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Old 07-05-2009, 06:44 AM   #1
betula
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interpret partition table, please


Hello,

I installed PcLinuxOS 2009.1 over an old distro. No problems. I then installed Mint Linux 7 (Gloria) to run alongside it as a dual boot system,as a choice available. No problems - I think. The Gparted table shows:


/dev/sda1 ext3 /media/disk 7.81gb boot
sda5 linux-swap 3.90gb
sda6 ext3 358.41gb
sda7 ext3 / 2.33gb
sda8 linux-swap 17.25gb

I understand this as sda1 holds PcLinuxOS; sda5 is its swap file; sda6 is an extended partition holding those beneath it; and sda7 holds Mint Linux, even at only 2.33gb. Quite why I've another swap file, and such a large one, at sda8 I don't know. (I have a 400gb hdd with nothing else on it).

From what I've read I would have thought that I should have had a /home file somewhere there to save data on separately. And, if possible, I'd like a couple of other partitions to place other Grub based distros on.

I'd welcome comments on the above as I don't find it easy to understand what I read about partitioning. There is no data to save yet so I could start again if necessary - but I only have this one computer so would need to maintain a broadband connection for advice.

I do hope someone can help, please.
 
Old 07-05-2009, 07:42 AM   #2
ronlau9
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Having a swap file of 17.25 GB is in the most circumstances rather overkilled
Pclinux do come as a Live CD is not possible to go the internet using the LIVE CD ?
Mostly I am against it but in this case it may shed some light to you, login as root .
Use the option MY Computer and than media storage you can brows the contains partition , and as long as do not change any think no harm down but you know the contains.
BTW you do not find the swap partitions over there

Last edited by ronlau9; 07-05-2009 at 07:44 AM.
 
Old 07-05-2009, 08:31 AM   #3
salasi
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Quote:
Originally Posted by betula View Post

From what I've read I would have thought that I should have had a /home file somewhere there to save data on separately. And, if possible, I'd like a couple of other partitions to place other Grub based distros on.
When you come to upgrade, having a separate /home partition would be more convenient. Whether it is worth the effort of doing anything about now is a question that I don't have the information to answer.

Having a swap file that is too big (whatever that means....bigger than you need I suppose) doesn't do you any good, but it doesn't do you any harm unless you need the disk space for something else.

I think I'd have given Mint more space than that, but it is a function of how much 'stuff' you intend to install (programs) and how much data you will have.

Start again, or not? don't have a clear opinion because I suspect that you will light on another distro in a month or two and that might be the time to try to get it set up correctly.
 
Old 07-05-2009, 09:12 AM   #4
betula
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Thanks for your replies. Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. I didn't choose any of the partitions; I just followed the choices presented to me.

This all arose because I tried to download a program in PcLinuxOS 2007. I did it properly using the package manager but it still somehow made a mess of my computer. I lost the ability to bootup because the monitor wouldn't respond. I couldn't even use the live cd.

But I had a couple of old distros and found a live cd of Mint 6.5 would light up the monitor. So I used that to purchase the latest cd's of the two distros and have installed those.

What I want to do is to get things right. I happily used PcLinux for over two years but have now lost some data. I really would like to avoid doing that again and this is why I think more than one properly installed distro would act as a safeguard. If something goes wrong with one I'd have the other to use to try to remedy matters.

I haven't saved any data in either of the two distros yet so this is why I could start again, if necessary, to start things off on the right track.

I hope I'm making sense here and hope, too, that you can help me on my way.
 
Old 07-05-2009, 11:17 AM   #5
ronlau9
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The point is what is for you the right track ?
As example did you like to have you're /home on a separate partition Yes Or NO ?
Divided you're hd in some partitions .
USE for instance gparted to do the job
Install let say PClinux on the first partition GRUB in MBR
If you like to have more distros install it on the other partitions GRUB on first sector of their boot partition
you have to tell installer explicit to do so , sometimes using the Advance tab or a other option
Modify the menu.lst in this case of PcLinux to boot they other distros
AS example add to Pclinux menu.lst after the lines to boot PClinux
title OS X (what ever linux OS it might be )
root (hd0,?) ? drive partition
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst
Remember GRUB start counting with ZERO SO (hd0,1) is second partition
 
Old 07-05-2009, 12:21 PM   #6
betula
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Thank you ronlau9. I have the idea now and will do my best to put your instructions into practice.

Wish me luck.

betula
 
Old 07-05-2009, 03:02 PM   #7
salasi
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Quote:
Originally Posted by betula View Post
I didn't choose any of the partitions; I just followed the choices presented to me.
That's as may be, but it didn't end up very happily, did it?
  • this should remind you of the necessity of backups
  • and also remind you that it is going to be your problem if it goes wrong, so you have to take responsibility, even if it was someone else what did it

Quote:
I would have thought that I should have had a /home file somewhere there to save data on separately
I think I misunderstood what you were asking, first time through. At install time, you have the option of creating a separate /home partition. Or not.

If you do nothing specific to get it, you will have taken the default option, which will be the 'or not' option. As far as the filesystem heirarchy is concerned, both of these will look the same, but, eg, mount (and other utils, like gparted), will show up the difference.
  • the disadvantage of the separate partiton approach is that you have to decide on the space split in advance (but if you have plenty of space, this isn't really much of a disadvantage)
  • the advantage is a bit of robustness and an ability to leave home more-or-less as-is when you do an upgrade, and, potentially the ability to use the home partition conveniently from multiple distros

Quote:
This all arose because I tried to download a program in PcLinuxOS 2007. I did it properly using the package manager but it still somehow made a mess of my computer.
Never known that happen, just from installing a program... installing from a respected repo and via the package manager should be safe-ish and how it could do something that extensive is unclear to me.

If you panicked and cleared the bios to reset things, that might be another matter.

Quote:
I couldn't even use the live cd.
Seriously, its difficult to know how that could happen. Even if the hard disk is messed up, you should be able to boot from a live CD, unless the bios settings have been messed up. As I can't think of anything common that messes with the bios and you should be able to put it right manually, anyway, that shouldn't really happen, provided the optical drive still works.

Of course, if the drive is CD only, a DVD, which many live distros are these days, even though people call them CDs, won't work. And some earlier optical drives like more contrast than rewritable media provide. Again a reminder that you check out your disaster recovery procedure before you need it.

Quote:
If something goes wrong with one I'd have the other to use to try to remedy matters.
...or a live CD, in normal cases... I really don't know why this shouldn't work, but you should really, really check the live CD before you actually need it.
 
Old 07-06-2009, 05:17 AM   #8
betula
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Hi salasi,

Oh yes, I know it's been my fault alright. I take full responsibility. I just don't know what I've done and couldn't go any further without a screen to look at. I certainly haven't interfered with the bios in any way, unless it was inadvertently.

I don't like the look of my partition table. So I'm quite happy to start again to make sure that I have things right. Quite how I do that is where I need the guidance. I'm looking into ronlau9's suggestions which need to be clear in my mind before I go ahead.

I have Gparted on a separate cd which ought to allow me to set out the partitions upon which to install my distros properly. I'm nervous about getting rid of everything in case I can't get back to pick your brains again......
 
  


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