How to create and format partitions with Gparted?

[nooby]

I start all over. I should have learned this a long time ago.
But I drown in all the details.

I don't get how to tell Gparted to make room for a partition
that is the first one.
rcrsn51 told me to make a small one that is for grub4dos to have
gldr and menu.lst on it and so on. Only for to be able to boot

Edit: BigPup's comment many posts down show I need to give the background.

I want to set up a computer dedicated to testing new linux distros
that appear on DistroWatch. So I have dedicated a computer for this.
I will most likely only use CD/DVD and USB installs and not internal
drive installs but I will make full installs on the USB external HD and
Flash memory drives. So different such. One 20GB Quantum Fireball
idehd that I drive using an "adapter" with built in electronics.
Makes me able to switch to different external HD.

This HD should have both grub2 and grub4dos installed on it
so this is rcrsn51 came up with the description that I will try to follow

But I have no idea even what his words refers to. So I need kind help.

rcrsn51 told me to make a small one sda1 that is for grub4dos to have
gldr and menu.lst on it and so on. Only for to be able to boot
Then sda 2 should be a big partition maybe 8GB or bigger and the rest
should be Data for back up of frugal installs or for to install the frugal installs?
Or maybe two such partitions
sda1 say small xMB big fat 32
sda2 8GB ext3
sda3 8GB ext3
sda4 the rest of 3GB as Data ext3 ? or maybe formatted to fat32
so one can share with WinXP

So now it is one big partition about 19GB and a very small one
not sure what is on it. or what name it has. Gpart does not say?

So how do I tell or set up gparted so it makes these partitions in right order?

I want to first do this

"1. Make a small FAT32 partition at the start of the drive. It will be used by GRUB4DOS to hold the files grldr and menu.lst. "

Maybe one need to start all over? Tell it do do one partition a certain size?

But I vaguely remember one need to resized the one that is already there.
I have no idea how one do that. Hope this text is a bit less confused

[rcrsn51]

Seems only one of them allow to be boot flagged. So I did that to sda1. How are one suppose to be able to boot linuxes on the other two partitions then?

You will install the GRUB bootloader on the first partition. Its menu will then launch Linuxes on any of the partitions.

[nooby]

Thanks that explain that then.

How do I unlock the two hidden partitions that
LM12 created? on where a Swap file and the
other only had the name extended and had 500MB
Swap also locked and only 500MB.

Maybe I need these my RAM is only 512MB so a bit small.

I now have both a working DVD burner and a USB boot ability
so I will try to use PussyLinux to do teh Grub2 install on it.

But I have no idea how that looks like when one want to install
a linux for to test it.

Say I start with CrunchBang and then Arch or PLOS or whatever?

Does it accept then that there already is a grub2 installed or will
it wipe it all out?

[nooby]

Surprising error when I try to use PBurn
from Lupu 528.

AFAIK I have set it up correctly. That is not 100% sure
because it is first time I do it and I don't know if they
external burner really can burn.

The error message is that there is no such iso file on sr0
but I try to point to a file at /mnt/home a LM12.iso file.

So what could have gone wrong?

Now I will try to install from usb instead and see if that works.

[nooby]

Another surprising error.

I have LM12LXDE.iso booted on a usb stick
and that went well.

Then I started up install prog to let it install LM12
on the internal HD that is ext3 and have a flagged boot
sda1 but when I tell it to install on that one then it says:

"No root file system is defined. "

I have no idea what that refers to.

Last time when I did an install then I let it take over the
whole hd but this time I have sda1 and sda3 and sda4
in three different partitiosn for other linuxes too.

and need to tell it to install on sda1 and how to I do this
"No root file system is defined. " thing? What is that all about?

[capicoso]

Those two "hidden" partitions are the same partition. Extended is a partition which contains logical units inside, in your case the swap file. So Extended is 500mb big because swap is 500mb, its the same partition.
How are you installing LM? I think "no root file system(...)" happens because you have to specify where "/" will be. So if you install it to sda1 you have an option "mount point"? i think, there you scroll and select "/", not sure if i remember right though...

[nooby]

Thanks that sounds very likely to me too.
But I had no memory of the mount point.
It is the first time I do this so too many details
that I am not familiar with.

So now I need to learn how one set the mount point.

I tried to use Bodhi OS to do the install again.
That one gave exactly same error message.

It says like above and I quote the part I where too lazy to
write down.

" No root file system is defined
Please correct this from the partitioning menu."

But they give no clue what on earth a partitioning menu is
or what to do when one find it.

Should I trust it is in the install or is it in gparted so I need to
start over and try to find the partitioning menu in gparted?

Why is this so difficult?

I have installed some 75 linuxes using Unetbootin and
it never acted this way

Edit!

