I am having 40GB harddisk with 4 GB free space.I want to create a new linux partition,but when I use fdisk it is giving me error.

[root@localhost lfs]# /sbin/fdisk /dev/hda

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 4865.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
(e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 17 526 4096575 b Win95 FAT32
/dev/hda2 527 3586 24579450 f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda3 3587 4415 6658942+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda4 4416 4448 265072+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda5 527 1546 8193118+ b Win95 FAT32
/dev/hda6 1547 2566 8193118+ b Win95 FAT32
/dev/hda7 2567 3586 8193118+ b Win95 FAT32

Command (m for help): n
No free sectors available


Plz help me..........

Your problem is partition fragmentation. You have two primary partitions (hda3, hda4) after your extended partition (hda2), the first of which starts where the extended parition ends. If I were you. I'd back up the whole drive and start over. If that isn't an option, but redoing at least the Linux partitions is an option, then I'd delete them (hda3 & hda4), and recreate them as extended partitions (hda8, hda9). Then you should be able to create another partition with the unused space.

Hi,
You may be knowing these things but in case i'm explaining them a bit.
when you partition a hard drive you can have the following combinations:

1 primary + 1 extended + several logical drives in extended ( logical always resides inside extended)

2 primary + 1 extended + logical in extended
3 primary + 1 extended + logical in extended
4 primary ( in this case you won't have exteded hence no logical)

so you have 3rd combination i.e 3 primary and 1 extended

now see 17-526 + 527-3586 + 3587-4415 + 4416-4448
here you haven't included rest of 4 gb space hence won't be able to utilize that.
you should have included that as part of extended. As logical can't exist without extended so you can't use that.
you have do something like what GrueMaster has suggested.

regards

I second GrueMaster's idea -- starting over from scratch (or something close to it) is probably your best bet. Think of it as a perfect opportunity to get some partitioning practice.

Can't do that, a drive can only have 1 extended partition, as ruudra indicated above.

I agree with the others, starting from scratch is really the only sensible option.

Actually, this can be done. Once hda3 & hda4 are deleted, hda2 can be extended to contain the rest of the drive, then hda8 & hda9 can be created from there. The problem is that hda3 starts where the extended partition ends, thus breaking the chain.

Starting over though, is still the optimal solution for stability reasons.

Well, yeah you can do that. I thought you were suggesting that more than 1 extended partition could be created, that's what is sounded like (since you said "extended partitions" <- plural!).