Changing from 2 partition to 3 partition system

scuzzman · 08-11-2004, 07:55 PM

I currently have Windows XP Pro and Mandrake 10 installed. My current partition table exists like this: - All values approximated:

1) 30 gb - FAT32
2) 9.5 gb - ext3
3) 500 mb - swap

FAt32 = Windows XP
ext3 = /
swap = swap

What I'd like to do, is cut my 9.5 gig section into 2 sections, one /home and all the rest on another. Is this possible, if so are ther any tutorials on this? I realize I'm in for a task, but where would i accomplish it? I can't use DiskDrake, as it would require unmounting my / partition wouldn't it? Would it be possible to do in Single-User mode?

Thanks.
--John

Tinkster · 08-11-2004, 08:19 PM

If you have plenty of room on the FAT32
I'd tar.gz my system into two files (one home,
one the rest), repartition it and restore :)

You may have to reconfigure lilo/grub,
and that should do it.

Cheers,
Tink

scuzzman · 08-12-2004, 11:54 AM

ok: so while im in linux, i would do this:

Code:

# umount /mnt/windows
# tar -c home.tar
# tar -a /home/* ./home.tar

And i believ that would tar up my /home directory. Then would i simply

Code:

# rm -RF /home
# tar -c everything.else.tar
# tar -a /* ./everything.tar
# mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows
# mkdir /mnt/windows/Linux
# mv everything.else.tar /mnt/windows/Linux/
# mv home.tar /mnt/windows/Linux/

reformat/repartition, then just expand the *.tar files to / and /home respectively?
Where would I do this? After repartitioning, I would wipe out my current installation, thus making it inaccessible (can't access it thru windows). How would I expand the *.tar files?

Tinkster · 08-12-2004, 12:46 PM

You would use knoppix or a Linux installation CD
(Slackware's installation CD for example lets you)
to re-partition and format your new partitions, and
then use the same thing to mount the windows
partition and untar the saved files to the newly
created Linux partitions.

Make sure your install CDs busy-box knows about
tar before you repartition, though ;)

Cheers,
Tink

scuzzman · 08-12-2004, 01:18 PM

Bookmarked for home use.
*Affero'ed*
Thanks a lot Tink.