I have tried all the way to install my linux. I partition my harddisk according to the reference book step by step. Unforunately, it's seem that linux doesn't recognize my large harddisk. I can install linux only when my harddisk have a primary partition containing win98 and not more than one logical partition with datas. Otherwise, the system report file or directory not found error!

At last I decide to move my primary partition(says C) backward in order to make enough space for linux. So I use some tools( pqmagic) to do so. The following is the illustration :

(1) The original partition of my harddisk( D (10GB) and E(10GB) ):


Head
----------------------
primary 2GB
C
---------------------
--------------------
Extended
-------------------------
| D
| (with datas)
|
|------------------------
| E
|(with datas)
|------------------------
|empty
|reserved for
|linux
|------------------------
Tail


If I make the partition structure like this and install linux, system
report file or directory not file !

(2) So I try to remove the logical E, then the partition structure
becomes


Head
----------------------
primary 2GB
C
---------------------
---------------------

Extended
--------------------
| D
| (with datas)
|
|--------------------
|empty
|reserved for
|linux
----------------------
Tail


The structure makes sense and overcomes the error mentioned above. But while I use the disk druid to partitioning my disk, not
enough space for creating new partition error occurred.

(3) After having tried several times, I make my disk's partition structure as following:


Head
----------------------
Extended
--------------------
| empty
| reserved for
| linux
|-------------------
--------------------
primary 2GB
C
-------------------
All empty
reserved for
creating C, D
-------------------
Tail


Everything goes smoothly. J succeed to install linux without any
error. The C must reside after the first extened (reserved for linux)
, otherwise, the lilo can't make dual boot. Why? I tried the opposite case( with C at the end of the disk and then install linux , the lilo really don't make dual boot.

Head
----------------------
Extended
-------------------
| empty
| reserved for
| linux
|------------------
|D(10GB)
|------------------
|E(10GB)
|--------------------
--------------------
-------------------
primary 2GB
C
-------------------
All empty
reserved for
creating C, D
-------------------
Tail




Then, I must move the C to the end of the disk in order to make the empty(nothing inside) partition to be connected with the extended partition( already have linux on it). So now I can use fdisk(dos) to create logical C and D. Everything run smoothly.
Dual boot is all right. Unforunately, it report swap failure when start linux ( if I do nothing after install linux and run it, no error appears). So can anyone tell me how to fix it?


Again, I don't know why I must make the complicated steps to install linux. I think I can install linux smoothly while the partition structure as (1). I wonder if my bios doesn't really support large
disk. It seems that I can only install linux when the head of the disk is empty. It's very very weird! Help me!

Tho I install linux on my disk. It's pity that I can neither upgrate nor reinstall the linux. If I do so, "no file or directory found!" occurred again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think you must state how works your BIOS (and the hard disk geometry).

I guess you can acommodate 2 primary partitions before the limit (1024 cyl), one for DOS boot as C: (the first) and other for Linux boot as root .

After this you can create 2 other partitions: one for Linux swap and the last as an extended partition for DOS (this partition will be logical partitions D:, E: ...).

You can do this using Partition Magic. Even more, PM indicates on screen the 1024 limit (at least from version 5) as 2 little black arrows.

Another source of solutions is this address:

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/system/boot/

Good luck