Linux installation (HD partitioning) error

[tuxfan]

I have a 40GB Samsung HD with Win98SE and Mandrake 10.1.

C:, D: and E: are FAT32 partitions of 10 GB each and the rest is occupied by Mandrake 10.1 I wanted to install PCQ Linux 2005 on that drive. However, this is the error that I got.

The partition table on device hda was unreadable. To create new partitions it must be initialized, causing the loss of ALL DATA on this drive.

This operation will override any previous installation choices about which drives to ignore.

Would you like to initialise this drive, erasing ALL DATA?

What do I need to do?

[pradeep_chauhan]

On a hard disk we can have a maximum of four primary partitions and linux needs a primary partition for its / so your disk with the existing setup is using up all the four primary partitions so the error. Now to getover it the partitions not having an OS installed should me made extended partitions but to do this you will have to shift out the data in that partition and repartition it as an extended partition. I wonder if any software can do that as i have not tried them. Once this is done you will be able to install PCQ in a primary partition. Also you have not mentioned your swap It to has to be in a primary partition I wonder where it is now.

[cool_dude_prav]

Yes..
As pradeep has pointed out... Of course Tuxian, I too had such problems..

Try this simple way of partitioning.(Source: My PC Assembler and Friend)

First create Primary partitions for whatever OSes you are going to install.. Of course leave out some space for creating other Windows Parttions(I recommend Windows Partitions for storing Media,etc.. for using both in Linux and Windows)

With the remaining space, go to Windows then first make it a Logical drive.

Then create Windows Partitions from it.

Install other OSes on other Primary partitions...

Most Important: Please try to always install Windows first and Linux OSes last. Coz Although Linux can detect Windows, Windows absolutely will refuse to detect Linux partitions or boots...

Hope I have satisfactorily answered your query...

Cheers!!!

] K8)8)L [

[swatkat]

But, i think tuxfan, now only have 3 Primary Partitions.
1] C:\
2] Extended (D:\ and E:\ ) (Extended is treated as one Primary Partition, and the logical drives are inside the Extended Partitions.)
3] Mandrake
So, there is room for another Primary Partition, isnt it?
Try, this, use Ranish Partition Manager, and delete the Mandrake's (both Root and Swap) Partition,and make as continous Free Space. The you can use this space to install PCQLinux.

[pradeep_chauhan]

Where is the /swap ? It too has to be a seperate partition.

[GNUrag]

Originally Posted by pradeep_chauhan

On a hard disk we can have a maximum of four primary partitions and linux needs a primary partition for its / so your disk with the existing setup is using up all the four primary partitions so the error
...
...

/ partition of Linux can be placed on a Logical partition also. There's no need for dedicating a primary partition to either slash or swap.

[pradeep_chauhan]

Well thats new to me i did try that out but somehow grub failed to load Will come back on this.

[swatkat]

Generally "Swap" is created as a Logical Drive inside the Extended Partition.

[tuxfan]

Originally Posted by pradeep_chauhan

On a hard disk we can have a maximum of four primary partitions and linux needs a primary partition for its / so your disk with the existing setup is using up all the four primary partitions so the error. Now to getover it the partitions not having an OS installed should me made extended partitions but to do this you will have to shift out the data in that partition and repartition it as an extended partition. I wonder if any software can do that as i have not tried them. Once this is done you will be able to install PCQ in a primary partition. Also you have not mentioned your swap It to has to be in a primary partition I wonder where it is now.

Oh, I forgot to mention. There is only one primary partition, C:. The rest are logical partitions.

[ujjwal]

Can you read the partition table from another partitioning utility like Ranish partition manager or qtparted? If so format both mandrake partitions and try again.

I always had such a problem with Redhat's installer I wonder if it can't recognise the filesystem used by mandrake

[tuxfan]

I guess both, FC and Mandrake (and all other distros) use the same EXT3 (or EXT2) file systems. So there shouldn't be any problem with that.

I don't mind deleting the partition with qtparted. But what if it still can't recognise the free space? I will then be without any Linux distro in that machine I feel its better that at least Mandrake is in there.

[ujjwal]

Nopes many modern distro's use the new resierfs file system, but I'm not sure about mandrake. I actually am surprised that FC3 (or PCQ) still uses the ext3 filesystem ...

[GNUrag]

Originally Posted by ujjwal

Nopes many modern distro's use the new resierfs file system, but I'm not sure about mandrake. I actually am surprised that FC3 (or PCQ) still uses the ext3 filesystem ...

Using reiserfs filesystem can prove useless sometimes. What if tomorrow i am rescuing my system and my minimal rescue floppy's kernel was not compiled with reiserfs?

Using ext3, linux's native format for atleast /boot, /etc should be recommended.

[ujjwal]

I guess you are right about that ... but anyway, since many distro's do use reiser, if Mandrake is using reiserfs, could that be the reason for Redhat's partitioning tool not being able to read the partition table?

[hafees]

pradeep_chauhan wrote:
On a hard disk we can have a maximum of four primary partitions and linux needs a primary partition for its / so your disk with the existing setup is using up all the four primary partitions so the error

Linux does not need a primary partition. But some bios restricts that to boot from a partition it should be within the 1024 cylinder boundary(with in the first 8GB space). though if there is limitation u can overcome it by creating partition wisely. For eg:
3 GB for (only for windows - program files, mydocuments etc should be changed to other drives)

/boot for Linux

75 MB for Linux1
75 MB for Linux 2
75 MB for Linux 3 ....
2 GB or more for other OS (Free BSD, etc)
(all other /, swap etc can be on anywhere)
i ve once created this structure for installing 5 Oses.
2 XP, Mandrake, SuSE, FreeBSD.