The fdisk read out is as follows:

fred@fred-desktop:~$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for fred:

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000bbec8

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 262 2103296 82 Linux swap / Solaris
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2 * 262 2873 20972544 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 2873 29983 217761583+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 29984 60802 247546881 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 29984 30047 512000 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 30048 60097 241376256 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 60098 60802 5656576 82 Linux swap / Solaris
fred@fred-desktop:~$

What I want to do is remove suse which is sda1,2+3 but retain the rest and keep it bootable. Should I start again? Perhaps there is a method to move the bootable bit and keep the extended partition?

Fred.

Fred.

When you install the new OS, I'm assuming it will be Linux, it will set up the boot sector for you. So, in other words, you can start fresh if you want to and let the installer do everything for you.

EDIT: the "bootable bit" is the MBR (Master Boot Record) it cannot be moved and is always at the beginning of the disc.

BTW, always back up anything you must not lose such as important personal files.

Where does the OP indicate a new system is to be installed (except if all else fails) ?.

Deleting partitions tends to rename the remaining ones - can be ugly unless you use UUID or similar in fstab.
Most distros offer a "boot disk install" on their install/live CD. Not many will find other than the first Linux - supergrubdisk is generally a good solution in that case to rebuild grub. If you use lilo, I can't help.

In the title of the thread. The word subsequent indicates something else will be installed, it may not say when but it does mean it will be in the future.

Yes, dropped a hairy one when I made swap the first partition (I think) but how do you change things in fstab? A redirection would do. Does it cause problems because suse use legacy grub and others use grub2?

Fred.