Fedora 11 Dual Boot Installation

splap · 10-08-2009, 04:25 PM

Okay so now I know I belong in the newbie forum!

I want to dual boot Fedora 11 and Windows Vista, and the last time I tried I deleted my Windows Vista (big no no).

So, I've made a partition of about 30GB, and I'm trying to go through the installation (from the live CD), but I don't know quite what to do?

If I select Shrink existing disk, it doesn't let me do it for any amount that I put in, by the way.

John VV · 10-08-2009, 05:24 PM

did you read the install guide ?
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/instal...11/en-US/html/

culaterout · 10-08-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John VV

did you read the install guide ?
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/instal...11/en-US/html/

Really I don't like the Fedora Manual to well...

This is a bit easier for Newbies to understand...

good luck

Program is Gparted

Good luck...

culaterout

yancek · 10-08-2009, 11:49 PM

If you already created a partition for Fedora, what are you trying to shrink and why. I assume you meant shrink a partition no shrink a disk? What point do you run into problems specifically and do you get any error messages?

John VV · 10-08-2009, 11:53 PM

Quote:

If I select Shrink existing disk, it doesn't let me do it for any amount that I put in, by the way.

seeing as it is not possible to resize a mounted ( and being used) partition .you need to do it from a live cd .

splap · 10-09-2009, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John VV

did you read the install guide ?
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/instal...11/en-US/html/

Yes, I've read that but it's not helpful at all. It doesn't give me any instructions for if I've already created a partition before the installation procedure.

splap · 10-09-2009, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yancek

If you already created a partition for Fedora, what are you trying to shrink and why. I assume you meant shrink a partition no shrink a disk? What point do you run into problems specifically and do you get any error messages?

I wasn't trying to shrink it, I just mentioned that because I presumed alot of people would tell me to or point me to guides telling me to use the shrink option in the installation, which I'd like to avoid.

Here's how I've done it:

- I've created a partition through vista, about 30GB.

- I made it drive X:\ but I did not format it (I don't think NTFS or FAT32 are good for linux, I think it's ext3 or ext4, right?)

- I select the custom partition layout option, select the partition I made, and click 'new'

From here I don't know what to do (when it starts asking for mount point and etc.)

yancek · 10-09-2009, 11:07 AM

Format with ext3 filesystem. Simplest choice in mount point is to use "/" which means root, it's the / without quotes and should be the first choice in the drop down box.

splap · 10-09-2009, 11:11 AM

Yep, it's the first choice, but that doesn't make it the primary partition does it? I heard windows doesn't like being the secondary partition, so I'd like to avoid that if possible..

splap · 10-09-2009, 01:53 PM

So now I've gotten to trying to create a custom layout.

I tell it to use mount point "/" with ext3 type. Then it has an error message that says "Your / partition does not match the the live image you are installing from. It must be formatted as ext4."

So I switch the type to ext4 and it then has another error saying, "Bootable partitions cannot be on an ext4 filesystem."

What now?

John VV · 10-09-2009, 04:18 PM

for a custom layout
first you need to deside if grub is going to be on the MBR ( replasing the MS Windows boot loder ) or not
if not then the MS bootloder needs editing and a ext3 partition for /boot ( aprox 73 to 100 meg ) needs to be made
fedora defaults to the NEW ext4 format ( can not be used for /boot) for / ,/home , etc.

i use
/boot - 100 meg
/home - 5 gig
/ - 15 gig
/DATA ( shared labelled data partition ) - 160 gig
/swap - 2 gig ( shared with fedora and CentOS )
========================

so for boot ( if used -- ext 3
for the rest -- ext4

splap · 10-09-2009, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John VV

for a custom layout
first you need to deside if grub is going to be on the MBR ( replasing the MS Windows boot loder ) or not
if not then the MS bootloder needs editing and a ext3 partition for /boot ( aprox 73 to 100 meg ) needs to be made
fedora defaults to the NEW ext4 format ( can not be used for /boot) for / ,/home , etc.

i use
/boot - 100 meg
/home - 5 gig
/ - 15 gig
/DATA ( shared labelled data partition ) - 160 gig
/swap - 2 gig ( shared with fedora and CentOS )
========================

so for boot ( if used -- ext 3
for the rest -- ext4

What are the advantages of having GRUB has the boot loader? Should I just leave the Windows boot loader?

John VV · 10-09-2009, 04:38 PM

from the install doc
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/instal...mmend-x86.html

also Microsoft sometimes tries to "fix" a 100% perfectly working GRUB if it is on the MBR . It dose this by replacing GRUB ( it boots MS also ) with the Microsoft bootloder ( IT DOSE NOT boot anything else but Microsoft products -- no linux , and no mac)
easy to fix , once MS dose this ,but a pain in the A?? .

yancek · 10-09-2009, 05:43 PM

Quote:

What are the advantages of having GRUB has the boot loader

It is a lot easier to dual or multi-boot systems with Grub.

Your other errors are explained by John VV. I don't use Fedora but my understanding is that it automatically creates a separate /boot partition which needs to be ext3 format and apparently the / (root) partition needs to be ext4, at least with the DVD you have to install.

splap · 10-10-2009, 02:56 PM

Thanks guys, I've finally got it running properly!