Partitioning for Slackware
 

I just bougt a new HD for Slack. How should I partition it to be able to set-up slack and RH9 at the same time. I would like to have RH9 to be the main distro until slack is fine tuned. Also, I think it would be cool to have the second partition unmounted while not being in use. Please let me know how to create the partition for the slack install. I would like to get this setup during the weekend. I plan on tweaking slackware with ultimate security. I am hoping the slack distro will be non-tamperable while not in use and under constuction for securty tweaking.....is this possible. Thanks for your help. You guys here on LQ have me pretty excited about jumping into slack.

Re: Partitioning for Slackware
 

Non-temperable? Plug-out that hard disk and keep it in a safe box. When we are dealing with dual boot, we are opening a big security hole. Let me give you and example.

Let say we have a Win2k and Slackware in the same system. And we do not have a valid user account in Win2k. But we are the superuser of Slackware. We can easily mount the win2k partition and access everything.

As in how to partition your harddrive? I assume that you are going to dedicate the whole new drive for Slackware. A reminder, partitioning is very subjective to personal preferences and usage.

Here is the basic partitioning which I will go for:

/dev/hdX1 /swap
/dev/hdX2 /
/dev/hdX3 /opt
/dev/hdX4 /home

I separate /opt and /home from / is because, if I have to do a reinstall on my system or even an upgrade to a new version of Slackware, my data will be safe in home and your users data would be safe there. As for /opt, there is where I install certain type of application such as staroffice, acrobat reader, netbean, etc. those program which contain itself in their folder. In this way, I can avoid reinstalling them when I wipe out my system.

Note that you can use the same /swap partition for Red Hat and Slackware. You can even use the same /home partition. But you must separate the / (root) partition.

Is there a program to create the partitions. Also if I were to unlpug the second partition when it is not being used...which will be slackware for a short period of time will this be an issue? If I am shareing the swap space I would need to have the second drive dependent on the master. After slackware is set-up and fine tuned the exact way I want it I would like to make it my primary distribution and possibly my only distribution. Will it be difficult for me to do this when that time comes? I realize that I have to create the partitions but what should I do to do this. Should I use command line or is there a GUI for this?

Ok first thing first.
Pls provide me with how many harddisk you have
What are the sizes?
How does your current partition table look like? --> You can do this by df -h at the command line in Red hat.

The swap space can be anywhere in the system, and I mean anywhere as long as it is on a harddrive. Actually you may not even need swap sapce if you have large RAM. But as I experience in Slackware 9.0, the installation will hang half way if you did not set up swap. To be on the safe side, just put it in.

There is no problem for Slackware to be main distribution or Red Hat or to wipe out either one when you are ready.

RedHat uses Grub to boot. Slackware uses Lilo. Both can boot either distribution. When you are ready to wipe out Red Hat, just mke3fs /dev/hdXY (your RedHat root partition) and that will wipe out the distribution and you will have extra space. :)

Use fdisk /dev/hdX (new drive) in command line to partition your new hard disk. It is fairly easy to use fdisk. there is help inside the program. :)

would it be possible to post your question only once?

I have found
/dev/hdX1 / -7.8GB
/dev/hdX2 /swap -512MB
/dev/hdX3 /var the rest
is a good simple setup on large modern disks.
I know lilo now works beyond 1024 cylinders these days but I still get uncomfortable allowing /boot to be poentially beyond the 8GB point.
For some reason Slackware 9.1 is awkward to setup for
/dev/hdX1 /boot
/dev/hdX2 /swap
/dev/hdX3 /
/dev/hdX4/....
partitioning, I always end up needing the rescue floppy as lilo messes up

As I've said before, you don't need lilo if you already have a bootloader...

I see what you mean for the partitions spaces. I have two HD's on my computer right now. I have the second drive physically installed. I am not sure which commands to type to create the partitions. I have a 500mb swap and the main drive on the first drive and the second drive is brand new sitting in the computer.

Sorry for asking twice I did not realieze you have already answered this for me in another thread. Which sizes should I make the boot and root partitions?

If you already have a swap partition, you don't need to make another. Commands for fdisk:

$> fdisk /dev/hdb

Command > m

(this is for getting some help...)

[Edit:]Better use cfdisk, it is a easierer to work with...

Is there a grapghical FDisk I am able to use?

google for it then.
Maybe you can use the Red Hat GUI partition prog ( I don't know what package they use at the backend.)

try cfdisk, not gui, but present itself on a table form, much more intuitive than fdisk IMO.