How to install to a pre-partitioned disc

English Install/Boot/Login
1

I am being over careful, I like my XP and my pc is also my office, development tool,satellite tv, mailbox, telephone, radio, dvd player everything; so I would like to keep it.

I have read and printed the instructions for dual boot but nowhere can I see installation to a pre-prepared partition in this case sda2, hope I got that right, main disc partition 2.

I plan on leaving 200Gig to XP and want this invisible to Linux, but using Wubi to install sciUbuntu 32 bit inside XP.

Also I want to install linux in partition 2 with ext3 and 80Gig made up as follows: 8Gig root then 71Gig/home then 1Gig swap.

This will leave a 80Gig partition free probably used for mint or dvd overload/temp in either ext3 or fat32.

The reason I want to do it this way is because I’ve had several days practice with gParted partitioning an external drive for puppy and ntfs backup; I know you have to resize first then immediately reboot ntfs from experience and there is no way I’m going to delete XP in the hope the image isn’t corrupted or it can even be restored to a smaller partition.

So puppy has the option to choose partition, where is the choice in openSuse 64 bit; the 64 bit thing is the reason I want it.

:stuck_out_tongue:

2

It would be much easier for us if you booted a live cd and get us the output of:

sudo fdisk -l

Then we can see exactly what you have.
FYI: Disc Info from windows is as good as useless.

3

:\ sudo eh; what’s that then, where do you stick it. fdisk; what does that do and -1 or -l. Format disk maybe? I’m a windows user and once wrote a 20 kb program in dos 6502 then vowed to never touch it again. I don’t even know MS-DOS apart from cd and dir and copy and exit; I like the exit one most.

I want to try 86_64 bit Os without buying XP 64 bit but didn’t know it was going to be this hard.

Well typing sudo fdisk -1 in the terminal got a message about good behaviour but nothing else.

So here is my pc a much simplified version:

My Computer

but I also did a cpuz dump which I think you would like since it is full of interesting numbers, but I don’t understand them.

4

If you are using a live cd run the installer and see how you get on, you can always back out,
When you get here: Installation/11.1 DVD Install - openSUSE
see if you can do print screen, we’ll be able to see your partitions from that. Check that whole page it will help

Here is some install info too
Partitioning/Install Guide - openSUSE Forums

5

I already did that with the idea of installing to the external just for practice.

It can’t see external because partitions are not mounted, except for one 1.49Gig one.

The main drive is at present one partition, I only do things when I know exactly everything I need to do and consequences thereof.

You see resizing is a risky business with an ntfs partition, and from experience gained partitioning the external which failed again and again I’m reluctant to start until I know for CERTAIN openSuse can be installed into a partition of my choice.

openSuse resizes C: and then chooses it’s own logical size, the point is it does something else after resizing which is a no no with windows, where you should reboot to be told off about shrinking the partition before doing something else.

Is the partition sda2 recognised as a drive to install to if I mount it and flag it as bootable, and openSuse isn’t going to make a new sda2 and use…

It’s not re-installing XP, which is a pain because first you have to get it verified then get all the .netFrameworks which have only downloaders, versions 1.0 the 1.0 sp1, then then… all in order up to 3.5 sp1a, before all my applications will work, thousands of these to install.

I just want to be sure; will it install to my pre-prepared sda2?

6

SUSE can install in just about any fashion you desire. Which is more than can be said for windows.
I have never yet had issue with NTFS resize. But then I always do it manually and never to some cruddy old Windows install that is full of all manner of garbage.
External disc’s connected when you boot the Install DVD should be visible in the partitioner.

sda2 should be a primary partition in which you can create your swap, /, /home
Though I would nudge / up to 10GB
You will need to use Custom Partitioning and create a extended partition with all the space in sda2, then use the extended partition to add your 3 logical partitions.
see this:
Install Demo - With Pics and Video - openSUSE Forums

7

Turns out this is a futile adventure into linux.

Gparted will not partition my main drive. It says at least one bad sector but;

Seatools say NO bad sectors,

SMART says NO bad sectors,

Windows checkdisk says after three hours NO bad sectors,

The manufacturers Seagate say the drive is good.

Now I downloaded another Gparted but the same result.

ran chkdsk/f/r

booted THREE times

but can’t find options for --bad-sectors

and bash doesn’t recognize the command.

So it looks like I’m not getting Linux.:frowning:

8

You can partition the drive with the SUSE installer. Works great.

9

No it doesn’t, it only shows an option to delete windows in red.

