Boot Magic

9. Reboot to Windows; This is a check that all is well.

10.Shut down.

11. Re-boot with Linux install disk

12.The linux boot loader (LILO?) should be installed in / not in MBR. This a prompt from the install.

13. Reboot to Windows ; Just do it since LILO is in /

14. Enable Boot Magic

15. Run Boot Magic and add Linux

16. Reboot to Linux thru Boot Magic menu

 

 

3. Different topic:

My original idea was to simply install Mandrake to a USB harddrive. My PC bios supports boot from USB. Then, when I want to run Linux, I just plug in the drive and boot. No changes at all to the internal hdd. However, I seem to have read in the plethora of documentation that I can't install Linux to a removable drive. Obviously, I haven't tried this yet (usb drive is in the mail).

 

I am nervous that if Mandrake disregards my drive selection during the install, it will overwrite my internal hdd-not good. I am considering simply removing the hdd prior to the install, but that will probably cause other problems.

 

Any comment?

 

I would really like to set up a dual boot system. The PC I am using at the moment is shared, however, and if I screw it up badly, my life is forfeit.

 

Thx again.

[Ixthusdan]

My multi-boot systems have all been with lilo or grub on the mbr. So, the steps that bvc and others use are more conveluted than my set-up. As far as Mandrake or any linux, they will not "overwrite" your drive, ever. That is an unfortunate windows trick, and it is intended to make windows not cooperate with anyone else. No fear with linux..

 

With windows, if it is ignorant of anyone else, it behaves. The trick is simply to not allow windows to "see" empty partitions and assign the space to its own system. If it does, it needs to be removed from windows prior to installation. My xp pro is blissfully ignorant od the three linux os's residing in the computer. So it behaves.

 

While chaining boot loaders is possible, I see more trouble than jsut simply getting windows to behave.

 

Of course. I have had disasters,but they were of my own doing, or my own ignorance. Actually, when I stopped relying on windows or window software and started utilizing linux software, it became smooth sailing!

[Guest sci_fi]

Thanks for the advice. I am inclined to agree with you about mixing software from the two OS's. One exception shown below in simplified instructions:

 

Setup and Install Procedure (my current best guess): Please correct as necessary. (I am running XP on a 1.8 ghz Celeron Notebook with 512 Mb ram and 27-28GB hdd currently with just 1 big partition)

 

Steps:

0. Confirm bio settings; Boot from CD before HD; PnP OS set to NO.

1. Install Partition Magic and run PM

-Reduce size of Primary partition (windows c:) to 12G using Partition Magic

-Do not partition/ format the unallocated newly freed up space.

 

2. Reboot to XP and review the file system is OK.

3. Back up system.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Reboot with Mandrake install disk

5. Partition unallocated hdd space as follows:

 

mount point type size

/ ext3 800 MB

/usr ext3 5000 MB

/usr/local ext3 3000 MB ; not sure what goes here; more app's presumbly

/home ext3 5200 MB

swap swap 1000 MB

 

 

6. Install LILO at Mandrake install default ( / ) ???GRUB instead of LILO

 

7. Install standard max set of ap's.

 

8. Done

 

9. Reboot to Windows ; Test that all is well

10. Reboot to linux; Use default options.

 

It does seem less convoluted. Any "gotcha's" you can see?

 

Thanks again.

[Ixthusdan]

That looks like my procedure, except the default lilo/grub install is the mbr. Otherwise, it looks good to me.

[bvc]

BVC and IXTHUSDAN, thank you greatly for your comments.

 

Still with this, your patience is appreciated.  A bit more:

 

1. If I do the reboot after the Mandrake install (having hopefully put the linux bootloader in /) and find myself in Linux, rather than windows (meaning, I think, that Mandrake did not put the bootloader in / as instructed), how do I get back to windows. Total re-boot from my last system back up or is there an easier way?

 

 

2. Setup and Install Procedure (my current best guess): Please correct as necessary. (I am running XP on a 1.8 ghz Celeron with 512 Mb ram and 27-28GB hdd currently with just 1 big partition)

 

Steps:

0. Confirm bio settings; Boot from CD before HD; PnP OS set to NO.

1. Install Partition Magic

2. Install Boot Magic

3. Enable Boot Magic

4. Reduce size of Primary partition (windows c:) to 12G using Partition Magic

5. Create Linux Partition (14G); type: ext3 ;do not format

6. Create LInux swap partition (1G); type: Linux swap ;do not format

7. Reboot Windows

8. Disable Boot Magic

9. Reboot to Windows; This is a check that all is well.

10.Shut down.

