Cannot allocate partition error and multi boot?
 

Hi,

Im trying to install the latest version of Redhat along side two other OS's that I already have installed. Currently I have windows xp and windows 2003 server installed on the same 120gb IBM disc on separate partitions, ntfs and fat32, they both are selectable via a shareware multiboot util called OSL2000.

On this disc I also have another NTFS partition which has no OS on it, only files shared between the OS's and also 2 areas of unpartitioned space, the first area is in the middle and only 100mb(which i used to have partition magic on) and there is also 80gb of unpartitioned space left at the end of the disc.

Now what I want to do is to install Linux in a new partition on this last 80gb of unpartitioned space somewhere and also be able to select it to boot to from OSL2000 as well as my other 2 versions of windows.

However I have a problem,

When I boot off the Linux cd and try and install it everything is ok up untill the partitioning part.

When I select the last unpartitioned 80gb of the disk and try and get disk druid to partition it for me as any mount point it comes up with some error about "could not allocate requested partion".

The strange thing is when I choose the 100mb of unpartitioned space which is closer to the beginning of the disc, it is able to partition this as the required format?

I am confused at why I cant do this,

any help would be appreciated.

TIA

Bod.

Be more specific regarding the current partitioning of your drives. The best info would be the output of Linux 'fdisk -l' command.

wat is this fdisk -i ?

I am a newby remember ! :)

here is a screenshot i took of my disk administrator settings in win2003.

It shows how I have the partitions at the moment

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/michael...management.JPG


I want linux on the unpartitioned space.

Maybe you are right. But for me it is readable very poorly. I'll give you a sample.
Let's assume I've got 100GB hdd. I've created two partitions primary (20G) and extended one (the rest = 70G) . Inside extended one I've created 30G partition. So under Win I've got two drives C: - 20G & D: - 30G. The rest (40G) is unallocated.
Under Linux I've see hda1 - 20G, hda2 - 70G, hda5 -30G.
See: hda2 is not 'really usable' partition. It is rather placeholder for (with windows term 'logical') partitions. For linux installation I need to create hda6 and allocate the free space to it.
So presenting the harddrive in terms 'free' and 'occupied' area only is not the best.

The picture is readable if you hover your mouse over it for a few seconds then expand the picture.

Im still confused

jon.