Partition Magic & converting to logical partitions

[lawsonrc]

About a year ago I used Partition Magic and made primary partitions to learn linux distros as a newbie.

 

My laptop (Toshiba 5005) has WinXPHome, Mandrake 9.1 (ReiserFS) and Libranet 2.8 (ReiserFS), using Libranet's GRUB as bootloader.

 

My desktop has WinXPPro on the first hard drive. On the second harddrive I have RH8 and Xandros 1.0. RH8 is ext3 and Xandros is ReiserFS. I am booting into the Linux distros with a floppy, so I have no bootloader (neither Lilo nor Grub).

 

On both machines I want to convert the Linux Primary Partitions and use Logical Partitions so that I can experiment with a lot more distros, rather than just having two. I guess that might mean that I have to uninstall Linux and delete the primary partitions and start all over. I'm prepared to do this, since I've backed up my files.

 

Partition Magic 8.0 doesn't recognize ReiserFS, so it sees these as ext2. So I don't know if in PM by right-clicking on ext2 and clicking "delete" will actually delete the ReiserFS partition or not.

 

I'm a total nontechie who needs easy, straightforward directions.

 

I don't want to harm WinXP on either machine.

 

Can anyone help, please?

 

In advance, thanks!

 

Richard L.

[pmpatrick]

Don't use PM for that; it will undoubtedly screw it up. Even if you were successful, changing a partition from primary to logical will change its partition number in linux. For example, your second primary partition on hda is designated hda2 in linux. If you change it to a logical partition it will become hda5. Your boot loader and boot floppies are configured to look for the linux root partition on /dev/hda2 and will not work if you change it to /dev/hda5. This will result in a kernel panic, i.e. it won't boot.

If you change the partition structure you'll need to edit your grub config file, your boot floppy config files and all your /etc/fstab files on each linux install. It will quickly become very complicated.

If you like to use third party partitoning tools, try Acronis Partition Expert:

 

 

http://www.acronis.com/

 

It retails for around $50 and is much better than PM for linux. It recognizes and can create and manipulate all the standard linux filesystems.

[lawsonrc]

Thanks, PMPatrick.

 

Again, I don't mind wiping out my linux partitions and reinstalling totally from scratch.

 

How can I do this in a simply way?

 

Last January I bought a copy of Acronis OS Selector 8.0 which has the GUI, but it was still too technical for me to figure out.

 

So....how to uninstall my linux distros to start all over again and to use logical partitions?

 

I'm ready to start trying out new versions of Mandrake, Fedora-RH, Libranet, SuSe, and Xandros.

 

Also, is Acronis Partition Expert more user-friendly than OS Selector 8.0?

Is it as easy to figure out as PM 8.0?

 

Thanks

 

Richard L.

[pmpatrick]

Acronis Partition Expert is very user friendly IMHO and has a nice graphical interface similar to PM. If you can use PM you'll have no trouble with Partition Expert. It installs in any flavor of windows after which you can make a bootable rescue cd which you should do. When you boot the rescue cd, you'll see the same user friendly interface. You can safely create and manipulate all your linux partitions from within windows with PE so it's not necessary to boot off the rescue cd to do so, but it's good to have in case of emergencies.

 

Uninstalling with PE is easy. Just delete all your existing linux partitions in PE. Then create the partition structure you want and format with the filesystems you want to use. This will not wipe out the grub boot loader which resides in the mbr however, you should still be able to boot into windows if you select that boot option. You can renstall the winxp boot loader using the winxp install disk but it's not necessary.

 

After that, do your first linux install and direct the install program to install on the partition(s) you want. The install program will install a linux boot loader, either lilo or grub, overwritng your old one and create a boot entry for windows while doing so.

After that, installing more linux distros presents a few problems, but none that can't be overcome. The main problem is that a second linux install will want to install its own boot loader which will overwrite your existing one and it won't create a boot entry for your existing linux install. I assume your familiar with this problem since your using boot floppies on your other linux distros which is a good work around for this problem.

