Hi.
I am going to install Debian Sarge on my computer. I currently run Windows XP.
I have no partitions on my disk right now. The fs I currently use is FAT32. My harddisk has 120 GB of space, and about 25 GB's of used space. I want to keep Windows on my computer. I would also like to keep all the files I have on my disk on a future windows partition.

I wonder if I have to partition my disk before linux installation, or if the debian installer can do it itself. If I have to partition the disk, do I have to make an ext3 partition? Please point me to a free partition tool.

Also that about the 1024 cylinder limit confuses me. My BIOS is "Award Software, Inc. ASUS P4S800 ACPI BIOS Revision 1004".

Thanks in advance
/Trotsky

Probably just don't realize it, but you couldn't actually have a filesystem without a partition, not even an NTFS one... It's just a terminology thing

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The fs I currently use is FAT32. My harddisk has 120 GB of space, and about 25 GB's of used space. I want to keep Windows on my computer. I would also like to keep all the files I have on my disk on a future windows partition.

You and everyone who wants to try linux but not completely give up windows. If you really want to install Linux, read on, otherwise, grab Knoppix and use it for your 'linux preview' if that is what you are trying to do. It's Debian based.

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I wonder if I have to partition my disk before linux installation, or if the debian installer can do it itself. If I have to partition the disk, do I have to make an ext3 partition? Please point me to a free partition tool.

There used to be a free windows partitioning tool that would do all of this for you, but I don't remember what it's called, and more so, I don't even know if it still exists. If you have the means and ability, I'd suggest ghosting your current disk. Then, whatever you choose to do beyond that, can always be reversed, quickly and easily, but ghost isn't free either... I wish I could help you further here, but basically you have the option of acquiring (maybe a friend has a copy?) a copy of Partition Magic. This is the best way I've heard to partition your current windows setup without losing anything.

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Also that about the 1024 cylinder limit confuses me. My BIOS is "Award Software, Inc. ASUS P4S800 ACPI BIOS Revision 1004". Thanks in advance /Trotsky

Pay no attention to that. It's for old schoolers, older than your motherboard.

My personal idea on how to achieve what you want using "free as in beer" tools:
Backup all your files. Can't? Too big? Take your chances, but realize you could lose it all.
Throw knoppix in there, partition up the HD into segments of your desired size. Install XP. Install Linux onto the partition you created, install LILO into the MBR, live happily ever after dual booting.

Other options are mentioned above, but the tools to go that route are not "free as in beer" but will do the job. You might want to google for the free windows partition manager to see if you can find it.

Cool

Not sure if this is what you meant, but there's 'fips' - 'First Interactive non-destructive Partition Splitter' or something.

And not that you'd want to rely on this, but I just split an external hard drive into FAT32 and reiser and the data was still there in the remainder of the FAT partition.

-- Oh yeah: there's also Ranish Partition Manager and 'presizer' (Partition Resizer). Dunno about with XP - might not matter as FAT32's the main thing and I think they cover those, though they were originally designed for DOS, IIRC.

Thank you very much. I am now posting from Debian Sarge .

Cool good to hear, and yes, it was Ranish I was referring to, thanks digiot!

Cool

I did, MasterC!
No M$ product on this Box. My kids play M$ games on different box

Good deal! I have 3 boxes with solely Linux, but the lappy has to retain XP until I can get my wife fluently speaking geek.

Cool