I have two hard disks
1. 40 Gb ide
2.500Gb sata

on ide it takes only 13 gb to install linux (of course the unpartition space) where i can even create "fdisk /dev/hda" command.

BUT on SATA HRAD DISK WHICH is 500Gb (after installing 2 xp os and win 7 os), it requires huge 171 gb to create any partition after install with this "fdisk /dev/sda" command , i can even install linux here on sata 500gb hard disk with 15gb of space but then i can not create any partion after that with "fdisk /dev/sda" command.
it directly shows "partition number [1-4] type of message. which i guess normally displayed only when disk is full.


no one has any reason for such behavior of hard disk, help me plz.

You only can have 4 primary partitions on each drive.
This has nothing to do with linux.
But in each primary partitions you can create secondary partitions.
Linux do not neat a primary partition to boot from

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(On each drive) you can have either four primary partition and zero logical partitions, or up to three primary partitions plus many logical partitions.

Linux doesn't care whether it uses primary or logical partitions. Windows is almost impossible to install in a logical partition.

Once you used 3 primary partitions for Windows installs, you should have created an "extended" partition for the entire remainder of the drive. Then inside the extended partition, you can create multiple logical partitions for Linux and/or data (non bootable) partitions for Windows.

Now, you have 4 primary partitions.
Back up any data in the 4th partition.
#fdisk /dev/sda(substitute suitable alphabet accordingly)
press d to delete the 4th partition
now, press w to save it to partition table.
#partprobe.
Again,
#fdisk /dev/sd?
it will ask primary or extended? answer it as extended.
Dont give any values
just press enter keys for both values.
write it to partition table by issuing w command.
#partprobe
#parted -l
now you have the fourth partition as your extended partition.
#fdisk /dev/sda
Now create logical drives inside your extended partition....!!!

bye.

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Thanks saagar! I will try this. but now i have already installed two xps on c: and d: and win7 on e: and given whopping 171gb for linux to create logical partition, next time when i format my pc i will do this.

four primary partitions means what? i installed two xp os on c: and d: and win7 on e: so is it called 3 primary partitions?

or is it? "/", "/boot","/usr","swap" that i created during installation?

paste the output of 'fdisk -l' command

Yes. That is three primary partitions.

The Linux partitioning tools would then let you create one more primary partition, which would be the wrong thing to do, or create one extended partition (using all the remaining space) and then create logical partitions inside the extended partition.

What distribution of Linux are you trying to install? Most beginners use some distribution that has a GUI partitioning tool available during the install process. Working with a GUI partitioning tool will make these things much easier to understand.

The fdisk -l command suggested above is one way to look at the current partitioning so that an expert could tell you the commands needed to fix it, even using a non GUI partitioning tool.

If you do all the commands correctly (that are suggested after we see fdisk -l output), the whole process should not disturb the three Windows primary partitions. Backup first is a good idea because you might misunderstand instructions or maybe someone will misunderstand your situation and give you incorrect instructions.

But if you have gparted or other GUI partitioning tool available, that should let you figure it out with less detailed instructions from the forum.

"/" and "swap" should be logical partitions you create inside that extended partition.

There might be reasons to create "/boot" or "/home" or even "/usr" as more logical partitions. But it is simpler to skip that and make "/" big enough that "/boot", "/home" and "/usr" work well as directories inside "/".

If you don't understand a good reason to make any of those separate partitions, you probably don't have a good reason to do so.

Hi,

I suggest to the OP to get some background information to gain some understanding by looking at the following links;

Linux Documentation Project
Rute Tutorial & Exposition
Linux Command Guide
Linux Newbie Admin Guide
LinuxSelfHelp
Getting Started with Linux

These links and others can be found at 'Slackware-Links' .
More than just Slackware® links!

NOW I CANT GET THE OUTPUT OF FDISK -L CMD , i will have to fomat my pc for that.