PROBLEM:

Cant seem to create partitions automatically or manually.

When I choose automatically I get the following errors:
- "Could not allocate partitions as primary partitions."
- "You have not defined a root partition (/), which is required for installation".

When I choose manually I get the following errors:
- "Could not allocate required partitions: Partitions failed. Could not allocate partition as primary partition".


BACKGROUND:
No partitions on C: just XP running
24GB free space
Running XP
Trying to install RH9 with diskette boot
File system shows a 'vfat' on DiskDruid
Already tried creating a '/' partition but failed as well (same for boot)
Already defragmented drive prior to install

QUESTION:

Any recommendations??? Any feedback appreciated.

TIA,
SC

Try overiding or ignoring any boot constaints errors but make sure there's definately atleast a Root partition for the installation to go on.

Also make sure that your partitions are contiguos - ie joined up right next to one another.

How many existing XP partitions have you got? - what is your exact current partitions on your drive?

I tried adding a root partition through DiskDruid but that didnt work either.

I think I only have the one partition where XP is running - so it's either one or none. This is b/c I dont know if you need a least one partition to run your OS.

TIA,
SC

If youve genuinely only got 1 XP partiton on your drive and there is some un-partitioned free space at the end of your drive then - there shouldnt be a problem with Red Hat installing into the free space - Its a common situation.

In terms of Linux - its advisable to have atleast a Root and Swap partition - your main install goes onto the Root partition.

You say your trying to install with a "diskette boot" - have you not got the 3 cd's to install with?

Did you made room for your installation on your hard drive first?

Red Hat 9.0 Installation Guide

# Pre-installation guides
GNU/Linux pre-installation checklist
The Pre-Installation Help File

# Partitioning
Linux Partition HOWTO
Rute - Partitions, File Systems, Formatting, Mounting

# Red Hat links
Red Hat Linux Manuals
Get your mp3 support here
Maximum RPM
rpmfind
Easier software management: apt4rpm - Red Carpet
Red Hat 8.0 Tips & Tricks

# Red Hat 7.3 down configuration commands
setup leads to several configuration tools

# Red Hat 7.3 up configuration commands
Configure soundcard:
redhat-config-soundcard
Configure X server:
redhat-config-xfree86
Configure network:
redhat-config-network
Manage software:
redhat-config-packages

# Handling NTFS
New Technology FileSystem (NTFS) HOWTOs
Linux NTFS project

I would guess that the entire drive is just one partition. You will need to resize the existing partition and then let the installer create linux partition on that space.

To resize existing FAT32 partitions there is fips or parted. fips should be in the /dosutils directory of the 1st CD. You will need to boot the 1st CD to rescue mode to run parted.

fancypiper - thanks for the resources!

Skyline - I'm trying to install RH9 with a boot diskette so that I can tell the pc to read the CD-ROM (where the install disk is). One question though, can I assume that I dont have any partitions (including root) if I've never partitioned the drive since I bought the pc?

TIA,
SC

If you have XP running on the PC then the drive has at least one partition i.e. C drive.

Can anyone pls provide more information on either fips and/or parted? Recommendations? How safe are they?

Thanks,
SC

Nothing is perfect. Be sure to save any important data.

I should have also mentioned that those were the free alternatives. Partition Magic will work too if available.

There is some info on fips in the /dosutils directory. You can find parted documenation on its website. Just search for gnu parted.

Thanks a lot for all the good info. I'll try some of these and let u all know how it goes.

Couple of questions though,
- which partition tool do u recommend?
- can linux create partitions on the 'vfat' file system (that's how it shows on the linux install partitioning util) once i've create it a '/' partition?

fips is just a tool to resize FAT32 partitions.

parted can create and resize. There are other tools to partition a disk. Once you resize the exisiting then use the installer to partition the free space. See RH documentation as posted above for further info.

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/l...titioning.html

There is a difference between a filesystem and a partition. A filesystem is how you organize i.e. format the space in a partition.

A partition is the method of dividing the disk into multiple sections.

There are excpections but linux has its own partitions and filesystems that are seperate from the windows world.

Ok, I will resize my existing partition and then run RH9 installer again to create the partitions necessary for RH.

Your dirve is probably formatted as NTFS and I don't think Red Hat provides a tool to re-size that filesystem as they don't provide support for NTFS.

For a free re-sizing tool, the Mandrake install CDs will re-size the NTFS with no problems. Just power off after it writes the new partitioning table, then use the free space with the Red Hat install.

# Cheap CDs
Discount Linux CDs
Linux Central
Cheapbytes
TuxCDs
ComputerHelperGuy

Actually my pc uses FAT32 as the file system (recognized as vfat in RH9 install).

I tried to re-size with FIPS but I think my pc have some hidden files that are taking up some space needed by FIPS to re-size. Any recommendations? I'm right now looking into using parted.

TIA