Change Mandrake partition size on dual boot WITHOUT trashing the other partitions!
 

Hello all!
:newbie:
I have a triple boot system (98, XP and Mandrake 9.2/Gnome) and I set it up not really knowing what to expect from Linux.
I'm impressed! I really am! I slightly trashed it fiddling about, so I'm going to wipe and and get a MUCH larger area set up for it. Then try not to hack it up so much! LOL
So... I set it up originally using the 'use Windows free space' option, giving up about 2gb of hard drive space on one of my partitions I had going spare.
I now am setting up about 9Gb on one of my partitions (hmmm... SHOULD I uninstall UT2003 to free up another 3.5 Gb? no matter...) of free space to enlarge my Mandrake space. Then I'll defrag it to get the max contiguous space.

Question:
How to get rid of the other 3 partitions Mandrake makes without total destroying the data on the next partition, etc.?
I have Partition Magic (pc) and of course the partition tools when you boot up, but it's my wife's main PC so I HAVE to get this right first time or face buying a new PC as the old one will get lost in the divorce settlement I'll be put through! :scratch:

Please help! <gulp!>

Oh - someone must have wanted to resize thier Mandrake/Linux partitions before and shares windows free space! :-)
Come on brainy people -save me from divorce!

I am a newbie too, but perhaps I can help just a little ...

When I did up my dualboot, I looked at my drives and decided to hack up my Primary Slave (60GB) into a 50GB-NTFS/10GB-Ex2. I didn't put in a Swap, which I will be doing but lets not go there just yet (laugh).

So, if I was in your position, I would free up some more space on the partition that is beside your Linux partition. Then I would run Partition Magic to boost the size of your Linux partition. It is my understanding the Partition Magic (at least the newer incarnations) are fully capable of adjusting Linux, NTFS, Fat32 and so forth without damaging the data on any of the partitions.

In short, I dont think you have to worry yourself too much. And yes, I would uninstall Unreal Tournament, because someone told me that it comes packaged with a Linux-compatable installation package. And we all know that Linux is better anyway ... so ;). Am I to understand the Linux partition is *YOUR* piece of the drive? Hee hee, whatever it takes to get you a bigger piece of the pie man ;)

Good luck!

Hi Em3rald!

I got brave and gave it a go (when the wife was gone! LOL).
Worked a dream - my 1.2 Gb partition is now a throbbing huge 8.95 Gb!
Muahahahah!

Thanks!
(some PC tools actually work ok! ) :-)

Now I have to get the Speedtouch configured again - luckily I have the script for that now - I love Sourceforge...

WOOHOO! Glad I could be of some help. Sometimes we NewBs have to stick together ;)

I repartitioned too. My Linux Partition is 10 GB, and my swap is 256MB - however, I may have screwed up and made it a Logical drive, instead of a Primary drive. I am not sure how Linux handles all that stuff. I am still learning. But yea, I like Partition magic because it doesn't matter 'where' on the drive the files are since it moves everything, including windows system files, during a reboot session (when everything is still inactive).

Anyway, cheers! Glad things worked out great for you.