...but I don't.

Alright, as some of y'alls may know, I've been planning on setting up this laptop (HP Pavillion zd8000 series) to dual-boot Windows XP (Media Center Edition) and Slackware for awhile. Still, this has been a side project to my studies, and I've only been able to research during free time. I figured I'd get around to this when I got around to it.

Well, now this laptop is so messed up that I'm about to where my only option is to reformat the freakin' hard drive. When I do that, I'll be installing WinXP first (since that's what I've read here is the best order to install, Windows then Linux,) and that will be partitioning the hard drive. I need a 911-crash course in making sure I partition this the way I want to.

Needs are as follows:
80GB hard drive total
5.4GB approx. is eaten up by WinXP.
On a WinXP partition I need at least 10GB for the Visual Studio.NET program I use for my programming classes.
Lots of pictures, music, podcasts, etc., that I'd like "visible" to both OS's.

I know for Linux I need a swap partiotion, root, and all that good stuff. How do I handle creating those in WinXP?

I've read the instillation parts of the Slackbook and have asked pieces of this question elsewhere, but since I'm having to reload the laptop anyway, I just want a one-stop post where I can run stuff out (finally was able to replace my busted printer,) and have it on my desk when I do this.

No one I know IRL knows jack about Linux or installing an OS or anything, so I'm really going this alone, aside from online support like this.

HELP! I really don't think this laptop in its current state will be able to hold out for the rest of the semster even, and that's only 3 weeks.

I'm not necessarily going to install Slakware on the heels of WinXP, but I want to do the partioning now to let me do that at a later time. I'd like to use NTFS for any partitions I can, if that's possible/a good idea.

On a side note, I need something like iTunes and Windwos Media Player mixed, ideally something with a Windows and Linux version, so I'm not constantly mentally switching interfaces between the two. Needs to be able to handle subscribing to Podcasts (including LQ, of course :P) Does this come with Slackware/how do I get it if not? I've used Debian-based Live CD/Live DVD distros before and used ap-get (or however it's typed--my brain is about as in shutdown as the laptop is right now.)

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! for anyone who's able to help me here.



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This is an offical post from a

For patitioning you can boot with the Slackware CD1 and login then issue "cfdisk"
and use that program for partitioning. For your main Windoze partition you will
need to make it Type 07 HPFS/NTFS.

For the Windoze operating system, since you need those huge programs, make
the first partition (/dev/hda1) 20GB. For Slackware (full install) you'll need about
3GB, and for your shared data you can basically use what's left. So in cfdisk do:
/dev/hda1 - 20GB - WindozeXP - (Type 07 HPFS/NTFS) -- primary partition
/dev/hda2 - 50GB - /Shared - (Type 0C W95 FAT32 (LBA) -- primary partition
/dev/hda5 - 5GB - / (root) - Linux (Type 82) -- format ReiserFS -- logical partition
/dev/hda6 - 5GB - /home - Linux (Type 82) -- format ReiserFS -- logical partition
/dev/hda7 - 512MB - Linux swap (type 83)

After you make those partitions, you can then reboot and remove the Slackware
disc and insert your WindozeXP disc. Tell Windoze to install to C: and format it
NTFS with the Windoze disc. For the second partition, once you get Windoze
installed, you can format it FAT32 with the tools in Windoze. Just open Windoze
Explorer and right-click on that drive and tell it to format it.

When you decide to install Slackware, boot with CD1 and you won't need to
run "cfdisk" again. Choose "setup" instead, and allow Slackware to format the
Linux partitions for you. I recommend ReiserFS for all but swap, which will be
formatted as swap automatically by Slackware.

Installing Windoze first is correct, and install LiLO in the MBR when you install
Slackware.

Might make that swap partition 1-2GB, because I currently have 512MB of RAM, but I'd like to upgrade it to 1GB if I can ever afford it.

I have a gigabyte of RAM, and never use it all. The size of swap was traditionally
twice the size of RAM, but that doesn't apply anymore. You know what you do with
your computer -- do you ever use 512MB RAM now? I'd not set the swap above
512K, but it's your box. Whatever suits you is just fine -- as long as you have enough.

I've never sat down and crunched the numbers, but given how often this thing locks up, I'd wager I'm using most, if not all, of the RAM most, if not all, of the time. Maybe I could just stick with the 512MB swap since I *think* that's about what Windows is using right now.

If you're using KDE, then that's taking a lot of resources just to run
the desktop environment. Gnome and others are similar. I use Fluxbox,
which is a window manager and not a desktop environment, and it
takes less than 3MB RAM to run it; compared to over 128MB iirc for
all that KDE runs by default.

You can launch GKrellM and enable the memory meter to see how
much RAM your system uses.

More-or-less agree with Chinaman, except I never fully allocate a new disk. You always need to "grow" something - might be the shared part, might be /opt, who knows. It's the devils own job if you don't have any unallocated space.
Spare space can also be used to add extra swap in need ... (hint, hint )

I'd suggest shaving the size of a couple of those partitions and keeping say 10-20 Gig unallocated.

That is wisdom ... and in the scenario I gave you, the /Shared could
easily be smaller ... depends upon your needs for storage.

