Installing my Partions on Slack?
 

I am trying to install Slackware and failed but I think because I don't understand how this creating partition stuff works. I want basically a 20 GB partition of Slackware on this machine and leave the rest un-partitioned.

I have a complete empty 60GB ide drive on my notebook. There is no OS on this entire disk.

When I give the command
I press "n" and I can select e = extended or p = primary.

I press P as my first partition and call it partition 1.

Now I accept the default value of 1 for the 1st available cylinder but then I don't know where I should end it since I have no idea what this partition does?

Same thing goes for the extended.

Read the text file "Slackware-HOWTO" on the CD. Specifically these 2 sections:

3.1 Preparing a Partition for Slackware
3.3 Using Linux fdisk to create Linux partitions

But basically you'll need at least 2 partitions, a swap and a root (ie /) partition. Personally, I wouldn't make the swap any larger than 512MB or 1.5 times larger than the amount of RAM you have, whichever is smaller. You could also add partitions for /home, /var, /usr and etc if you want to separate them from /. Your choice.

As to where to stop the partition. If you want a root (/) partition of 20GB, then you'd enter "+20480M" when it prompts you for the stopping point. Here's the math on that:

1024 * 20 = 20480

The 1024 comes from the fact that there are 1024 megabytes in a gigabyte.

first i would user cfdisk rather than fdisk. cfdisk is a little easier to use and a little more graphical. If you user fdisk type the letter m for menu first and there you will get a list of commands and what they do. hope that helps

Ok, so I am booting off the Slackware disk again and loged in as root and now am in the cfdisk utility and see 60011.65 of free space available on the note book.

Please tell me if I am doing this right?

Create > Primary > Size = 20480 > beginning This then leaves me with hda1 as a Primary 20GB Linux partition

Now is the next partion going to be logical or another Primary? I dont see an options for swap partition in CFDISK.

Also how big do I make this next partition?

Next partition? Are you wanting more? If you want to add more just go to new and create it. If your talking swap partition then try to make the swap partition about 1.5 of your memory. If you want to create more partitions for various linux folders you might have to surf some of the install instruction sites online. Linux doesn't really have extended partitions like DOS. The file system is all one in a sense. I know folders is not the word for the filesystem but couldn't come up with the name. If you want to create more partitions cfdisk will let you create to your heart's content untill you fill the disk. This would give you a series of hda1,hda2 and hda3 as separate disks to the Linux file system

I guess I don't know what to do and I am asking for help?

So far I have made only 1 primary partition on my drive. The partition is a 20GB partition that I want to intall Slackware on but don't know what else I need to do.
I don't know how or where I should create a swap partition so any info would really help me out. Is a primary partition to install Linux on (20GB) and a swap partition all I need?

if you have 60 gig and don't want to have another operating system then you could dedicate the entire disk to linux. you will need at least two partitions. one for a swap and one to hold linux. The swap partition is for vitrual memory. Linus could install on the twenty with another partition for the swap. Yet then you would have 30 some gig sitting and doing nothing. To make the swap partition enter new and create another partition and go to the type section. If you just press enter all the way through the questions the partition will be labeled swap. you don't need 40 gig for a swap partition only about as much memory you have and half again will be enough.. After you set these up then type setup the setup program will take you through the labeling process.

otherwise I would restart cfdisk and delete what you have done. I usually set the swap file first because it ist supposed to be faster. Then I would build a straight linus partition on the rest of the drive. I have read discussions about separate partitions for parts of the linux tree but until you know more, let the system set itself up. Later you can change things as you get used to Linux

cfdisk will give you a picture of your drive so you can check out what is there and what it has done. Remember to write the partitions before you exit and your done. From there it is simply typing setup and letting Slackware set itself up.

You can find lots of info online about partitions and partitioning. I would recomend the Slackware site's Handbook as well as www.Linux.org under documentation. The subject can get a lot more detailed but then one of the advantages of Linux is you can do it you way. good luck
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