Migrating from Windows to Linux

Let's put it this way, if it didn't, then how did you run that live cd/dvd you used ?

 

So can Linux open files from an NTFS partition, separate from the partition which Linux is installed on?

 

Yes.

 

Hi everyone.

Havn't replied for a few days now eh..

I have been quite busy lately with other stuff, but I have done a few things..

Well I have completed a fresh install of Windows. I was planning to do it when I had the time, but it had to be done last night (a bit earlier than planned) because there was a spontaneous problem where Windows wouldn't boot up. It gave me a screen saying Windows did not start properly, then gave me choices of Safe Mode (normal, with networking, with command prompt), Last-Known-Good-Settings, and Start Windows Normally. When none of those worked, I just reinstalled Windows. It's a good thing I was planning to do it, because I backed up most of my files about two hours before this problem..lucky me..oh well. More reason to use Linux!

I have started reading up on the basic commands for using Linux.

I went to the library to borrow a copy of "Linux for Dummies" (the older 6th ed.).

I have downloaded and tried the Ubuntu Live CD. It is easy to use, and very straight forward, but I'm sticking with SuSE because of what I read in that other thread on aD talking about Ubuntu's security holes..

I have fully downloaded and burned all installation discs of Suse.


And now just one question. I tried to format one of my 50GB partitions to FAT32 to install Linux, but it only gave me NTFS as a choice at the drop-down selection on the format window. Some quick google results said that FAT32 file system only works with partitions that are 32GB and under?
So do I need something to re-partition it to a smaller partition, or is there something that can format a 50GB partition into FAT32?

Thanks in advance.

 

You'll want your main partition as EXT3. Let Linux do the formatting, not Windows or some cheesy hard drive utility. It will install Grub so you can dual-boot - both your book and the SuSE literature should have more info on that. If you leave your Windows partition FAT32 or make another one FAT32 then you'll have a convenient share area to share files between Linux and Windows.

 

I have three partitions, which are 134GB, 50GB, and 50GB. They are all NTFS at the moment. The large 134GB partition is the C:\ drive where my Windows in installed. One of the 50GB partitions will be the place Linux is installed. The remaining 50GB partition will be the storage area that I am hoping will be accessible to Linux instead of just Windows. This means I must somehow make that partition FAT32.

Is this done with a formatting/partition tool?

It can't be done by Right-click>Format. I tried, the only option at the drop-down selection is NTFS.

I don't mind if I have to re-partition it to around 30GB for FAT32, I just need a way of doing it..

Any ideas?

Thanks



Edit: Typos..

 

Ah, I see your arrangement. Yeah, that's one thing the partitioning tools do well. The Western Digital tool always worked for me. Linux can do a FAT format as well, at least Fedora can.

 

Is the Western Digital partition tool free? Can you give me a link to it?

I've done a few quick searches and most results are either paid software or have horrible reviews.

Can anyone recommend a good partition tool? I can use Windows to re-format into FAT32 after it is re-partitioned to a smaller size.

 

Thanks creaky!

I used the Windows formatting tool, but there's a slight problem..

I deleted the two 50GB partitions, but they were shown as free space in TWO groups..

I did not have a free unpartitioned space of 100GB when I deleted the two 50GB partitions. I had [bold]TWO[/bold] 50GB groups of unpartitioned space, and couldn't combine them together.

So then I just created one 30GB FAT32 partition from each 50GB group of unpartitioned space. Now I am left with two 20GB groups of unpartitioned space.

Now, is there a way to combine them, to create a third 30GB FAT32 partition with 10GB leftover, or to create one 40GB NTFS partition? Having two 20GB partitions are too small and pretty much pointless to have.

Thanks!

 

Hey everyone, I'm back!

Please pardon my absence over the past while. I have been ridiculously busy lately with a lot of work. Worse yet, my Immune-system completely crapped-out.
I ended up getting sick, all while trying to finish each night's at a late hour. But now I've got up, and I'm ready to roll!

----------------

Putting that aside, I spent a little while catching up on what I know about Linux, and Google-ing a bit more. It's amazing how much more I understand by re-reading this thread just a few more times. A big thanks to all those who helped me so far. I'm almost there!

Now I've formulated yet another question about something that I find fuzzy, and that I don't think has been fully answered yet. Here it is:


There's a lot of talk about "is my PC's hardware compatible with Linux?"
Does "hardware compatible with Linux" simply mean "hardware that also has Linux drivers for download" ??
Or is there another degree of "compatibility" that needs to be addressed beyond the need of Linux-hardware drivers??
The Live-DVD of SuSE 10.1 works (almost) perfectly on my PC. Does that mean all of my hardware is "compatible"??


Thanks! Any contribution is appreciated.


EDIT: Hate it when I get typos...

 

Hi, TheFear

you may already be ahead of my advices: I'm just a not so advanced linux user myself and can still remember the hassle of converting to linux (converting ideas, the OS's cohabit). I'm going to try to describe a simple proposition, which worked for me not so long time ago.

It's really important to plan ahead the layout of partitions when installing a dual-boot (or n-number of OS's) since you're not likely to fiddle with that very much after installation.

First install WinX, normally on a NTFS partition (your C:/ in Win). After that you can do the partitioning with most linux distro's setup and have grub or lilo bootmanagers on your MBR. Win is notorious in destroying others OS' setup so install Win first.

You probably had problems trying to merge space in "primary" partition space and one designed in "extended" partition space. There used to be a limit for the size of a "primary" partition (on that one there can be one or several real partitions), and maybe there is still. First chop up primary partition then extended.

Make your linux reside on a native ext3 partition (maybe having another for a third OS (I doubt you can manage to keep many up to date, one for testing an OS is nice though)). Even though some linuxes may run from FAT, it apparently has major drawbacks in security and file handling. I've seen tarballs refuse to work from FAT32 but once on an ext3 all worked smoothly.

Normally I keep a third big FAT32 partition for common data, which can be accessed/written to from both win and linux. I mean here all personal files and even some shared application data like Firefox/Thunderbird profiles which I use in all my OS's (yeah, same bookmarks in Suse, Win2k and Kubuntu). This is the partition I back up all the time.

Sometimes I make a fourth etx3 for special purposes, some find it safer to keep their user data, sql data or other stuff on special partition. Some linux apps hate FATs and sometimes it's a question about speed or special priviledges.

Then linux wants a special swap partition, a temporary drive which should be around 1Gb (taste for the size varies; double the RAM or the same as RAM if above 1Gb).

Anyway; the important thing is how you hook those partitions up to your linux system - how you mount them. And that depends on the purpose of the machine; is it a server, dedicated workstation or a simple desktop for home use.

Example (home box):

/ = your ext3 linux root partiton
/home/data = the FAT32 data partiton
/mnt/windows/ = the WinX partiton
/mnt/ubuntu/ or whatever your test OS might be

Swap is normally set up automatically.

This way it's just a formality to share the data partition without compromising much security, you can also easily share all users home directories. Actually I share most folders on this datapart on my LAN, via SAMBA, apache or NFS. That is on my workstation, the laptop is set up diffrently.

There are zillions of different ways to do this, and you will find ways to do it “your way”. That's what some people love about Linux; “customisable beyond all recognition”...