Reinstallation: Doin' it right!

mattp · 03-06-2004, 09:20 PM

Okay, so I screwed up my Slackware install. Time to try again.

Now to eliminate the guess work...

When it prompts me what file system I want, which should I choose?

Once I'm ready to partition how should I set it up? The HD is 20gig.
When it asks me how big I want the partitions to be, what number should I enter. Is there anything else with Fdisk I should know about? For example, something to do with /boot, /home and /?

Im lost and I dont want to install a 3rd time!

fancypiper · 03-06-2004, 09:48 PM

The answer is, it depends upon what the system is to do!

Here are some good references to understanding of Linux filesystems:

# Linux filesystem structure
Proper Filesystem Layout
Directory Navigation Help File
Filesystems, Directories, and Devices Help File
Advanced filesystem implementor's guide (requires registration)

I saw a good 20gig drive scheme that a Gentoo box uses that may be of help to you:

Gentoo install instructions Chaper 4. Preparing the Disks

TheOneAndOnlySM · 03-06-2004, 10:08 PM

typically i choose ext3 as my filesystem (others prefer reiserfs but it is supposedly best for handling small files; no need to use ext2 when ext3 is the same as ext2 with journaling capabilities and is completely compatible with all ext2 tools)

also, i normally setup a system with /boot, /, and SWAP (some people also like to set /home apart, but i don't do this since i never know how much space i will use in my home directory)

so, in cfdisk (easier to use than fdisk), create a new partition for 100 megs at the beginning of free space (set it's id to Linux, i think number 85); create a partition that is 2 times the size of your ram (but make it no more than 512 megs) at the end of your harddrive (label it linux swap); finally, create a partition that fills the rest of your harddrive (label it Linux as well)

also note: make the 100 meg partition primary and the others logical (save headaches later on if you install other distros)

now, when slackware installer asks for swap, make sure it chooses /dev/hdx6; when asked for which partition will be root, choose /dev/hdx5, and when asked to mount other partitions, choose /dev/hdx1 and mount it under /boot

*edit: also, go ahead and install all the packages if you want to avoid guesswork (it is around 3 gigs worth of stuff); you can uninstall them easily with pkgtool later without worrying about ruining your setup

mattp · 03-06-2004, 10:19 PM

Thanks for your posts. Im going to follow TheONeandOnlySM's isntructions as close as possible as they are more or less consistant with other information Ive dug up. Ill probably be back in 20 min or so with more questions!!

mattp · 03-06-2004, 10:27 PM

Which partition should I set as bootable?

fancypiper · 03-06-2004, 10:27 PM

Don't overlook my links as there is lots of great info that I ended up following after a couple of years.

fancypiper · 03-06-2004, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mattp
Which partition should I set as bootable?

The partition with the kernel in it, of course.

TheOneAndOnlySM · 03-06-2004, 10:31 PM

you should make /boot bootable (this is where the kernel will be contained)

mattp · 03-06-2004, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fancypiper
Don't overlook my links as there is lots of great info that I ended up following after a couple of years.

Oh, I didn't mean to sound like I am disregarding your link. Sorry if it came off that way. I appreciate all the info you sent me. The reason I am following SM's info is because I am just trying to obtain enough knowledge to install Linux... Mastering comes next!

Some of those articles are just a little too indepth for me... considering I have NO idea what gentoo is, and the title of the one about advanced file systems scares me!

jschiwal · 03-06-2004, 10:44 PM

It might be useful it you gave us more information about your system. In particular, if you will be dual booting with windows 98 or win XP. If it is windows 98, then you don't have to change which drive is the boot drive. Just install lilo or grub on that drive. If it is windows XP with the NTFS file system, consider using the NT Loader to boot up linux. (Google for NT Lilo Boot Howto). If your computer will only have linux on it, then you don't have dual boot problems to worry about.

mattp · 03-06-2004, 10:51 PM

The HD is blank... that is until my Slackware gets installed!

BTW I set up my partion per SM's instructions. I know I got the swap set up right, and I know I got the root setup right, but Im 95% I screwed up the /boot one. It asked me that I have an additional linux partition "/hda1" and it said select or continue, I hit continue. Does this mean trouble? If so, how much?

