Given the passage of time, your Q is probably moot. Especially considering that this seems to be your only post -- you may not even see this answer. Nevertheless, here goes:
Before I start on dual-boot, I want to point out that dual-boot is no longer the HLUG Workshop way of introducing GNU/Linux onto a "Winders" box. Since VMserver became a no-cost ("free as in beer"
) product last summer, it is now our preferred way to do Lin on Win. Of course if the hardware, especially the RAM, will not support it, we revert to dual-boot.
The first consideration in repartitioning for dual-boot is whether there are any OEM Tools or Recover partitions to deal with. Typically they are hidden primaries at the very beginning &/or end of the drive. If we find any, we scrupulously leave them alone.
A typical scheme would be:
hda1 -- OEM "Tools" [hidden]
hda2 -- NTFS - C:
hda3 -- (extended)
|- hda5 -- FAT32 - D:, Common Data
|- hda6 -- ext3 - Linux "/"
\- hda7 -- linux swap - swap
hda4 -- OEM Recovery [hidden]
Possibly, you don't mention OEM partitions, in your case:
hda1 -- OEM "Tools" [hidden]
hda2 -- NTFS - C:
hda3 -- (extended)
|- hda5 -- NTFS - D: (Win files)
|- hda6 -- FAT32 - E:, Common Data
|- hda7 -- ext3 - Linux "/"
\- hda8 -- linux swap - swap
hda4 -- OEM Recovery [hidden]
You also don't mention if your "36 (NTFS) . . . my main files partition" is labelled "D:" or even whether it is primary or logical, so the above is just a guess.
The next step is to decide on the post-partitioning sizes for each. This is very much a matter of judgement & also dependent on the overall size of the drive, as well as how full the partition is already. Here are some guidelines:
- Win "C:": Assuming XP, 10 - 30 GB.
Since you have separate "files" partition, 10 GB is probably appropriate.
- NTFS - "Files": If already there, do not shrink or shrink only moderately -- depends mostly on how full it is & how much of its contents will be moved to FAT32.
- FAT32 - Common Data: This is the one that is most subject to drive size, circumstance, use, & judgement. I like to use 7.9 or 15.9 GiB & never more than 32. The reason is the doubling of cluster size at each power of 2 in the partition size. On the average, every FAT file wastes 1/2 a cluster in "slack", which means there may be more usable file space in a 15 GiB partition than in one of 17 GiB. (Edit: Sizes were reversed in original -- fixed.)
(Note -- GiB = binary or "true" 2^30 gigabytes.)
{Suggestions for links welcome.}
- Linux "/" ("root"): 4GB minimum, 10 is nice, 20 is verging on excessive.
- (Linux) swap: There are a variety of rules of thumb about this, usually expressed as multiplier of the amount of RAM on the system. Common suggestions are x1/2, x1, & x2. I haven't checked recently, but SimplyMEPIS used to recommend a flat 1GB for power users. I like that idea.
Once you have decided, & written down, your partition sizes, you should prepare the drive. This means:
- Delete unnecessary files. (optional)
- Run chkdsk -f or its equivalent.
- Defrag.
Do this on
all partitions that will be resized.
At last, you are ready to do the actual repartitioning. I never use a tool that is installed on a drive it will be working on. To me, that is like a brain surgeon operating on himself. I always use a tool from a bootable CD. Because I own a review copy of Acronis Disk Director, I tend to use it; & have come to prefer it out of familiarity. I also have used QtParted, which is included on many GNU/Linux install CD's. I have read good reports on the GParted live CD, but have not yet used it.
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I'd like to continue to use my second partition for files,
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As you can see above, there should be no problem w/ that.
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I have noticed in the past that files saved in Linux aren't always visible in Windows (I was using a FAT32 partition).
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I have never heard of this complaint before, especially from folks we have set up w/ dual-boot.
This is my longest & most comprehensive post on dual-boot, I welcome any suggestions for improvement, especially relevant links either in- or outside LQ.
