install linux
 

I want suggestions regarding installation of linux.

If i currently running fedora & now i want to install ubuntu, then my data will get lost or not.

As we do in windows, i only format C drive & the data present in other drives dont get lost.

Is it possible in linux ?

You have to keep track of ALL your partitions and what is on them. In the typical Linux installation, you can choose which partitions to delete, re-size, create, etc.----and which partitions to be used for different functions within the particular installation.**

Before you do anything, be sure that all important data is backed up.

For specific ideas on how to set things up, please show us the output of "fdisk -l" (without the quotes). run this as root, and note "ell", not "one"



**My personal preference is to boot up with a GParted Live CD, and make all the partition changes with GParted. Then, during, the Linux install, all I do is select the mount points.

Anything is possible with linux. :)

Now type "df -h" at the command line. Look at the last column, see if you have anything mounted at /home
If not you should next time. One of the great parts about linux is a multi-partition setup allows you to replace your entire os without loosing your home directory.

If you don't have a dedicated home partition, the easy solution would be to back it up to disk before formatting. If it is extremely large, and you do indeed only have one partition, it might be possible to use gparted to shrink that partition and make a home partition in advance. However this would kinda be a pain, and probably take forever on a large hard drive.

If your home directory is on a separate partition then all of your data will be safe, as long as you choose manual partitioning when you install Ubuntu. Choose not to format the home partition and choose to mount it at mount point /home. This way it will be mounted at /home just like in your current Fedora install.
If you do not have your home directory on a separate partition, then you will need to backup all of your data before you install Ubuntu. When you install Ubuntu this would be a good opportunity to create a separate home partition.

See this for how to create a separate home partition during a Ubuntu install: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installseparatehome
Write back if you need more help with this.

Thanks to everyone for all your replies.

Currently i am running linux from my usb. I am about to install linux so thought about this problem may occur in the future. Now i will do as you all mentioned at the time of installation.

If you have a desktop, the easiest thing to do is to put in another new hard drive and put linux on that. You can still dual boot if M$ or something else is on your first hard drive.

With a laptop, you will have to shrink the partition and make another one.