I’ve done some more tests; seatools long test result PASSED, HD tune OK, and several others I’ve got on a rescue disc all passed except
“CheckDisc” from the live CD; one sector 4kB faulty.

So all windows have got to do to stuff up multiple installs is make erroneous reports on the drive windows is in.

However, openSuse did state it was because of inconsistencies in the file system rather than defective drive.

So that’s all folks:O

10

I would have to say, you are missing something.
At this point choose ‘Create Partition Setup’
http://files.myopera.com/carl4926/albums/671478/8.png

Then here choose ‘Custom for Experts’
http://files.myopera.com/carl4926/albums/671478/9.png

Once you get here, you should be able to do as you please
http://files.myopera.com/carl4926/albums/671478/13.png

11

I did that; it said it could only delete the partition.

No option for partitioning, I can’t show you the screen because I don’t know how to copy it, in windows it is ctrl alt prtscrn, but then I don’t know how to paste it or save it.

The fact is the manufacturers of my drive and all others bar M$ and Gparted report the drive as ok.

It did have a problem a long time ago with exactly ONE sector but that was FIXED and I was given the tools to check and fix it myself.

I practiced on a second hand drive I now use for backup and I repaired 32MB of broken sectors; but I can resize that.

I’ve been getting nowhere for 12 hours so that’s all folk.

12

A lot of people have got this problem; in the gParted forum a person with the exact same problem except that his drive might have faults of course; got the reply to use --bad-sectors in the command box.

So how do you do that? Is it sudo --bad-sectors? Where are the files for partition options?

Not that I feel like doing it anymore because 12 hours to get nowhere is a bit over the top.

Thanks anyway, I had a friend who took a job working on Unix and I think he said it was very hard. I have only slight acquaintance with C++, Fortran and decBasic, eg programming without much regard for operating systems apart from ensuring programs don’t leak and resources are kept to a minimum. But that was long ago apart from the C++ that is.

The C++ was an OU part time course and fortran was only to help me with my mathematics.TA:)

13

Download the video from the first link and see if you pick up any clues:
Install Demo - With Pics and Video - openSUSE Forums

14

I know how to do it now, I just don’t know if I want to.

Yast reported an error, chkdsk reported an error, Gparted reported an error.

Six months ago when nothing was installed I returned the disc because Smart showed the disc only 90% healthy but was told to ignore Smart since Seatools PASSED the disc and this meant it was definitely ok.

So I confidently built a system that is so big I could not ever reproduce it manually.

Now I’m depressed and think I need a massive external drive and work on that instead.

The only fix is through command line intervention where the file system is first shrunk,deleting the partition then manually choosing the first point and end point of the file system to create a new partition.

But if you get this wrong the disc may never boot again and I haven’t got any faith in Gparted to do the job right.

For instance, I created a partition on sdb which is misreported since it is an ATA/IDE drive to be 512Mb and when done it was 509Mb, but if this happens when done manually I get defunct drive. Thanks anyway.:expressionless:

15

I’ve ordered partition manager; at least I will have somebody to sue, Seagate or M$ or partition manager.:wink:

Does openSUSE manipulate BIOS since my board mis-reports cpu specs, and I’ve manually set limits. It reads core voltage to be 1.5v where it should really be 1.2v.

Lucky I don’t put my heating on till late November because the core temp initially was 55c on idle with 13 c ambient.

Now it is 22c on 19c ambient but I noticed my cpu was running at 1.15Ghz under open SUSE which is not what I set it at but is in fact the standard low setting.

Today I got a voltage warning showing 1.33v which is also the standard setting and much too high.

If I put a graphics application on, it might fry the cpu, which is rather expensive.
:frowning:

16

What a nightmare; I tried to install openSuse 86_64 but it said partition at 78GB chosen was too small.

So I chose two partitions then tried to resize using Paragon Partition-Manager.

But it decided to reboot and roll back drivers before saying first job success click ok to continue. I didn’t have a keyboard or mouse.:’(

The paragon backup failed and I’ve been manually installing for three days and 2GB downloads.

I’ve read that if you have an extended partition then you can have a maximum of three primary partitions; is this the reason YAST2 said partition too small, because with the swap there would be FOUR partitions.

BUT I DON’T WANT openSUSE to take any size, I reserved 80GB for it and an extra 90GB shared with windows.

So if I make my own swap/root partitions will openSuse install to it, and since the directions given at FAQ are not actually for the 86_64 edition since I don’t get the same pages, how do I go about it.:frowning:

Ta

17

Can I be brutishly honest, you seem to be struggling you’ve been given some nice pics. All you have to do is choose custom make sure it isn’t reformating and mounting only.

