Install SUSE Linux on a disk that already has Windows Vista

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hi,

I am trying to install Linux on a machine which already has Windows Vista. It has a 1 Tb disk, which is partitioned into 4 partitions:

  1. ~200 Gb - Vista is installed on it.
  2. ~200 Gb - This is where I want Linux to be installed and make the machine into a dual-boot.
  3. ~200 Gb
  4. The rest.

The Installation software does not seem to realize the existing partitions and let me choose the second partition. It is giving me options (In both Edit Partition Setup as well as Create Partition Setup) to use the entire disk for Linux.

How do I make the installer recognize the existing partitions and choose the second partition?

Also, where would I choose the Dual Boot option, etc?

Thank you,

Bala

2

Off the top of my head, the procedure for a custom partition setup during install for openSUSE 11.1 is thus:

  1. Click “Create Partition Setup”
  2. Click “Custom Setup (for experts)”
  3. Double click on the partition you want to install openSUSE on
  4. Click “Edit”
  5. Select “Format partition”, select “ext3” from the drop down list and “Mount partition”, set the mount point to /
  6. Click Finish
  7. Click Next
    and so on…

This means you will have /home on the same partition as / and you will have no swap partition. I would advise that you create a 1 GB swap partition, and a 10 GB / (root) partition. The home partition is where all your data will be stored, so make that as big as you need.

Dual booting will be set up automatically by the installer. When you boot your computer after installing, you will be faced with the options of:
openSUSE 11.1
Windows
Failsafe – openSUSE 11.1

Good luck!

3

The problem with your suggested procedure is that when I choose “Create Partition Setup”, I don’t see the existing partitions. I want to retain the existing “C:” drive that has windows and install Linux on the next file system.
Thanks.
Bala

4

Are you sure these partitions exist? Are you using a live cd - if so, run this in a terminal and post the output:

ls /dev | grep -e sd*
5

The partitions exist. Anyway, I got beyond that problem and has Linux installed (Hippeeeey).

Thanks for all the help.

6

I managed to install SUSE Linux 11.1 from the DVD, however, not really in the way I desired.

I had a dual boot system with Win Vista and Suse Linux 10.3. I bought Linux 11.1 on DVD. Then I created an additional HD partition, where I * intended to install a trial version *of 11.1 as a third operating system. I ended up with Linux 11.1 replacing my Linux 10.3 :’(.

It seems as if the installation DVD does not support my wish. Does any one know a tutorial that could help me?

7

did you format the partitions that you are working with? Do they exist as per right now? what does:

sfdisk -d /dev/sda

show you?

To get here, try hitting “CTRL + ALT + F3” (or F2, F4, etc till you get a console)
You should get to a command prompt

this should show you your partition layout. Copy that to us so we can give you more details