KDE's been buggy on my laptop in the Live CD distros I've tried, but I read somewhere on this forum that Slackware 10.2 doesn't include GNOME anymore. Where would I download it? (Preferably somewhere that is pretty fast on their end, as the dorm networks here are slower than molassess in January. <_< )

Ok, how i would do it
If you want to keep what you have got without formating.
Reinstall windows to make shure your dll:s are correct, then

1. Get Powerquest Partion Magic...

( Divides a single hard drive into two or more partitions
Lets you safely run multiple operating systems on the same PC
BootMagic™ makes it easy to switch between different operating systems
Allows you to copy, move, resize, split, or merge partitions as needed without losing data in both Windows and Linux partitions

Allows you to create and modify partitions up to 300 GB*
Supports USB 2.0, USB 1.1, and FireWire� external drives**
Converts partitions among FAT, FAT32, and NTFS without losing data
Allows you to enlarge an NTFS partition without restarting your computer. Supports operations on partition sizes as large as 300 GB when partition is less than 90% full. Larger hard drives may require additional memory. )

2.Now change your HD_partition so you get ca 4-5 GB free.

- /- But, if you don't care for what you've already got, use f ex fdisk (W98/dos) to make two Partitions. Then install f ex. XP to your first one, then you use your slackware cd:s to split your partition into one 'ext3' and one 'swap'. -/-

3. download following software (freeware).

a."Ranish partition manager" available from http://www.ranish.com/part/ to restore your win2k/xp mbr in case of..(a boot diskett to restore your mbr, just in case)

b.Access to the ext3 File system from XP/windows
http://www.murga.org/~puppy/viewtopi...ght=read+linux

c. A ISoburner that works... at http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/utilities.html _BurnCDCC_

d. and a http://www.md5summer.org/download.html to check that your isos are ok.

Ok, download The 10.2 isos from here
http://linux.softpedia.com/progDownl...nload-425.html

Check the isos with md5 http://www.md5summer.org/download.html

Now you use BurnCDCC to make the CD:s. The first and second cd is enough to make a functioning Slackware.

When you install Slackware be shure to choose LILO as your 'default' dual boot manager. Be aware of GRUB...

And install LILO to your MBR.
(MasterBootRecord install to - c:\- same as (in linux) - hda - )

If you get problems, just reinstall again..

If you get problems with your XP booting, check
http://www.aefdisk32.com/ for a bootable MBR_restore

and.

http://www.ranish.com/part/

before doing anything else

... Dont Panic

--------- B ----- ----- T -- -- -- W - - - - -

'Should dual booting become a hassle, or boring, reverseing the proccess is as simple as deleting the linux partitions in the windows disk manager, booting off the XP CD and entering the recovery console, then typing "fix /mbr". This will replace the boot manager with the standard windows mbr, and everything will be back to normal.'

...OR

' www.bootdisk.com

A windows XP quickboot diskette is used to boot into your otherwise
healthy XP when your startup files are bad, missing, corrupted, or
the MBR is damaged.

While the boot.ini file is technically specific to each machine
depending on what partition you have Windows installed on and if
you have a multiple boot setup, the majority of pcs have windows
on C: in the default folder and are using an IDE hard drive. Unpacking those to a disk that has been formatted on an XP pc should result in a workable disk for the majority of PCs.

The files included are:
boot.ini
ntdetect.com
ntldr

copy these files to an disk that was formatted on an XP PC. Keep in mind that you can also format a disk in XP and then use it on another PC like a win9X pc to make this disk. One can simply unzip this pack to A:\ Perhaps you just need a basic boot.ini to copy to the root folder. To use this disk set the pc to boot from the A: drive first by going into the bios and setting the boot order. '

I already have the ISOs burned to CDs and all that. Those work. I just want to "have all the ducks in a row" before I start.

You can partition with Linux tools, no need to buy
Partition Magic or get some other Windows tool. I
build and repair computers and have found from some
experience that the tools in Linux work fine. You
can also format with Linux tools.

so,
do you have someting that works from Windovs?
preferably XP

Alright, it has begun! =-P

This past weekend I had .sys WinXP files crashing out on me even if all I was doing was listening to MP3s, so I figured it was time.

I used cfdisk to partiton everything, though the sizes didn't come out exactly as I'd wanted because of it having to end a partition at the end of a cylender.

Windows XP installed alright to the C: NTFS partiton (roughly 20GB,) though I currently have no sound, and even going to Microsoft's and HP's websites haven't helped. (Same drivers as before, from the CD, and they worked fine then.)

Anyway, I also have a partition that in Windows is the D drive. It's currently unformatted. When I tried to format it in the Windows GUI formatter, I could only chose NTFS, so I cancelled out. Tried DOS, (format d: /FS:FAT32 ) and about an hour and a half later, supposedly after the formatting was "100% done," I got an error that the partition was too big for FAT32 (about 50GB.) Can I format it within Slackware (once I get around to installing it; I've been mostly focused at the moment on my computer getting me through finals week next week,) and how would I do it? I'm using the partition scheme Chinaman suggested above, since it seemed perfect for my needs.

I'd like t avoid doing this command-line, really, because I fear typos and messing up the computer.

Thanks a zillion! ^_^

Sizes seem easier to get exact for me with cfdisk than anything else.

You should have a CD that came with your motherboard. I don't know how
much I could help personally without looking at your System Properties,
but your drivers are probably from HP and not MickeySoft. What CD were
you using to install?

I have a USB gas drive that is 30GB and took FAT32 okay. You can use this:
"/sbin/mkdosfs -F32 -v /dev/hda2" (be sure it's hda2 with fdisk)
and Slackware will format it. If you want to check that drive, also add
the "-c" switch. If it's not checked, that will take seconds at the most;
if you check it might as well start before you go to sleep. ;)

I understand. If you will issue "/sbin/fdisk -l" first, and be certain you
have the correct partition, you will be okay.

Thanks a zillion! ^_^[/QUOTE]