 

To get around this problem, you have to create a boot entry for the new linux distro in your existing boot loader config file which means hand editing the file. There are many posts on this board addressing how to do this but most are for lilo. I'm not familiar with grub but you cn do it with grub as well.

[Cannonfodder]

Having come from a background in using gui's for partitioning, I suggest that you forgo using them and starting doing things manually. Your knowledge of partitioning will be stronger and you will be able to do exactly what you want to do.

 

Here's what I would do..

 

1. Uninstall LILO if you are using it (or grub). When done, you should only be able to boot into windows. To uninstall lilo, type

 

lilo -U

 

This should uninstall and restore your former MBR.

 

2. Uninstall Partition Magic. You no longer need it. It adds complications and increases the risk that your partition tables may be altered incorrectly.

 

3. Boot off of CD1 and do a fresh install. When you get to the diskdrake menu, totally erase your second hard drive. Then you can use the partitioning tool (make sure you are doing custom partitioning) to create them exactly like you want, including using reiserfs. While probably not necessary, make the first partition primary and then allocate the rest for logical or extended. Don't use the extend-82 (or whatever option).

 

Additionally never use a DOS or windows disk tool on your second hard drive. It will SNAFU it..

[lawsonrc]

Thanks to both of you, pmpatrick and cannonfodder.

 

Cannonfodder, since my laptop has GRUB, is there a quick and easy way to uninstall it? I'm using Libranet's version of GRUB.

 

 

My desktop uses WinXP as the bootloader, and I just use floppies to boot either RH8 or Xandros. I don't have Mandrake on the desktop because when I tried to install 9.0, it didn't recognize my CDRom drive, thus it would not install. Since I already had RH8 and Xandros on primary partitions and all the primary partitions were used up, I didn't try MDK9.1.

 

Yes, pmpatrick, I am familiar with each Linux distro wanting to install its own bootloader, and then editing the bootloader to include the other distro(s). I can get help from people here in Houston (also known as /root :wink: ) or at our local HLUG to help me do that. I appreciate the info that you have given me for Acronis Partition Expert and will look further into it. Acronis OS Selector is very Linux friendly and very powerful, both by command line and by GUI.

 

BTW, SuSe, Xandros and, I believe, Mandrake now use a basic version of Acronis OS Selector to work with WindowsXP NTFS to partition their installs. They have a license with Acronis.

 

I do realize the importance of learning to do things manually from the command line. Being a non-techie klutz that messes things up easily, I am a slow learner in this regard, although with well written instructions I was able to use Libranet's XAdminmenu to recompile a kernel with command lines. The thrill of success when I did that last June was one of ecstasy.

 

I appreciate both of your input.

 

Thanks again!

 

Sincerely,

 

Richard L.

[bvc]

people here in Houston (also known as /root :wink: )

Who's that :?: :unsure: :mystilol:

 

<<<------

[Cannonfodder]

I don't know grub, but you can probably type in

 

man grub

 

and find an option for uninstalling... actually bvc.. he's a grubby grubber

[bvc]

After careful consideration, I think we're all making this way too compilcated.

 

First, grub doesn't have an uninstall. It's removed;

1. being overwritten by another bootloader

2. Win98 bootfloppy fdisk /mbr

3 Win2k/XP>1st CD rescue>fixmbr

 

If it was me, I'd pop in ML9.1/9.2 cd>expert mode>Install not Upgrade>diskdrake

1.delete all partitions except XP>[EDIT=see my next post below] tell diskdrake you're done>it'll tell you you are not (no partitions.......>

2. <....reboot to cd1 again (Ctrl>Alt>Delete). Why? Don't want to confuse diskdrake!

3.pop in ML9.1/9.2 cd>expert mode>Install not Upgrade>diskdrake

4.just make all your desired partitions. Diskdrake will automatically make a logical once you go past the primary limit.

