Hey all,
I've been using OpenSuse 10.2 dual boot on my compaq f545ea laptop. I partitioned the drive to give linux about 15gb, and installed it on this. It repartitioned this partition into 3; a 4gb a 5gb and a 2gb. All the linux files where installed on the 5gb partition, completely filling it. Over the course of the last few weeks, I've been installing further software and drivers etc, and the system was totally out of space on the 5gb partition. Eventually I was unable to get to the GUI as there wasn't enough space on the drive, even though the 4gb space was virtually untouched. This got very frustrating so I tried to change the partitions, redistributing the free space. I couldn't repartition it in linux so i used a partition manager program in windows, to resize the partitions, taking free space from the 4gb one and giving it to the 5gb one. Bad idea obviously.
Now the system won't load linux, and says that it cannot mount the file system as it is read only, and to remount the file system. After I type the command, it says there were errors and to use e2fsck. This command simply gives the error Bad magic number in superblock. I've had a search about the forums and found out about trying a different superblock like 8193, etc. It constantly claims that it cannot find the superblock.
Is there a simple way to fix this or is it likely knackered? I had nothing important on the linux partition and I could reformat it and reinstall the operating system, it would just be a bit of a nusiance. If I do this, what about the bootloader? I wanna keep windows on it, but I couldn't edit the bootloader if I took linux off it? If I reinstalled linux would the grub bootloader be editable with the new installation of linux? Could I then just delete the original linux from the bootloader?

Sorry if thats a lot, I've been wrestling around with wireless drivers and video drivers etc, but its all a learning experience (If nothing else in patience!)

Thanks for any help,

Niall

"Is there a simple way to fix this or is it likely knackered? I had nothing important on the linux partition and I could reformat it and reinstall the operating system,"

Probably in moving the partitions around you ended up with the boundaries of the Linux partition no longer the same as the boundaries of the file system on that partition. You should reformat and reinstall.

"If I reinstalled linux would the grub bootloader be editable with the new installation of linux? Could I then just delete the original linux from the bootloader?"

Part of the bootloader is in the Linux partition and part of it is on the Master Boot Record. When you reformat the partition you will lose the portion of the bootloader on the Linux partition, which actually doesn't matter since you cannot access it anyway and you will have the chance to reinstall the bootloader when you reinstall Linux.

I suggest that when you reinstall SuSE that you use the SuSE installer to set up the bootloader properly again.

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Steve Stites

"Part of the bootloader is in the Linux partition and part of it is on the Master Boot Record."

So Grub doesn't need the linux partition to work? If I format the partition, the Grub bootloader will still load to enable me to boot into windows? Sorry but I'm really paranoid about totally losing access to windows! I'd be totally stuck without it atm, working on that though!

No. Grub needs the Linux partition to work.

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Steve Stites

ok so how could I ensure that I can still boot into windows? If I format the partition and then reinstall Suse, i guess it would detect windows and add it to the list on the reinstalled bootloader?

Sorry bout all the querying.

Yes

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Steve Stites

ok let me give you straight answer. don't worry it and it will be fine. when you re install your suse, you will be asked to where to load the OS (i mean the destination of Linux installation) and it will ask you to install grub. it is quite simple. all you have to do is install it on the right partition and when grub installs, it will over write whats currently on the bootloder and you new partition sizes will be remapped. the problem you had was when you resize your partitions, you didn't tell to grub on how to access new sized partition (it means where the partition starts and ends.) it will be the same as you have first installed. if you are very worried about your data in windows, then you might as well boot with a live cd and transfer all your data that you want to keep to an external hdd and it will be fine.

trust me i have been on the same boat as you are right now. keep us posted on how you get on.

this is the problem with Linux that i find when you change something on the one side it doesn't effect the rest and sometimes mucks up. i bet if you manually reconfigure your bootloader, it will be working just fine. lol. but it is also a good thing when you look from the security side.

Doctor22

Hey guys, thanks for all your help, and the reassurance!

I've just finished reinstalling suse, and reinstalling the drivers for all the hardware. Thankfully I remembered the way each needed done so I didn't have to wrestle for days on end like the first time! A days work and I'm back to where I was 2 days ago. This time, though, I've got the partitions in sensible shape, with a couple gb free on my root directory rather than 200mb.

Thanks again,

Niall