I'm trying to install slackware 9.0. I downloaded iso etc. I want Slackware to share disk with winME. I previously had redhat 8.0, but wanted totry slack. I formatted redhat partitions, except one with bootloader (not LILO), created by redhat. Under windows, by partition magic i divided my disk like that: 30 gb fat32, 102 mb for /boot partition linux ext2, 3 gb for / directory - linux Ext2 and 128 mb for linux swap. Then i try o install slackware on it from the cd:
1. I type cfdisk /dev/hda and check if paritions are set correctly - everthing is OK
2. i type mkswap /dev/hda5, sync and swapon /dev/hda5
3.I type setup
and here begins the problem: slackware setup won't detect linux partition. On the beginning it says that i haven't created any linux partition (but ofkoz i have) than it won't detect swap partition. I tried diffrent combintions and it all have failed. Please, help and forgive my english.

Don't create the partitions with partition magic, or if you did and they show up under cfdisk, just delete the one's you created with partition magic and recreate using cfdisk, then writing to the partition table.
And you don't need to manually mkswap and swapon, during the installation it should perform this for you.

I just have tried that and it didn't work. When i check drive with cfdisk everthing's fine, but when i type "fidisk /dev/hda" it says that fdisk couldnt open /dev/hda, but cfdisk does... strange...

people help me please... it's really strange. I did everthing correctly (meaning correctly for me and according to bunch of manuals or tuts) : i created 2 partitions using cfdisk: linux ext2 and linux swap. I also have a fat32 partition. I deleted another linux ext2 part. that was containing a grub loader installed by redhat (which i deleted), because im planning to dual-boot with LILO. So i have 3 partitions, but slackware setup says that i have no linux partitions or linux swap partitions. I dont know what to do. Do you have any ideas? Everthing could be helpful, cause im totally new to slackware (redhat installation was even easiest than windows, geez even than Notepad ).

Have you set the "type" number of the partitions correctly?

Your ext2fs Linux partition should be type "83" (Linux native), a "primary" partition, set to "bootable".

Your swap should be type "82" (Linux swap).

Once the installation has started, don't forget to format the partitions (checking for errors) and set the mount points.

well, i didn't know that i have to set the linux native partition as a bootable, but the rest i did as you say. Thx 4 help, i'll try it

they say that slackware is better secured, more stable, etc. than redhat, but there's one certain advantage of redhat over slack - it does work on my computer... i tried it on other disk - fdisk and cfdisk detect the linux partitions : linux native and linux swap, but setup says as follows: "There don't seem to be any partitions on this machine of type linux. You'll need to make at least one of these to install Linux". Any ideas? (((

Did you reboot after setting up your partitions?

yes...

Can you post a step by step of what you are doing?

well, now im doing this:
1. boot from slackwareCD
2. cfdisk /dev/hdb (second drive)
3. create linux swap (82) part. - 300 MB
4. create linux native (83) part. - 15 gb
5. write it all and quit
6. reboot
7. fdisk /dev/hdb - just command 'p' to check if everthing's ok
8. type :'setup'
9. quit setup because of the message it prints, which i wrote 2 posts ago.

I am adding this message because my problem is somewhat similar. Everthing you have said, i think i have done but the sysytem just stops after the rebooting. Cannot find root and does not configure - at least manually?

"I intend to run only linux - Slack - on my private laptop, I have tried this command

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda

After running it says there is no more space on the drive.

I am able to boot up to the hash prompt even without the correct non linux partition. I use on of the floppy images that directly allows me boot the CD ROM.

However after using the above command, everything seems to still work, I mean installation and all.

I am not able to configure the system though my assumption is that. It is auto config., i.e the default kernel is auto loaded to the Hard Disk.

This time when the system is started again it says first that it cannot find a valid S2D partition! This i assume comes from the manufacturers BIOS, since the system was most likely made for windows.

But after this it just stops. It shows system specs and just stops!

One more thing, i cannot set the root password, it says no file or such directory exists!"

Jack, you have 2 hd's and /dev/hda is windows?

yes, im sorry:
/dev/hda - all windows (ME)
/dev/hdb1 - linux native 83 (for root dir)
/dev/hdb2 - extended, linux fdisk says that it is:Win95 Ext'd (LBA) ??
/dev/hdb5 - linux swap 82
/dev/hdb6 - linux native (for /boot )

This thread may be the answer you are looking for.
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=75288