Want Wipe-out Windows

[max]

In my current hd there is windows 98 installed in front of mandrake 9.1. What I plan to do, after installing win4lin I ordered yesterday, is to remove the windows partitions (one primary + two extended), assigning the left space to mandrake, reinstalling windows98 from scratch into win4lin.

 

Doing so, I'll change all the partitions names (I have separate partitions for /boot, /, /usr, /home, /tmp and swap). Provided I'll make a backup, wich is the safest way to do the job of renaming partitions references: only lilo and fstab ?

 

 

Massimo

:wink:

[aRTee]

If you make a backup, why not just wipe the whole disk?

 

Aside, I'm not sure if I get your question completely,... you want to use different partitions for the things you are using them for now?

 

Remember, if your disk has some primary partitions, then some logical in an extended partition, and then your linux partitions, you will not be able to put the first ones (primary AND logical in extended) together...

 

That's why maybe just wiping the drive clean may be much better/easier.

[max]

"/boot" from hda2 will be hda1, "/" from hda6 will be hda5 and so on...

[tyme]

partitions 1-4 are primary and will only be given numbers within that set.

 

if all the windows partitions are in hda1-4 then hda5-whatever will not be effected. this is because 1-4 a primary partitions. 5-whatever are secondary and are inside an extended partition. their numbers should not be affected by any changes to the primary partitions.

 

however, I agree with aRTee, if you are going to back up anyways, you might as well do a full re-install-it's easier, it's quicker, and by golly it's just plain safer!

[max]

Please, as I said the windows partitions are: hda1, hda5, hda10. The linux partitions are: hda2, hda6, hda7, hda8, hda9 and hda11 for swap.

Could be a strange situation, but it is. Now, I wish wipe out hda1, hda5, hda10.

[tyme]

if you delete hda1: ( -> means will change to)

hda2 -> hda1

 

if you delete hda5 and hda10:

hda6 -> hda5

hda7 -> hda6

hda8 -> hda7

hda9 -> hda8

hda11 -> hda9

 

assuming whatever program you use doesn't do weird things-which is quite possible. i'd make sure you have everything backed up. this is a dangerous operation. *makes one last suggestion that you just do a full re-install in hopes you'll take the advice and avoid the aggravation that is likely to ensue*

[max]

That is.

Me too I thought the safiest way is to reinstall. But hoped someone knows a trick to avoid this...

:wink:

[ShadowFoxLSU]

why dont you leave your Windows extended patrtions? They are fat32 and you can read and write into them from linux once you mount them correcty. Plus if you have data you dont want to loose on Windows , they can act as a life boat.

[Cannonfodder]

You don't need to reinstall for linux's sake.

 

All you need to do is make sure lilo.conf and fstab are updated correctly.

 

Here's a way to go..

 

I'm assuming you have a backup. E.g. you backup each linux partition with partimage and can restore it to a new partition.

 

1. Boot with the mandrake installer and when you get to the partition screen, click clear to clear the partition table. All is gone :)

 

2. Now setup all your partitions exactly the way you want them. Including fat32. Assign linux partitions to their mount points. E.g. /usr /home, whatever.

 

Some points..

 

-- make one primary and one extended. Assign the entire remainder of the drive to extended. Primary might be used later to reinstall a windows that requires a primary partition. Linux doesn't care.

 

-- if you are restoring from partimage images, then make sure the destination partitions are at least as large as the source, otherwise partimage will not restore.

 

-- if you have a lot of space, you don't need to use it all. Just use what you need with a comfortable margin and leave the rest unassigned. The reason for this is you can add new partitions for various purposes easily without having to search for available partition space.

 

3. Continue with the install and install a very minimum version of mandrake. Uncheck everything you can uncheck. Finish the install but don't setup anything (don't spend too much time on this step).

 

4. Reboot and get a copy of your /etc/lilo.conf and /etc/fstab files. They are good as gold.

 

5. Now restore your partitions from backup.

 

6. Replace your lilo.conf and fstab files with your new ones. Boot off of CD1 to run lilo and register the changes.

 

All set, you should be back in business.

[Steve Scrimpshire]

Yes. Using diskdrake and deleting a partition that is not at the end of a drive and creating a new partition will cause crazy things to happen. I now have a 2.2 gig partition that I have to use for a different mountpoint. I cannot delete it to make room to resize the partition before it bigger, because it is /dev/hda7 and /dev/hda6 is not next, it is after /dev/hda8. I've already backed up my partitions with partimage and as soon as I have the time (and the courage), I'm wiping my disk clean and starting over.

[Guest GorGor]

Max and others,

 

Hullo, Since you will be following the others suggestions, I would just like to compliment mdk 9.1 diskdrake (and the earlier ones) with some minor tricks.

 

b4 I make a funny suggestion I repeat the others suggestions that partimage can not overwrite to a smaller partition.

 

However, as you said you are going to use win4lin, I would not keep the fat partitions.

 

The great thing about diskdrake is that you can resize or create or delete on the fly for most things.

 

MY Rude suggestion follows

Since you are going to play with a clean install, you have to decide if you get the sizes of your partitions. I got burnt in the old days with creating a tmp partition too small. So I have stuck to one technique which is create a linux partition that is / and swap and no other linux partitions for system files etc.

 

this way you never worry about moving or resizing. The downside is if you ever partimage the partition they will be monster files.

 

win4lin allows you to tar and compress your ./win folder to your backup linux partition if you create one or burn to cd.

 

My techniques results in faster use up of any hard disk backup partition or fuller cd disks.

 

good luck.

 

SUGGESTION normal partition sizing stuff.

 

When you ignore my first suggestion, heh heh, play with diskdrake and create different size partitions using the clean install cd boot process.

 

BUT you can create the partitions and click on done and then do a warm boot to your cd bootable partimage or floppy partimage floppies. That is you don't need to look for packages. You are just using diskdrake to create partitions and a new mbr and then using partimage to you see if everythings fits on your new partitions.

 

AND you need to do a reboot because the mbr is not written and recognised unless rebooted.

 

 

good luck

[pmpatrick]

What I plan to do, after installing win4lin I ordered yesterday, is to remove the windows partitions (one primary + two extended), assigning the left space to mandrake, reinstalling windows98 from scratch into win4lin.

 

If you have the room, I wouldn't remove your win98. You can set up win4lin so it has access to your current win 98 install and win4lin will run the executables it finds in your win98 partition. Saves on reinstalling these applications in win4lin. Just something to consider. The win4lin install will take up less than 1 GB in your mandrake partition IIRC.