LinPengu

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I've been running Suse 10.3 for a while now and love it!!! BUT I've been wanting to try other Linux distros out on the same machine while keeping my current Suse 10.3 untouched. I have enough space on my 320 Gig HD to do that, but how? without having to format the whole thing ???

Thank you in advance !!!

Here's my fdisk -l info (I've tried to run Gparted, but it just shows me my 2 SCSI Drives 160 Gigs each with unallocated drive space):

# fdisk -l:

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x69205244

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 2201 17679501 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 2202 6118 31463302+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 6119 6380 2104515 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 6381 38914 261329355 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/sdb doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-0: 320.0 GB, 320083722240 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38914 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x69205244

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/dm-0p1 1 2201 17679501 83 Linux
/dev/dm-0p2 2202 6118 31463302+ 83 Linux
/dev/dm-0p3 6119 6380 2104515 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/dm-0p4 6381 38914 261329355 83 Linux

Disk /dev/dm-1: 18.1 GB, 18103809024 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2200 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-2: 32.2 GB, 32218421760 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3917 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-2 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-3: 2155 MB, 2155023360 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 262 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-3 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-4: 267.6 GB, 267601259520 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 32534 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-4 doesn't contain a valid partition table

ronlau9

If you run suse 10.3 yast > system > partitioner show you with part is used by suse ,and with part is still unused.
I know if you startup the partitioner it gives you a warning but as long as do not change any think every is oke
If according to the partitioner sdb is unused then you can do every think with it for instance to create a second primary partition for a second OS If you put GRUB of the second OS in the second primary partition Suse is still there
and must it be possible to change suse boot loader in that way that she also load the second OS

BUt there are more ways to do what you like to do

all the best

LinPengu

Thanks for the quick help, it helped me to figure some more things out about my file system!
Now i'm at the point where i realize that i've given my /home directory 250 Gigs of my 320 possible. I wanted to resize the /home file system to create freespace for fresh partition: But can't because it needs to be unmounted/not in use... umount doesn't work in the console, it says:
:~ # umount /home
umount: /home: device is busy
umount: /home: device is busy


Anyone know a solution?

LinPengu

I'm starting to get the feeling that i'm going to have to reformat and reinstall Suse 10.3 fresh. Thanks to the weird output from fdisk -l.

I think this part is fine:

# fdisk -l:

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x69205244

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 2201 17679501 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 2202 6118 31463302+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 6119 6380 2104515 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 6381 38914 261329355 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

But then this part is weird and makes no sense to my newb brain...

Disk /dev/sdb doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-0: 320.0 GB, 320083722240 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38914 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x69205244

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/dm-0p1 1 2201 17679501 83 Linux
/dev/dm-0p2 2202 6118 31463302+ 83 Linux
/dev/dm-0p3 6119 6380 2104515 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/dm-0p4 6381 38914 261329355 83 Linux

Disk /dev/dm-1: 18.1 GB, 18103809024 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2200 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-2: 32.2 GB, 32218421760 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3917 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-2 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-3: 2155 MB, 2155023360 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 262 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-3 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-4: 267.6 GB, 267601259520 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 32534 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-4 doesn't contain a valid partition table

The Device /dev/dm... devmapper (dm-1 through dm-4) makes no sense to me, what is it and what does it do?

I just want to resize my partitions...HELP A NOOB!

ronlau9

I you insist to resize it then yast will unmount it first any how did it with another drive of mine.
But I am not sure if suse is happy when you resize the home/dir I must admit that I have not done it before
But an other question is why according to fdisk drive sdb does not contain a valid partition table, is not created ?
When you install suse did you let suse to do choices ?
With install option did you use ?


all the best

LinPengu

everything was standard setup, i only specified that swap was 2 times the size of my RAM and adjusted the sizes of /home and /root file system. Everything else was done automatically...

this "does not contain a valid partition table" problem is weird, i think this is the root of my problem, not being able to resize anything?

ARGHHH! is REFORMATING AND REINSTALLING MY ONLY CHOICE?