10.1 to 11.2 Dual boot tech assist

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

It’s time to update 10.1 in a box that dual boots (GRUB .97) with Win2003. A compete overwrite of 10.1 with 11.2 is the plan. I want to move to ext4 as well and am looking for the least painful, most productive method to achieve this. I’m done with 10.1 and enjoyed using it, but it is time to advance. Here is what I have to work with:


# df -Th
Filesystem    Type    Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda10    ext3     20G  7.5G   12G  41% /
udev         tmpfs   1014M  192K 1013M   1% /dev
/dev/sda11    ext3     35G   14G   20G  41% /home
/dev/sda1     ntfs     25G   20G  4.6G  82% /windows/C
/dev/sda5     ntfs     90G   76G   14G  85% /windows/D
/dev/sda7     ntfs     21G   17G  3.4G  84% /windows/E
/dev/sda9     ntfs     86G   68M   86G   1% /windows/F

My initial experience with 10.1 installer recommendations were not favorable, probably because i’m used to windows and weak on Linux. This leads me to the query, should I:
use the 11.2 install disk and trust it’s (and mine) ability to tweak to my specs of overwriting 10.1?
- or -
gpart the appropriate partitions and hope the 11.2 installer fills in the blanks?

Also, any compatibility problems with 10.1 restored data under 11.2?

Thanks

#2

Use the custom partitioning option
11.2 Slideshow Images - Windows Live

Hope that helps

You need to know where to install the bootloader. Do you know if it’s on the MBR or other?
You could do with posting this

fdisk -l

Then we’ll know more

#3

If the data in home is important you can either keep the old ext3 home partition or back the data and replace with a ext4.

#4

While your* df *says something of the running system, most of us ask for

fdisk -l

It will e.g. tell something about those parts of the disks not shown here like Swap (certainly there), unused partitions (maybe none, but a few numbers are missing in your listing) and not used space (maybe none).

In any case, when you are satisfied with what you have (and it looks not strange to me), just use the install disk. When it comes to the presenting of what it will do to your disk (partitions) carefully see what is proposed.

IMHO it should:
. NOT format sda1, 5, 7, 9 and mount them to the same mount points as before.
. Not format sda11 and mount it on /home
. reformat to an ext4 file system sda10 and mount that on /
. use the same partition for swap as now.

When not to your liking, choose to change this and change the individual entries (right click on one and choose Edit) until you are satisfied. Do not remove one. When in doubt come back here. Always keep in mind that as long as you go not further in the install process nothing will be done to your disk and you can always bail out.

But in any case, see that you have proper backups. You never know …

#5

Thanks for the link, will check it out.

Disk /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

  Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        3187    25599546    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2            3188       38913   286969095    5  Extended
/dev/sda5            3188       15103    95707237    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6           15103       15364     2104483+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7           15365       17975    20972826    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda8           17976       20586    20972826   83  Linux
/dev/sda9           27767       38913    89538246    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda10          20587       23197    20972826   83  Linux
/dev/sda11          23198       27766    36700461   83  Linux

Thanks

#6

Is ext3 secure? I seem to recall some weirdness happening early on but it may have been a different format.

Thanks

#7

Thanks for the fdisk output. Looks good. Use the install disk assaid before. Use Custom when needed.

I am not aware of bad habits of ext3. Ext4 seems to be a bit faster to sme people. My personal opinion in this would b to leave it ext3 for the moment, the install is allready a big change. Then after things have settled down (maybe some monthes), change it to ext4.

(BTW for changing to ext4, I could give you a recipe).

#8

Very well. All suggestions noted and appreciated.

Thanks Henk, gogalthorp & caf for your valued advice.

#9

fdisk indicates to me that grub is from the MBR. The boot flag * is to sda1 windows partition.
There is a toggle in the final part of the setup which will let you enable booting from MBR, see the slideshow I posted.

It’s worth mentioning if you use kde, I would certainly format your current /home as kde3 is no more in 11.2
And I would would be inclined to format anyway

  1. To go to ext4
  2. It’s old and probably a bit cruddy
#10

Glad I came back to read this, Carl. I got the deer in the headlights look when I saw the boot from MBR defaulted to disabled. Also, I went with ext4. Install went smooth and 11.2 is up and running. Thanks again.

#11

Well done indeed. Good to hear. Pat yourself on the back;)