Partitioning; safe to add a primary when already having primary and extended/logical?

Wim Sturkenboom · 08-16-2009, 11:30 AM

Current layout of dual boot Windows/Ubuntu

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 251.0 GB, 251000193024 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30515 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x2e192e18

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        3264    26218048+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2            3265       26892   189791910    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5            3265        7180    31455238+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6            7181       10444    26218048+   b  W95 FAT32
/dev/sda7           10445       13708    26218048+  83  Linux
/dev/sda8           13709       13838     1044193+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda9           13839       26892   104856223+  83  Linux

There is still unpartitioned space available. The extended partition is fully used with logical partitions.

Is it safe to add a primary partition or will it result in a re-install and restore?
fdisk allows me to do it, but I did not safe the changes; wanted to make sure first.

pixellany · 08-16-2009, 11:49 AM

If I am not mistaken, you can populate the main partition table any way you want---and in any order:

Create 4 primaries
Create 3 primaries and add one later
Create 2 primaries + 1 extended, and the add another primary later.
.
.
etc.

The first logical is always #5---as long as something in the range of 1-4 is available, you can use it.

Wim Sturkenboom · 08-16-2009, 12:10 PM

Thanks.