Beginner's question on partitioning
 

sry to say so but i'm a complete newbie to linux...

i intend to install fedora core 1 on the following system

HD1

C: | hda --> NTFS --> WinXP Pro
D: | hdb --> NTFS --> Data


HD 2

E: | hdc --> NTFS --> Empty
F: | hdd --> NTFS --> Data
G: | hde --> FAT32 --> Data

I want to install Fedora on E: as this is the first partition of my second hard drive. My question is: Will my data on Partitions F: and G: be deleted if I use the automated partitioning?

Thanks for the answer in advance

Welcome to LinuxQuestions.

I've never installed FC1 but from other posts it appears to be similar to RH.
See below for documentation:
https://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/...kpartauto.html

Depending on your selections you could delete all of the partitions.

Did you reassign the drive letters? Windows will typically assigns C to the first primary partition of the first hard drive it finds. D to the next hard drive first primary partition then assign the other partitions. So:

HD1
C:
E:

HD2
D:
F:
G:

I will assume that you do not have any unallocated drive space. If you read the documentation for auto partitioning the installer actually will create 3 partitions. i.e.
/ (root)
/boot
swap

I will also assume that if you created all the partitions in windows the two you call F & G are logical partitions. Which means you should be able to create 3 primary partitions. What you want to do is delete what you call E and then select auto partiton using unallocated space on that drive.

You need to make sure that you select the correct drive. IDE Drive devices are as follows:
1st controller master - /dev/hda
1st controller slave - /dev/hdb
2nd controller master - /dev/hdc
2nd controller slave - /dev/hdd
etc....

Well, if you want to spend a bit of cash to do it and make sure it is good, get Partition Magic. It is a very nice app :) In it, you can delete partitions, resize, convert from ntfs to fat32, make etc...

It is a lot better than the stupid driud that came with FC1. I hate that thing, it wont work for me and I had to do it manually iwth PM and then install. You can install it on D: but the d partition will be erased. Use the manual thing, with the druid, and format the D: part as EXT3 or whatever you want. But remember, you also must have a swap partition, which in a general rule is twice your ram.

thanks for the answers so far...

@michaelk: i checked to make sure that the drive letters i used really belong to the hard drives i described... the result was:

HD 1 consists of:

C: Primary Partition NTFS
D: Logical Partition NTFS


HD 2 consists of:

E: Logical Partition NTFS \
F: Logical Partition NTFS |-> make up a so-called extended partition
G: Logical Partition FAT3 /

If I setup Fedora on E: partition (after having it reformated with DiskDruid, I guess?), will all my data on F: and G: get lost?

I believe one option would be to backup all data from Partitions F: and G: to my first HD, and then let the Automatic Partition Agent integrated into the Fedora installation routine (called Anaconda) handle it, wouldn' it?

I wouldnt trust the automatic one. Do it manually, it is not harder. It is actually quite simple, but be sure to make a swap partition too.