Your only reason is because I don’t want to spend money on a 64bit distro, you’re clearly happy with your OS. Look like you don’t really want to learn other ways. So why don’t you just stay happy with what you’ve got?

Just my tuppence it is more than feasible to install to pre-formatted partitions, but support is given freely. If you wish to line my pocket perhaps I may be inclined to help you further. But as it stands at the moment, not really for free. For the reasons above.

You just need to read as you’re going through the install routine. What ever the distro click click click without comprehending what you’re doing is going to get you in trouble very quickly.

18

Must be my copy of openSUSE:| Since it isn’t the first time I tried to install it.

The first I left 80GB unallocated, but try as I may I couldn’t get YAST to select it in custom.

Then I made an 80GB ntfs free partition and YasT said it cannot resize ntfs.

Finally I chose to make it fat32 which almost worked except it wanted the adjacent 90GB fat32 as well.

Got a bit fed up here and choose both with the intention of resizing.

I must say if I weren’t disabled with a brain injury (you probably thought that) acquired in a motoring accident, I would have piles of money and would in an instant get XP 64 bit at only £280 cheap at half the price.

The thing about windows is, you just stick it in and it works, installing to a single albeit first primary partition; you don’t need an Msc in computing to start.

So if you want to interest ordinary people you have to come up with something easier to install and at least allows the beginner to learn from experience.

Terms like sudo and mounting and fmask are meaningless.

I installed puppy on my external in about ten minutes and with Wine could be useful, my modem still doesn’t work in it though and it isn’t 64 bit.

I only pay people that are registered as in business are insured and can be sued.:expressionless:

19

Ok fine…

My point is I’m not going to waste my time trying to help with some one that doesn’t want to learn. IMO you’ve clarified you do.

OK I do not know of the partition software you are using.

First thing and foremost is FORGET EVERYTHING from windows. If you drove a bike like you did a car the first time you stopped you would fall over on your side.

I personally like to create the empty space and in older versions this used to carve up the empty space perfectly fine.

OK so that isn’t what you want to do, fine so first I’m ignoring the errors the drive gives you. So use what ever partition manager you like. But they need to be linux formats(Back to forget everything) now older versions used to use Reiserfs You’ll find a few still do. The default at the moment is EXT3 then you can turn of journalling for boot partition so that would/could be EXT2. So your first hurdle is to get them formatted to EXT3/2 I know nothing about the software you’re using.

Now if this was me I would use the install media after clearing everything that isn’t needed, so you have no partitions that YOU have created. Once back to that point you will have some empty space. Now I can’t remember at this moment, but I’ll presume it doesn’t auto allocate the space(It just may do) If it doesn’t and it wants to delete or resize.

Go to custom, now you have to create the partitions for it, not just select the whole space. Now it is up to you but space wise you can go from just using one large space for everything(No separate home) and a little swap, this makes upgrading problematic. Next the general and think suse’s default is /boot /(<= that is a path not a typo) /home swap after that you can get pretty extreme.

Now for you I don’t know what to recommend, but one large with swap is the easiest, but has its downsides.

As for the other I have apx / 16gb ,/boot 100mb, swap 1gb, home the rest.

Now when in custom you would need to create 4 partitions from the space or how ever many you want. When you go to create them you’ll be given a choice of file systems defaults should be fine, you ideally need one swap partition too, it should also prompt you for where it will be mounted i.e. /, /home, /boot etc…

Now if you still can’t comprehend this then I’ll have to set up a vmware and give a step by step. But you’ll have to get back to me as it will take me a little time.

20

The disk management I’m using is Paragon Partition Manager 9.0 and I have too only remember to use the rescue disk to partition, since they neglected too mention it doesn’t work with usb devices.

I think there is options for ext2 ext3 and swap in the rescue disk.

Actually once YasT is given a partition it can work on; it sets up a possible ideal setting with 2GB swap setting all the rest to ext3.

Unfortunately I am stuck for another 9 months with an ISP contract whose modem (Huwai) is the only one without linux support and so I wanted to make /home fat32 so that I could use windows to put files into it.

So I think I will make the fat32 partition part of the extended, I can only make one extended (I think).

Then I will have Windows 25GB, three logical drives in an extension, one with fat32.

Then I prefer it if Yast can utilise the rest of the space apx 80GB with only one modification; the swap should be 1G.