Slack 11 won't boot the right partition
 

I am trying to install Slackware 11, I have partitioned my harddrive so that there is a 512mb swap and the rest is for /.
I am dual booting, I already have WINDOWS XP PRO installed.
The problem is when I try to enter the setup it is entering the setup under /dev/sda3...when my linux partitions are /dev/sda7. So it wont recognize that I have linux partitions. When I do:
fdisk -l I get:
How do I get it to boot the correct /dev/sda?

Thanks

why don't you post like this:
?
Then it would be oviuos for us what You have at the layout...
What kind of 'setup' are you writing about?
Did you mean the slacks boot-loader or the root partition (holding /boot/*)
Why is this confusing you?
Where did you install the boot-loader : MBR, root-partition, floppy ?
What is you bootable partition:
it seems to be sda3
This is where your bootloader belongs to...
What it your system-holding partition (the /), it seems to be sda7
That's where your kernel image resides and waits to be booted...

I prefer to put lilo on MBR and use:
and install boot-loadera allways to MBR so it does not matther what partition is active, except for wins, but bootloader makes them active diring boot...

sda7 is a logical partition where as what you need to install Slackware is a primary partition.
So make either of sda1,2,3,4 a EXT2 partition with fdisk.
Then Install

CAUTION FDISK can cause lots of pain you know where

better do following in console if you are unsure.
%>fdisk /dev/sda

then type 'p' in next input.

and show the output here.

Hi,

The correct output for my ide device from 'fdisk -l'

Your output seems edited for /dev/sda. To assist you, the posted data should not be edited. Even though the above output is for my /dev/hda, anyone can see how the partitions are layed out.

You don't have to have the partition marked as boot(active) for lilo to load your image. If your root is on /dev/sda7 then use the install cd1 to boot;

You should read 'How to Ask Questions the Smart Way' to now how and what to ask in order to get a response. When presenting a problem or question to a forum, you need to provide relevant information, i.e; kernel, system hardware, etc.
The etc. is a big one! This could include configuration files, outputs from commands, relevant error messages ...

@OtisLinux
You do use the gnu fdisk, not the dos fdisk? right?

OK sorry it has takin so long for me to respond, heres what I have
BUT I already did the following:
cfdisk /dev/sda7
made 2 partitions both primary one a linux swap(82) and one Linux(83), then made the Linux partition bootable.

I cannot say exactly what you did, but something has gone wrong. First, none of the partitions is marked as "Linux" or "Linux swap". You wrote you did "cfdisk /dev/sda7" -- you can't do that with a single partition. cfdisk is invoked with a harddisk as parameter, not a partition, so "cfdisk /dev/sda" would be the right one.
Contrary to duryodhan I don't think you need a primary partition for Slackware.
Start "cfdisk /dev/sda" (if sda is right). It sounds like the /dev/sda7 partition can be deleted? If you're sure, mark it in cfdisk, move with the arrow keys to "Delete" and type Return. Mark the free space shown at the bottom of the partitions list, choose "New" or "Create" (sorry, I have the German locale running, one of them shoudl be shown). Type in its size, then your Linux partition should be created. Do that again, move to free space ... after creating the second one move with arrow keys to "Type". Type once return if you get the list of partition types that are available. Here "82" for Linux swap is selected and I just have to type Return. Else type 82 in yourself. After that your output should read something like (* can mean anything)
Make sure /dev/sda7 can safely be deleted before you do the above steps.

"You need to make sure you create primary partitions"
from http://www.slackbook.org/html/instal...titioning.html

I am just following what THE book says. If that isn't true.. why does the book say so?

Dont get me wrong , I am just a noob trying to learn.

Your sda7 doesn't end at the right place I guess you have made a partition there. Basically I think you have really screwed things up. :D

I think you were trying to use sda3. But it is still NTFS.. do
%fdisk /dev/sda
and then change id of partition number 3 to EXT2
Also create a new extended partition from 4842 to 6841 as swap.
Write everything and Now run setup it should auto detect.

Note : I am assuming you dont have imp data on those partitions. You will lose ALL data so better backup.

No offense intended. I had Slack 10.2 installed on a logical partition and had never any problems with that setup. Don't know why the book states so or under which circumstances that might be true.

I have two partitions already, 1 with Windows XP backup, and the meat of my memory allocated to XP Pro that is already installed. I don't want to have to wipe everything. The /dev/sda3 I believe is the XP backup...The /dev/sda5 is my main XP pro partition.

You don't have to wipe everything but must identify which ones you can safely delete. From your fdisk output I guess that you may have intended sda6 as swap space and sda7 as linux partition? Only you can tell which ones you created, but the FAT16 type seems to make no sense if you have Windows XP installed. AFAIK it doesn't even give you the choice to create FAT32 partitions anymore.
If you remember which partitions you intended for Linux, just fire up cfdisk and change the types (83 for Linux, 82 for Linux swap).

Yeah thats the wierd part, I'll fire up cfdisk /dev/sda7 and its broken down into 2 partitions LINUX and LINUX SWAP

No, not "cfdisk /dev/sda7", that won't work but break things. If you are sure this can be deleted start "cfdisk /dev/sda" and do it :) , then create two new ones.

wellll there we have it... thanks all
after doing cfdisk /dev/sda ! it worked just fine... i was trying to do /dev/sda7
thanks again