Hi,

I used fat32 and ntfs on two harddrives before and now I am going to change. The ntfs-disc is no problem but on the one where I have fat32 I also have ext3 in two partitions. I would like to NOT have more then only one partition, an ext3.

The ntfs disc is for downloaded files, the other disc is now for linux (ext3) and backup + misc (fat32). The final state would be on disc with system files + programs and another with downloaded files (the backup is not needed anymore).

Disc 1: 5Gb ext3 (linux) + 35Gb fat32 (misc, old from when I used windows)
Disc 2: 120Gb ntfs (download, old from when I used windows)

would become:

Disc 1: 40Gb ? (linux)
Disc 2: 120Gb ? (download)


The first question is: can I make my ext3/fat-disc into only one partition without having to reinstall linux?

Second: which filesystem (if I have to reinstall linux I might considering to change the existing ext3) is best for this use (system versus downloaded files as movies, packed programs, mp3, etc)? My first thought was reiserfs and then ext3.

/MezzyMeat

Generally, you can simply, using a Live CD or recovery disk, tar/gzip up the entire root directory before deleting that partition. But be sure to do it with the drive umounted (that's why it needs to be done from a recover disk or equivalent means).

edit: for part 2, just use ext3. it is probably considered the defacto fs on Linux, so no reason why you shouldn't use it.

If the total file size on the ext3 partition can fit into the fat32 partition, I recommend doing it in the following order:
1. tar up all the stuff on the ext3 partition (make sure you use the -cp option to preserve file attributes).

2. move this giant of a tarfile into the fat32 partition.

3. reboot in windows, move the tar file into your ntfs partition.

4. repartition, recreate the enlarged ext3

5. extract the tar from the ntfs into the ext3

6. reinstall the bootloader.

7. delete the ntfs partition.

8. create the new ext3 partition.