Haha embarrassing. Things are super easy when one know what to do.
By hitting every button in the the installer I suddenly saw that mount point
choice coming up and could start the install.

Jay hope it work this time but sadly now I install Bodhi instead of LM12 LXDE.

Bodhi is very "crippled" comapared to teh very able LM12 having all
the bling bling

[capicoso]

Thanks that sounds very likely to me too.
But I had no memory of the mount point.
It is the first time I do this so too many details
that I am not familiar with.

So now I need to learn how one set the mount point.

I tried to use Bodhi OS to do the install again.
That one gave exactly same error message.

It says like above and I quote the part I where too lazy to
write down.

" No root file system is defined
Please correct this from the partitioning menu."

But they give no clue what on earth a partitioning menu is
or what to do when one find it.

Should I trust it is in the install or is it in gparted so I need to
start over and try to find the partitioning menu in gparted?

Why is this so difficult?

I have installed some 75 linuxes using Unetbootin and
it never acted this way

Edit!

Haha embarrassing. Things are super easy when one know what to do.
By hitting every button in the the installer I suddenly saw that mount point
choice coming up and could start the install.

Jay hope it work this time but sadly now I install Bodhi instead of LM12 LXDE.

Bodhi is very "crippled" comapared to teh very able LM12 having all
the bling bling

Glad you solved it.
The forum experts would ask you to mark the post as SOLVED.

[nooby]

But I have not solved the locked hidden swap partition?

Why is it locked and does that mean it fail to be used?

I will defend that there should be at least 3 ? questions marks there

[capicoso]

But I have not solved the locked hidden swap partition?

Why is it locked and does that mean it fail to be used?

I will defend that there should be at least 3 ? questions marks there

Oh, i thought you solved everything
What do you mean with "hidden"?
If you're running from a live CD the partitions may be locked because they're being used. Can you see the swap partition in gparted? If you can, right click it and click swapoff, and then delete it or whatever you want to do with it.

[nooby]

Gparted do show it. I had no knowledge of how to proceed
so thanks for this description.

It shows two named things. Sda2 and sda? both 500MB one named
Swap and the other named extended. I've been told it is the same
adn that gparted show them as two due to some consistency with
telling details so it is not two but one?

Such is above my ability to grasp. Could have to do with primary and extended that people need to know such things?

[capicoso]

Gparted do show it. I had no knowledge of how to proceed
so thanks for this description.

It shows two named things. Sda2 and sda? both 500MB one named
Swap and the other named extended. I've been told it is the same
adn that gparted show them as two due to some consistency with
telling details so it is not two but one?

Such is above my ability to grasp. Could have to do with primary and extended that people need to know such things?

The swap is inside the extended. Extended is like a box, that can supports lots of partitions inside, in this case, swap. Suppose you have another partition of 500mb inside the extended, then you'd have 1gb extended, and 500mb swap, and 500mb other. Did you try clicking on swapoff then deleteing?

[nooby]

I rather need to expand it to 1GB or 2gb.

It is one a big noisy desktop to the right of my shoulder
So I would love to know how to expand it to 2gb and
to get some indication that the lock does not lock out the
linuxes that I boot fully installed can make use of that swap?

So if you could help me with that then I send you ten stars from heaven

I got that computer from a friendly neighbor lady who got sick and tired
of her Microsoft Win XP being too old and she had forgot the code one
needs to update it to third package something. So she gave it to me.
40GB HD but only 512MB RAM so it is a bit too small but I plan to look
through the other four old computers and maybe those RAM are compatible
so I can add them to those sockets.

Thanks for caring about my selfish needs

[capicoso]

I rather need to expand it to 1GB or 2gb.

It is one a big noisy desktop to the right of my shoulder
So I would love to know how to expand it to 2gb and
to get some indication that the lock does not lock out the
linuxes that I boot fully installed can make use of that swap?

So if you could help me with that then I send you ten stars from heaven

I got that computer from a friendly neighbor lady who got sick and tired
of her Microsoft Win XP being too old and she had forgot the code one
needs to update it to third package something. So she gave it to me.
40GB HD but only 512MB RAM so it is a bit too small but I plan to look
through the other four old computers and maybe those RAM are compatible
so I can add them to those sockets.

Thanks for caring about my selfish needs

Do you have unalocated free space before/after extended/swap?
like
free space
*Extended
swap 512mB
*
free space
You'd need to resize the extended so you have more free space inside for the swap. THEN resize the swap inside extended. The only method i know of for unlocking the swap is by right clicking it and swapoff. Or if i remember right,

Code: Select all

sudo /sbin/swapoff -a

Maybe you can't unlock it because you were entering gparted without root access(doubt it, because i think it always ask you to login as root to use gparted) Also the best way is to do this from a live cd so nothing is mounted.
Anyways, i think 512mb ram and 512 swap is alright. I never used my swap, even with 256mb ram. It varies by which distribution you use, but 512mb is alright...

