What format for Redhat?
 

I bought partition magic, moved all my important files to my external USB hard drive, and I'm ready to partition. But, what do I need to say in the partitioning process? How do I need to format the new partition? I'm currently downloading the 3 redhat 9.0 ISO's, so... yay. After a month of trying to figure out how to partition, and flipping between various distros, Im finally set

You have a partition tool in the Redhat Installation, use that.

FIPS? That won't resize NTFS formatted partitions...

Hi Wraith2288,

you can use druid during the install of redhat.

If you want you can re-partition your windows by running pm8 (version 8?) and shrink your windows partition(s) by 10-20Gb or so. You can format it as ext3 if you like. You can always format when installing

When you do install redhat you'll have some of it as swap.

eg. this is what I did:

Desired Linux Partitions:
------------------------
/swap 900Mb
/boot 80Mb
/ 11Gb

Here's have my full monty.... hopefully this will make you feel comfortable about it... it a lovely graphically guide through... even the partitioning...

What I did anyway...

Installation Steps:
------------------
1. Place in CD1 and boot. Verified each media CD was ok. Repeat
2. Hit "Continue" to load Redhat Installer. Next
3. Language selection: "English"
4. Keyboard: "United Kingdom"
5. Mouse Configuration: "Microsoft -> IntelliMouse(PS/2)"
6. Upgrade option: "Perform a new Red Hat Linux Installation"
7. Installation Type: "Workstation"
8. Disk Partitioning Setup: "Manually partition with Disk Druid"
9. Partitioning: Aim to set up partitions as above:
* Delete old /dev/hda2 (removing all linux partitions). Free up 11531Mb (had an old linux setup)
1) Add /boot 78Mb (ext3) /dev/hda2
2) Add /swap 902Mb /dev/hda3
3) Add / 10550Mb /dev/hda5
* Note that c: is /dev/hda1, e: is /dev/hdb1, f: is /dev/hdb5

10. Boot Loader Configuration: Grub boot loader -> /dev/hda (default)
Set 'DOS' load as Default
11. Firewall Configuration: None (for now)
12. Additional Language Support: English (Ireland)
13. Time Zone Selection: Europe/Dublin
14. Root Password: use "p"+password for root
15. Workstation defaults: Accept and customize
* Add additional packages what may be needed later
1) KDE Desktop Environment - 14/16 packs
2) Engineering and Scientific - 5/7 packs
3) Text-based Internet - pine, lynx - 5/7 packs
4) Sound and Video - mikmod, xcdroast, sndconfig, xmms-skins - 17/19 packs
5) Servers - windows file server - 2/2 packs
6) Kernel Development - 4/4 packs
7) KDE Software Development - 20/20 packs
8) System Tools - mc, rdesktop, tsclient, vnc - 9/13 packs
Note: There are is an option for BARE minimum packs or MAX packs.
Log: Installed in /root/install.log, kickstart in /root/anaconda-ks.cfg

16.Installing Packages:
* Formats partitions
* Installs selected packages (731 packages 2534Mb, 40 mins)
* Post Installation
17. Monitor: Iiyama Vision Master Pro 510
18. Videocard: Nvidia Geforce2 GTS (generic)
19. Resolution: 1024x768 Color depth: 16-bit


Hope this helps!

hm... why "P"+root password? does that P signify something?

so: if i use PM8 to shrink the windows partition, and make a new linux partition (handy "adding another OS" wizard), why do I need disc druid? to make the swap and boot partitions?

Oh yes, ignore that's a reminder for me. Just put in a password ;)

Yep, if you have just shrunk the space taken by windows. During the RH install you can use druid (during the steps) to partition as you please (it takes care of the actual formatting - just pick the partition sizes). You can use PM8 if you like...

James.

yeah... I'd be afraid I'd mess something up in disc druid, so I'll use partition magic. My harddrive should be able to have 4 partitions, right? (/boot, /swap, the other linux one, and the windows one...)

Yep can do it that way. :)

Are you dual booting?? why dont you just let Red Hat partition it automatically for you.... if you are dual booting create a partition for Red Hat using Partition Magic. So you will have your windows partition and another partition that will be used by Linux. You can delete the new partition making it unallocated... then on the partitioning part in the installation, choose automatically partition hard drive, then choose keep all existing partitions... install Lilo or Grub to the MBR(Master Boot Record) and you shall be able to dual boot...

If you are only installing Linux then you shouldn't have any problem at all... you can just automatically partition the whole drive....

If you decide to patition your hard drive manually, be sure to use Partition Magic 8 not the lower versions because the lower versions doesn't support ext 3....

Just a little bit of info about partitions in Linux:

/swap: Usually twice your RAM.
/boot: 100 MB
/root: 4 gigs will give you enough space
/home: this is actually up to you....

If you are really new to Linux i suggest that you do the automatic partition...

Good Luck... :)

wait, lemme recap that:

use partition magic to make a partition
remove that partition
let Red hat auto-partition, tell it to keep old partitions
right?
Sorry if I'm being difficult, I'm just afraid I'll mess something up

I'm logged on on my friend's computer, as right now my drive is defragging... haven't done it in ages, and at last check it was at 1% complete

also: it won't let me make a partition bigger than 6 gigs, despite the fact that it says i have 11 gigs free. Can i make one 6 gig and one 4 gig and then delete both? Don't know if it works that way...

yes that would work you can make a 6 gigs partition and a 4 gigs partition and then delete both partition making it unallocated....

yes, choose automatically partition hard drive then choose keep old partitions / existing partitions.... dont worry you wont mess up your system.... be sure to install Grub/Lilo in the MBR... i prefer Grub because for me it has an edge over Lilo...

good luck... :)

thank you very much, now, after like 2 months of figuring it out, I will be able to run linux. Yay. I'll post again if something else needs asking.

best of luck... :)