11. Re-boot with Linux install disk

12.The linux boot loader (LILO?) should be installed in / not in MBR. This a prompt from the install.

13. Reboot to Windows ; Just do it since LILO is in /

14. Enable Boot Magic

15. Run Boot Magic and add Linux

16. Reboot to Linux thru Boot Magic menu

 

 

3. Different topic:

My original idea was to simply install Mandrake to a USB harddrive. My PC bios supports boot from USB. Then, when I want to run Linux, I just plug in the drive and boot. No changes at all to the internal hdd. However, I seem to have read in the plethora of documentation that I can't install Linux to a removable drive.  Obviously, I haven't tried this yet (usb drive is in the mail).

 

I am nervous that if Mandrake disregards my drive selection during the install, it will overwrite my internal hdd-not good. I am considering simply removing the hdd prior to the install, but that will probably cause other problems.

 

Any comment?

 

I would really like to set up a dual boot system. The PC I am using at the moment is shared, however, and if I screw it up badly, my life is forfeit.

 

Thx again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

1. If the bootloader is installed to the mbr and not / then you simply boot to win from the linux bootloader that's in the mbr. Move it, don't. Whatever.

 

2. Correct

 

3. Don't know. I know many have had little success with booting to usb. I have a feeling this is because of the end user though.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the advice. I am inclined to agree with you about mixing software from the two OS's. One exception shown below in simplified instructions:

 

Setup and Install Procedure (my current best guess): Please correct as necessary. (I am running XP on a 1.8 ghz Celeron Notebook with 512 Mb ram and 27-28GB hdd currently with just 1 big partition)

 

Steps:

0. Confirm bio settings; Boot from CD before HD; PnP OS set to NO.

1. Install Partition Magic and run PM

-Reduce size of Primary partition (windows c:) to 12G using Partition Magic

-Do not partition/ format the unallocated newly freed up space.

 

2. Reboot to XP and review the file system is OK.

3. Back up system.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Reboot with Mandrake install disk

5. Partition unallocated hdd space as follows:

 

mount point            type    size

/                            ext3    800 MB

/usr                        ext3    5000 MB

/usr/local                ext3    3000 MB ; not sure what goes here; more app's presumbly

/home                    ext3    5200 MB

swap                      swap    1000 MB

 

 

6. Install LILO at Mandrake install default ( / )  ???GRUB instead of LILO

 

7. Install standard max set of ap's.

 

8. Done

 

9. Reboot to Windows ; Test that all is well

10. Reboot to linux; Use default options.

 

It does seem less convoluted.  Any "gotcha's" you can see?

 

Thanks again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

5. What is your reason for a /usr and a /usr/local? They are not necessary as separate partitions in most cases. I never have them separate.

 

6. Grub all the way. A simple forum search or google tells you why. Note: lilo is the LI_nux LO_ader. Grub is the GR_and Unified Bootloader and is not specific to linux. Boots more OS's than any other bootloader. It's by far more stable, reliable, and easier to control, edit, manipulate than lilo. Just ask BTMagic (which supported grub years before it supported lilo), Red Hat, Fedora, SuSE, Debian and others. Mandrake is behind the times in this catagory. The fact of the matter is that if you want XP you have to play by XP's rules, and letting anything other than the ntloader (except BTMagic) in the mbr is a big no,no. Just search the forum and google for proof. I use BTmagic and have

hda=win98, 2k, xp, various other partitions (this hd is fat only!!!)

hdb=ML-10_RESCUE (300MB and only booted once), ML-10.1-beta1, LFS, and varoius other partitions (this is a ext3 only hd!!!) I've had as many as 8 distros at one time.

This is the only setup I've ever had that didn't cause data loss. Except for this

http://mandrakeusers.org/index.php?showtop...887&hl=ntloader

Anyone will tel you it's best to keep them on separate hd's. Why is that? ;)