creating partition when installing SuSe

Stranger 18 · 10-18-2004, 09:44 PM

I run Windows XP Home and I want to keep it, in a dual-boot with Linux.

My HD has two Windows partitions: C:, with nothing but the boot files, to boot into W XP

which is on the E: drive.

Both partitions are FAT32.

Drive C: has 9GB of free space.

When I install Linux, can SuSe create a Linux partition in the empty space on C:?

Will I be able to dual-boot, i.e., into Linux or into W XP on the E: drive?

Can I copy data files from the W XP partition (E:, FAT32) to the Linux partition?

HenchmenResourc · 10-18-2004, 10:02 PM

the short answer is: Sort of

SuSE does have a partitioner built in that can repartion a hard drive with Win XP on it so that you can dual boot. The problem is that the partitioner that SuSE uses doesn't pay attention to the Windows Swap space so if you take too much space from windows and you accidentally wipe the swap space windows usually stops working. The best way to partition for a dual boot with Win 2000/XP is to use a windows portion program like partition magic to create the space for linux since these will rearrange the swap space if it needs to be, then install SuSE.

If you don't have access to a partitioning program in Windows make sure you have any important documents backed up from your windows partition before trying to install SuSE.

As far as coping files between Windows and Linux, Windows can not write to Linux, but Linux can read and write to the a fat formated drive so you will need to do any file transfers in Linux.

good luck with the install and let us know if you have any other questions

Stranger 18 · 10-18-2004, 10:46 PM

Thank you. I am lucky there:

C: had Windows 98SE but is now empty, except for the BOOT files.

My W XP is on drive E: and has of course a swap file, but I want to create the Linux partition in the C: space.

Should be OK, yes?

HenchmenResourc · 10-18-2004, 11:32 PM

Just don't wipe your Win Xp files and it should work fine

Bikerpete · 10-19-2004, 02:46 AM

If you use ext2 there is a way to get access to your linux-partition from XP:

Ext2fsd, An ext2 filesystem driver for Windows NT/2K/XP. The most recent version has read-write support. http://sourceforge.net/projects/ext2fsd

For ReiserFS: http://p-nand-q.com/download/rfstool.html

But - it won´t be necessary - it should work fine!

Greetz

Pete