 

-click unallocated space

-create

-type

-mount point

-size

 

Say you want to install (this is without a home)

ML9.1

ML9.2

Fedora

Slack

 

mount points would be

/=current install in progress (ML9.1 for example)

/mnt/ml92=for future ML9.2

/mnt/fedora=for future fedora

/mnt/slack=for future slack

 

want homes for all?

/=current install in progress (ML9.1 for example)

/home=home for current install in progress (ML9.1 for example)

/mnt/ml92=for future ML9.2

/mnt/ml92home=for future ML9.2 home

/mnt/fedora=for future fedora

/mnt/fedorahome=for future fedora home

/mnt/slack=for future slack

/mnt/slackhome=for future slack home

 

 

You don't have to put them in /mnt either;

/

/ml92

/fedora

/slack

they're just moint points.

 

continue with install :wink:

[bvc]

There's an error above

1.delete all partitions except XP>[EDIT=see my next post below] tell diskdrake you're done>it'll tell you you are not (no partitions.......>  

2. <....reboot to cd1 again (Ctrl>Alt>Delete). Why? Don't want to confuse diskdrake!

should be

1.delete all partitions except XP>create your / (see below)>tell diskdrake you're done, and it'll delete the linux partitions, format / and go to the next step of the install. Another option is to go ahead and create all the desired linux partitions and continue with the install but I would....>

2. <....reboot to cd1 again (Ctrl>Alt>Delete). Why? Don't want to confuse diskdrake!

3.pop in ML9.1/9.2 cd>expert mode>Install not Upgrade>diskdrake

4.just make all your desired partitions. Diskdrake will automatically make a extended partition and make them logiccal once you go past the primary limit.

 

Also, lawsonrc had pm'd me about this days ago, which is why I said 'we're all making this way too compilcated'. I know PM7, diskdrake, parted, and fdisk, and have no experience with Acronis. So I was telling him to use PM8, because knowing that he is very much a point and click kinda guy, found it to be the easiest way. However, I don't see why anything other than diskdrake at install is necessary. I've done it many times and d/k why I didn't say it to begin with. Plus, lawsonrc probably wanted a second opinion :wink: . There have been times that PM7 would delete a reiserfs, and times it wouldn't. So, I started using diskdrake to do it. Well, the last time I did that, I could no longer boot to my Win98 (hda1), win2k being hda5. I don't think this will be a prob as lawsonrc only has 1 XP (hda1) partition.

[lawsonrc]

Thanks, bvc.

 

I just read this after PM'ing you. I'll try this at the HLUG tonight and try to get guidance from someone who has the time for me. I just don't want to screw up WinXPHome on the laptop.

 

I don't know if this will help with the desktop because remember that I couldn't install MDK 9.0 on the desktop because it said that it couldn't recognize the CDRom drive. Thus I bought Xandros, and then RH8.0, which are still on the second harddrive.

 

Talk to you soon!

 

Richard L.

[pmpatrick]

You can try it with the 9.1 or 9.2 install cd 1. Also, I'll bet someone in your LUG has PE on a disk. Ask around.

[lawsonrc]

Thanks, pmpatrick.

 

I already know that no one active at the HLUG on Wed. evenings has personal experience with PE.

Last Christmas I found Acronis OS Selector Ver. 5 on sale at Micro Center for just $5.00, so I bought three copies and gave two as gifts to two HLUG members that had helped me get started with Linux. One of them never used it, but the other did and liked it. It was all text based (not GUI) and too advanced for me. I then bought Ver. 8 in January when it came out because it had a GUI. Acronis OS Selector is never installed into any OS; you boot into it from its CD and do all the operations. Although it Ver. 8.0 is GUI, I'm still confused by it.

I just may buy PE today before going to the HLUG and have it as a backup if no member can help me with diskdrake. I like supporting Acronis, since it supports Linux and is now used by SUSE, Xandros, and Mandrake to partition Windows' NTFS file system.

 

I appreciate everyone's suggestion very much.

 

Sincerely,

 

Richard L.