where can install my second distro

Shadowmeph · 09-23-2008, 06:46 PM

I am not sure where I can install another Linux distro because I can't tell which partitions my first distro is using
this is the output of fdisk -l

Code:

fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00091c4d

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        2444    19631398+  83  Linux
/dev/sda2            2445        7307    39062047+   5  Extended
/dev/sda3            7308        9918    20972857+  83  Linux
/dev/sda4            9919       38913   232902337+  83  Linux
/dev/sda5            2445        7307    39062016   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x4a914a91

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1        2424    19470748+  83  Linux
/dev/sdb2            2425        6070    29286495   83  Linux
/dev/sdb3   *        6071       38913   263811397+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb5            6071        6332     2104483+  82  Linux swap / Solaris

billymayday · 09-23-2008, 07:07 PM

I'd suggest you look in /boot/grub/menu.lst for a start, "cat /etc/fstab" to see what's getting mounted

Shadowmeph · 09-23-2008, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billymayday

I'd suggest you look in /boot/grub/menu.lst for a start, "cat /etc/fstab" to see what's getting mounted

well this is what it shows which I don't really understand

Code:

cat /etc/fstab
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_ST3320620AS_6QF15JBZ-part5 swap                 swap       defaults              0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_ST3320620A_6QF47VQZ-part3 /                    ext3       acl,user_xattr        1 1
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_ST3320620A_6QF47VQZ-part4 /home                ext3       acl,user_xattr        1 2
proc                 /proc                proc       defaults              0 0
sysfs                /sys                 sysfs      noauto                0 0
debugfs              /sys/kernel/debug    debugfs    noauto                0 0
devpts               /dev/pts             devpts     mode=0620,gid=5       0 0

pixellany · 09-23-2008, 08:54 PM

So it appears that the first partition is not being used. Ignoring the fancy language about "disk by ID", I see 3 partitions being used---3, 4 and 5

You could put something in #1 (19GB), or you could re-size #4 and add another logical.

If you do re-size #4, I'd make it a lot smaller and leave some extra space for future changes and additions.

Shadowmeph · 09-24-2008, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixellany

So it appears that the first partition is not being used. Ignoring the fancy language about "disk by ID", I see 3 partitions being used---3, 4 and 5

You could put something in #1 (19GB), or you could re-size #4 and add another logical.

If you do re-size #4, I'd make it a lot smaller and leave some extra space for future changes and additions.

thank you for helping me with this I don't know how to tell on which disk drive are those partitions free lol

pixellany · 09-24-2008, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadowmeph

thank you for helping me with this I don't know how to tell on which disk drive are those partitions free lol

OK--I missed a few details. You have 2 drives--each with a bunch of partitions. In the fstab output, there appear to be two different drives identified. I do not know how to connect those codes to the more basic sda, sdb, etc. but that info will be somewhere on the system.

BUT:
What all do you have on this machine? e.g.: How many different operating systems? Are some of those partitions just for data?

If you don't know how some of the partitions got there, or how they are being used, it might be time to start over.

Nylex · 09-24-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixellany

OK--I missed a few details. You have 2 drives--each with a bunch of partitions. In the fstab output, there appear to be two different drives identified. I do not know how to connect those codes to the more basic sda, sdb, etc. but that info will be somewhere on the system.

Those /dev/... files should just be symbolic links to the "real" devices.