Partition re-arranging, Imaging and Linux
 

Here's a little way of saving you time if you want to add partitions, a new Distro, increase the size of your root partition, or even mess around with 'Doze partitions without having to re-install your main Linux Distro.

I'm running SUSE 9 but the same method should be applicable to most other distros.

BEFORE YOU START -- ensure you have your bootable installation CD, and WRITE DOWN THE MOUNT POINTS in your fstab for example if you have a single partition on /dev/hda7 as root then note it down.

1) Back up your Linux system partitions (you don't need to back up swap) with imaging software -- Norton Ghost / Acronis True image work here -- Drive Image works as well so long as you have DI 2003--- don't bother with the new version as it's bloatware and needs Microsoft Net to run.

2) Using any type of partition manager re-arrange your partitions.

3) Restore your Linux partitions -- the imaging software can be run from a bootable Cd floppies. The partitions can be re-sized as well.
Note the new number of your partitions -- in the above example say you've added a partition your restored Linux partition might now be /dev/hda9 instead of /dev/hda7.

4) Boot your installation CD -- select new installation (SUSE) or whatever option which will eventually allow you to "Repair existing installation"

5) SUSE YAST will eventually prompt for New Installation / Repair Installation / Boot existing system. Choose repair existing system.

6) Check the repair options -- the items of particular importance are
a) FSTAB ENTRIES
b) GRUB boot loader.

7) YAST will guide you through the FSTAB fix for exable if your original root partition was on /dev/hda7 you will be prompted to alter this -- select REMOVE. It will aslo come up with an entry like this -- using the example of where the restored linux partition is hda9 the screen will show /DEV/HDA9 Data -- change the mountpoint to / (your root partition) and select REPAIR.

8) GRUB will now need to be fixed -- YAST will prompt --- DO NOT INSTALL GRUB on the MBR -- select the boot partition -- in this case it will be hda9 (the single root partition).

9) now you can exit and re-boot.

If you are using a dual / multiple booting mechanism select Linux and your restored system should boot normally as if nothing had happened.


If you HAVE to install on the MBR ensure that you have valid entries for your other operating systems -- you can fix this after Linux re-boots as well.


Have Fun --- I've now got 3 distros and 'Doze XP running on the same system --- tip ensure the root partitions of the non booted linux systems are not mounted at boot time on the distro you are running.