Im installing the packages right now. Its a 800mhz machine with a 16x speed cdrom. Im thinking the packages will install in 2hrs? Maybe more?

fancypiper · 03-06-2004, 10:56 PM

Gentoo is a Linux source code based meta-distribution that you design for yourself. You install what you want compiled as you want it to fit your specific hardware. It's a great learning distro, similar to slackware but source code based rather than pre-compiled binaries.

The Linux system is very similar from distro to distro, but I just find Gentoo the easiest for me to use as you sort of have to know what is "under the hood" to know it's workings better.

There is absolutely nothing to fear about learning stuff. The Windows OS is what scares me, not any old piece of text to read and learn. I never could learn stuff about Windows or get it to work correctly, no matter what I learned (even scared me more) and read.

Read Linux stuff even though you think it goes over your head. It will very soon make sense.

Read these man and info pages often to refresh memory and familiarize with their layout as well and are included for most software, available from command line or gui.

man <command>
info <command>

My setup for several distros plus Windows:

Code:

Sat Mar 06 11:52 PM root@uilleann ~ # mount
/dev/hda7 on / type reiserfs (rw)
none on /proc type proc (rw)
none on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
usbdevfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbdevfs (rw)
/dev/hda3 on /boot type ext3 (rw)
/dev/hda9 on /home type reiserfs (rw)
/dev/hda1 on /mnt/win98 type vfat (rw)
/dev/hda2 on /mnt/win2k type ntfs (rw)
none on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
/dev/hdb4 on /pub type ext3 (rw)
/dev/hdb1 on /pub/iso type reiserfs (rw)
/dev/hdb2 on /pub/iso/distros type ext3 (rw)
/dev/hdb3 on /home/fancy/ogg type ext3 (rw)
/dev/hda8 on /home/fancy/stuff type ext3 (rw)
/dev/hdc1 on /mnt/fat32 type vfat (rw)

Code:

# Duron 950 uilleann Fedora Core 1 /etc/fstab file
/dev/hda7       /                       reiserfs        defaults        1 1
/dev/hda3       /boot                   ext3            defaults        1 2
none            /dev/pts                devpts          gid=5,mode=620  0 0
/dev/hda9       /home                   reiserfs        defaults        1 2
/dev/hda1       /mnt/win98              vfat            defaults        0 0
/dev/hda2       /mnt/win2k              ntfs            defaults        0 0
none            /proc                   proc            defaults        0 0
none            /dev/shm                tmpfs           defaults        0 0
/dev/hdb4       /pub                    ext3            defaults        1 2
/dev/hdb1       /pub/iso                reiserfs        defaults        1 2
/dev/hdb2       /pub/iso/distros        ext3            defaults        1 2
/dev/hdb3       /home/fancy/ogg         ext3            defaults        1 2
/dev/hda8       /home/fancy/stuff        ext3            defaults        1 2
#/dev/hdc1      /mnt/fat32              vfat            defaults        0 0
#/dev/hdc1      /mnt/storage            ext3            defaults        1 2
/dev/hda5       swap                    swap            defaults        0 0
/dev/cdrom      /mnt/cdrom              udf,iso9660     noauto,owner,ro 0 0
/dev/fd0        /mnt/floppy             auto            noauto,owner    0 0

I chose reiserfs for most of my partitions as it is supposed to be more efficient at handling small filesizes.

I think I need to change the directories with all my isos to xfs as it is supposed to be more efficient at handling large files, but I need some room to move them to as I don't think I can change to xfs without the danger of losing info and I am on dialup..

TheOneAndOnlySM · 03-06-2004, 11:09 PM

don't worry, you are not screwed because you didin't mount /dev/hda1; your system will work all the same (and that partition isn't necessary, just a convenience with lilo and other distros)

the only thing slackware's installer does when it asks to mount that specific partition is edit the fstab file; you can do that manually later

fancypiper · 03-06-2004, 11:14 PM

read the menu for your partitioning tool or, better yet, first become familiar with partitioning and what that stuff means. Deciding upon and successfully (re-)partitioning the hard drive is really the most difficult part of installing Linux, IMHO.

This made sense to me: Linux Partition HOWTO

mattp · 03-06-2004, 11:14 PM

Fhew! Once I get the slackware working, Ill seek help (either from here or google) on how to edit fstab to create the /boot deal.

Thanks to all your help!