[rjbrewer]

To unlock swap:
Open console
Type ;
swapoff /dev/sd(whatever part. swap is) enter.

It's extremely unlikely there would be anything to
gain by increasing swap size in this case.

The swap partition will be seen and used by any linux
o.s. that is booted.

Check with top or htop.

[nooby]

Thanks, I guess it easiest for me to keep it as is
until it show the need for expanding.
Much appreciated you cared.

[nooby]

I start all over. I should have learned this a long time ago.
But I drown in all the details.

I don't get how to tell Gparted to make room for a partition
that is the first one.

rcrsn51 told me to make a small one that is for grub4dos to have
gldr and menu.lst on it and so on. Only for to be able to boot

Then sda 2 should be a big partition maybe 8GB or bigger and the rest
should be Data for back up of frugal installs or the frugal installs?
Or maybe two such partitions
sda1 say small xMB big fat 32
sda2 8GB ext3
sda3 8GB ext3
sda4 the rest of 3GB as Data ext3 ? or maybe formatted to fat32
so one can share with WinXP

So now it is one big partition about 19GB and a very small one
not sure what is on it. or what name it has. Gpart does not say?

So how do I tell or set up gparted so it makes these partitions in right order?

I want to first do this

"1. Make a small FAT32 partition at the start of the drive. It will be used by GRUB4DOS to hold the files grldr and menu.lst. "

Maybe one need to start all over? Tell it do do one partition a certain size?

But I vaguely remember one need to resized the one that is already there.
I have no idea how one do that.

I need to start all over so I learn the basic. Could I get help with this please!

[bigpup]

"1. Make a small FAT32 partition at the start of the drive. It will be used by GRUB4DOS to hold the files grldr and menu.lst. "

I see no reason to do this. Grub4dos will put these two files on the first partition by default. As I understand, it does not care what format partition is.
If you run Grub4dos Bootloader config and choose the default options. It will install to the hard drive MBR(master boot record) and put the files grldr and menu.lst on the first partition.

AS to partition layout. It is really up to the user and what he wants to do.

Puppy frugal installs- any partition any format. One big partition is all you need.

Puppy full installs- partition has to be Linux format. (ext2,3,or4).

Easy way - one big partition using entire hard drive.
After that, any layout you like is good.
Low memory computers are helped by having a Linux swap partition.
Suggest 1GB or larger swap partition.
If you duel boot with Windows it needs its own partition, format NTFS.
To share data with Windows on duel boot setups, a partition formatted NTFS or Fat 32 is needed. Data stored there can be seen by Windows and Puppy.

As to size of partition and how many. Again what do you want to do?
What are you putting on partition and using it for?
Windows needs 20GB.
Puppy full install needs 500MB minimum, but more if you install stuff.
Puppy frugal installs need around 200MB of space for Puppy and what ever is needed to add programs.

[nooby]

I find this description good
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 819#617819

The problem for me is that I don't know how to use gparted to do
what rcrsn51 suggests. I have found this tutorial
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/gparted.html

But I drown in all the details. So I need a helping hand to start
with what rcrsn51 describe in link above.

Why not use one of your three partitions for Puppy frugal installs? Each Puppy would be in its own folder.

When you install another Linux, it would go in its own partition and never touch the Puppies.

You would just need to rebuild the GRUB2 menu to add the Puppy entries again.

(and from another of his helpful posts )

1. Make a small FAT32 partition at the start of the drive. It will be used by GRUB4DOS to hold the files grldr and menu.lst. GRUB4DOS will put its startup code on the MBR of the drive. Nothing else will go here.

2. Make some other partitions. If you need more than three, create an extended partition and put other partitions inside it.

3. Boot up a Linux off its CD and run the install procedure. For Ubuntu 10.10, I used the following steps.

a. Do a manual install to a partition.
b. Set the mount point of the selected partition as "/".
c. Install GRUB2 to the partition boot sector. ie sda2, NOT sda.

4. When done, boot off a Puppy CD.

5. Run GRUB4DOS bootloader config. It will auto-detect the new Linux, create a menu.lst and make the drive bootable.

6. To add another Linux, repeat steps 3, 4 and 5.

So the reason for different threads is that one are about grub2 and grub4dos interacting together and this thread now is for learning how
to even use gparted. Another issue.

So I have now edited my first post to be as consistent as I am able to write
but sadly it is a TLDR typical Nooby text

[nooby]

Finally Now I have started up an old computer HP Pavilion
that have no internal HD so nothing can be compromized
except the 2GB usb flash memory that I use to boot and
use puppy to gparted the external USB 20GB HD.

So that situation is a bit like the old Dell that now is on Trash Bin.

So please teach me how to do these partitions. I am ready!