Help with QTParted partitioning

**BillinBoston** · 06-23-2005, 09:08 PM

I want to install Knoppix 3.8.1 on my systemless Dell with a
Pentium 2 and 4 Gig. There's no data on the hard disk to be saved.

QTParted tells me this about the hard disk:

01 hda1---fat16----Active---2.00GB
02 hda2---extended---------2.01GB
-- hda5----fat16--------------1.52GB
-- hda6----fat16--------------502MB
05 hda-1--free------hidden--7.84MB

My plan is to keep the existing partitions, and put the system
onto hda1 (2 Gig), use hda6 (500MB) for swap space, and use the
remaining space on hda5 (1.5 Gig) for data.

Never having done anything like this before, I am at a complete
loss as to what I should do next: Choose Format from the QTParted
Operations menu and start it? Then run Create from QTParted
(presumably to Create partitions, even though the desired partitions
are already there)? After I've finished with QTParted, will the
Knoppix Installer then know what to do? 'Cause I sure don't

Thanks from a complete Linux newbie, who does not want to break anything!
--Bill

**UnderScore** · 06-23-2005, 09:18 PM

have you read http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Hd_Install_HowTo
If so did you note that a HD install is not an easy thing to use or figure out? Did you also note the minimum system requirements?

You may not be able to install to a 2GB hda1 since it might not be big enough to hold the entire decompressed Knoppix CD. If it is large enough to allow a complete install, then you will probably have at most 100MB of free space. If I read your hd stats correctly, the HD is 4Gb total? If so, just delete all the partitions, then create at minimum a 2.5 GB hda1 (or use the whole 3.5Gb for root), then 500MB hda2 then 1GB hda3. Format hda1 as ext3. Format hda2 as swap. Format hda3 as ext3. Then attemp to to install.

Its not that easy.
I wish you success.
James

**BillinBoston** · 06-24-2005, 05:38 PM

> have you read http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Hd_Install_HowTo
> If so did you note that a HD install is not an easy thing to use or figure out? Did you also note > the minimum system requirements?

Yep. It says, "make sure there is some empty space on your hard drive so you can create at least 2 Linux partitions, one for the System (minimal 3 GB, 5GB recommended) and another partition for for Swap (http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_memory) (minimal 200MB, 500MB recommended) during the installation process."

> You may not be able to install to a 2GB hda1 since it might not be big enough to hold the
> entire decompressed Knoppix CD. If it is large enough to allow a complete install, then you
> will probably have at most 100MB of free space.

If I try the install anyway, but the hard disk turns out not to be big enough, do I run the risk of destroying the disk entirely?

For more free space I was planning to use an external hard drive.

> If I read your hd stats correctly, the HD is 4Gb total?

Yes. 4 GB total.

> If so, just delete all the partitions, then create at minimum a 2.5 GB hda1 (or use the whole
> 3.5Gb for root), then 500MB hda2 then 1GB hda3. Format hda1 as ext3. Format hda2 as
> swap. Format hda3 as ext3. Then attempt to to install.

2.5 GB for root sounds too minimal. How about going with: 3 GB system (active), .5 GB swap, .5 GB free.

How to proceed with this is still a mystery... How do I delete all the partitions
and create new ones? I assume that's what QTParted is supposed to do. Will QTParted be intuitive enough if I just go ahead and click Format and do what it says?

> Its not that easy.

I guess not

But you know what they say, Nothing comes easy.

> I wish you success.
> James

Thanks, and thanks for the reply.
--Bill

**otomone** · 06-24-2005, 08:02 PM

I guess what you really need is a quick qtparted tutorial (or use fdisk, that's my favorite

).
I you have started qtparted and read the partition table, you're already on your way. Just click on each of the partitions in turn, then right click and choose &delete from the menu. When you have &deleted all the partitions, right click the device and &create your new partitions. Set their sizes and types as appropriate. I really suggest you go with just two: an ext3 of 3.5 gigs and a linux-swap of .5 .

After the partitions look the way you want them, go to the FILE menu and choose &commit. That's when qtparted is actually going to destroy all your data and make the new partition table and format them.

Once you have the new partitions, reboot your knoppix CD and run knoppix-installer

And that's when the fun starts.
Good-Luck