Installing linux on a used HD...how do i reformat it?
 

Hello everyone.

I just got a used <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=22&k=hard%20drive" onmouseover="window.status='hard drive'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">hard drive</a> from a friend. I want to run linux from this HD, but it still has all of his old stuff on it. I've never installed a HD before, but I know how to physically put it in the computer and hook up the cords...and that is all I know. Can anyone give me some pointers on wiping this baby completely clean so that I can install linux and begin figuring out how to make a swap partition? I dont care about any of the information on it, as none of it is mine, so I dont think I'll need to do any backing up of information.

Thanks. All info is greatly appreciated...

:)

somebody?.....anybody?...please????

Have you found a Linux Distrobution you want to install first?

http://www.linuxiso.org/

It's kind of hard with the information you supplied to give you any kind of usefull direct advice (plus I could only tell you what I would do) but only to say that once you find a distro and get the HD installed It will have partitioning software, which will handle the formatting as well. look over the document below to get an idea of what is involved, but once you find the distro you want try to look for any information on that particular installation.

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Partition/

KC

Thanks so much for your reply. I actually just put the hard drive in after I posted that question. It seems to already be partitioned. I formatted it through MS DOS (in windoz) by typing format E: and it seems to have worked for the smaller partition, but for the larger partition it says that it is "write protected"

I have been running linux from the knoppix cd for about two weeks now to try it out. I decided to install it because it is so slow running from the cd, and I had the extra drive available to me.

The question that I have now is how to get past that write protection so that I can clear the larger segment of the HD and install the new OS.

For clarification: If I just install the OS now will it do all the formatting too (allowing the OS to be the only thing on the drive)?

And finally, what is the command line to install linux on the hard drive?

:scratch:

thanks again

amanda

I just finished trying to install knoppix onto the new-used drive, which has not yet been formatted. The actually installation program started, but whne it came time to do the partitioning the write protection got in the way again.

So far, I am still stumped. Still trying though....

:)

amanda

You have a few options.

1. Many Linux Distros will auto partition and format your drives when you install them. Suse, Xandros, Fedora, Ubuntu to name a few.
2. Use a Partition Manager such as Acronis or Partition Magic to merge your partitions and then format them.
3. Depending on the make of your hard drive you can use the manufacturures tools available on their websites. Example if it is a Maxtor, grab Powermax - bootable floopy that allows you to format and merge partiions from dos.

Not likely there is anything on the drive write-protecting it. Must be a jumper on the drive somewhere... What kind of drive again and how big is it?

Also if there is a DOS (FAT) partition you will have to split the drive into at least two partitions, but better 3 if you want a windows/DOS type partition as well...

Knoppix, (is that 3.8 that your installing), has a great forum just for there liveCD. Lots of great help on your specific install.
http://www.knoppix.net/

KC

It seems that you are trying to install knoppix on a dos partition, you can't do that you need to repartition you drive, you could use qtparted from knoppix to see how you drive looks like and then deside what to do.