Hi all,

I'm new to Linux after being on Windows for years. I currently have Windows XP installed on my first hard drive. I have a second drive for programs and data for XP. My third drive, I used Partition Magic to format to dev3.

During the installation from DVD, I get to the partition screen and choose he custom setting, then choosing to install Suse to my third drive, using the complete drive. Afterwards, the next screen has red text saying "delete partition" on hda1 and hdb1. What does the red text mean? I don't want to wipe out my first two drives. What am I doing wrong or do not understand?

I would appreciate any help. Just a newbie here, please forgive my ignorance.

I did a Google search for the red text during a partition of an install of Suse, no results. I wonder if this is like a grayed out text in Windows?

Go back to Partition Magic and delete that dev3. Then go to www.google.com/linux and run a search on dev3. You will see that's probably what's confusing SuSE installation. There is no filesystem type dev3. There are device designations, revision levels, but no filesystem called dev3.

Leave the disk blank, then try to install SuSE. Tell SuSE to use the free space on the third disk and let SuSE create and format the partition (filesystem type ext3, ext3, reiserFS, JFS, XFS, or some other valid fileystem type for Linux).

The red text is a warning: if you proceed you will do great damage to installed systems.

Thanks bigrigdriver,

I deleted the partition and will try to install to the third drive now. The red text did seem like a warning which made me hesitate.

Success! I'm all installed and running Firefox to post today. Hopefully, I'll be able to ditch Windows in a few weeks once I get used to Linux. Thanks again.