[solved] help for partition for a drive with many partitions and subpartitions

[Member cherith_reddy]

can anyone please help me to partition this drive
there are many partitions and subpartitions
so its confusion for a noob like me

I want to dual boot with Windows XP

pls suggest what is best for this

pls guide me with the steps

$ inxi -Fxxxz
System:
Host: antix1 Kernel: 4.9.235-antix.1-amd64-smp x86_64 bits: 64
compiler: gcc v: 8.3.0 Desktop: IceWM 1.8.3 dm: SLiM 1.3.6
Distro: antiX-19.3_x64-full Manolis Glezos 15 October 2020
base: Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)
Machine:
Type: Desktop System: LENOVO product: 9389AQ3 v: ThinkCentre M55e
serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 6 serial: <filter>
Mobo: LENOVO model: LENOVO serial: <filter> BIOS: LENOVO v: 2OKT47AUS
date: 01/17/2008
CPU:
Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core2 Duo E4500 bits: 64 type: MCP
arch: Core Merom rev: D L2 cache: 2048 KiB
flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 ssse3 bogomips: 8777
Speed: 600 MHz min/max: 600/1100 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 600 2: 1100
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel 82946GZ/GL Integrated Graphics vendor: Lenovo driver: i915
v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:2972
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.4 driver: intel resolution: 1440×900~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel 946GZ v: 2.1 Mesa 18.3.6
direct render: Yes
Audio:
Device-1: Intel NM10/ICH7 Family High Definition Audio vendor: Lenovo
driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 chip ID: 8086:27d8
Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.9.235-antix.1-amd64-smp
Network:
Device-1: Broadcom Limited NetLink BCM5786 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express
vendor: Lenovo driver: tg3 v: 3.137 port: 1880 bus ID: 04:00.0
chip ID: 14e4:169a
IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:
Local Storage: total: 149.05 GiB used: 2.4 MiB (0.0%)
ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Hitachi model: HDS721616PLA380 size: 149.05 GiB
speed: <unknown> serial: <filter> rev: ABBA scheme: MBR
Partition:
ID-1: / size: 764.0 MiB used: 2.4 MiB (0.3%) fs: overlay source: ERR-102
Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 51.0 C mobo: N/A
Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
Processes: 126 Uptime: 7m Memory: 985.7 MiB used: 152.0 MiB (15.4%)
Init: SysVinit v: 2.93 runlevel: 5 default: 5 Compilers: gcc: 8.3.0 alt: 8
Shell: bash v: 5.0.3 running in: roxterm inxi: 3.0.36

• This topic was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by cherith_reddy.
• This topic was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by fatmac.
• This topic was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by cherith_reddy.

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   gparted-antix-partion-2.jpeg
   

[Member Xecure]

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You have (most probably) an ms-dos partition table. You have 1 primary partition (24 GBs) that contains your windows XP installation, and an extended partition (with 3 logical data partitions inside).
I recommend you boot into XP and move all the data inside the last two logical partitions (the 40 and 45 GB partitions containing only 177 and 202 MBs of data) to the other logical data partition (39 GB containing 3.5 Gbs of data). Once you do that, from Gparted in antiX live, remove the two (now empty) logical partitions and use the extra space to create 1 primary partition (ext4) to house antiX Linux system and a 2GB swap partiton (swap type).
Before applying the changes, you can share a screenshot of your changes in gparted and we can comment on it.

Then, from the installer, select the ext4 partition for root, home inside root, boot inside root, and the 2GB swap partition you created become the main swap partition.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member fatmac]

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As has been suggested on the other thread, move your data, from /dev/sda6 & /dev/sda7 into /dev/sda5, then delete /dev/sda6 & /dev/sda7, then create your Linux partitions as /dev/sda6 2GB swap & the rest as /dev/sda7 for your Linux installation.

Linux (& BSD) since 1999

[Member Xecure]

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Thanks, fatmac, for recovering the post.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member cherith_reddy]

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fatmac wrote:

As has been suggested on the other thread, move your data, from /dev/sda6 & /dev/sda7 into /dev/sda5, then delete /dev/sda6 & /dev/sda7, then create your Linux partitions as /dev/sda6 2GB swap & the rest as /dev/sda7 for your Linux installation.

one doubt
is /dev/sda6 & /dev/sda7 & /dev/sda5, a sub partition of dev/sda2
so would it be fine to create your Linux partitions as /dev/sda6 2GB swap & the rest as /dev/sda7 for your Linux installation.
or did you mean to make it separately

and what about a partion for /boot
is it required

Xecure wrote:

Then, from the installer, select the ext4 partition for root, home inside root, boot inside root, and the 2GB swap partition you created become the main swap partition.

pls explain this , @Xecure
Thank you

[Member Xecure]

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Resulting gparted after deleting the two lost partitions and following fatmac’s advice:

Ignore the sizing, as I created this on a VM. The only important thing is to understand how the final partition table will look like.
First transfere all the data from the two partitions before deleting them, or you won’t be able to recover them. You will probably have to boot to XP and move the data from there to the other data partition.

About how to select partitions during installation:

As you see, home and boot will install in root, swap in the new swap partition created, and root will correspond to the new partition created.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member cherith_reddy]

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Thank you soooo much
it cleared all my confusion

probably last doubt
do we need /boot partition

• This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by anticapitalista. Reason: shrunk video

[Member Xecure]

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No. You will install grub to MBR, so no need for a boot partition. Boot will be hosted inside the root partition

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member cherith_reddy]

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Xecure wrote:

No. You will install grub to MBR, so no need for a boot partition. Boot will be hosted inside the root partition

okay thank a lot

[Member cherith_reddy]

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preview @Xecure,

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   gparted-antix-partion-new.jpeg
   

[Member Xecure]

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Did you save all the partition data first before formating (the one on the data partitions you have removed)?
if yes, you can proceed with formatting. It look good.

Edit: Also, I see the Windows XP partition has lost a lot of data. Did you make a backup just in case?

• This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by Xecure.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by Xecure.

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member fatmac]

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It looks like something is wrong.

There should have been no change to /dev/sda1
/dev/sda2 is an extended partition, which should include a larger sized /dev/sda5, & then the two new partitions, /dev/sda6 2GB swap & /dev/sda7 as your Linux system.

sda1 should be 24.41GB with 20.36GB used – as per your original screenshot.

sda2 is still your extended partition of 124.63GB which should now include a larger sized /dev/sda5 (from 6.47GB to approx 6.85GB) – plus your two new partitions for swap & Linux.

Linux (& BSD) since 1999

[Member cherith_reddy]

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Thank you, for all the help
I successfully installed antiX Linux on my pc and works really well

and for less space used /dev/sda1 & /dev/sda2
/dev/sda1, I deleted user accounts so it would have reduced (except a new admin account for myself )
/dev/sda2, the same reason and also I deleted many unnecessary files and applications, therefore freeing up a lot of space note: I got this old pc from someone I knew therefor there were many unnecessary files and applications

once again thank you all
problem solved

[Member rayluo]

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Congrats on solving the issue, Cherith.

So, now it is time for some light joke. 🙂

You called your earlier screenshot as “its confusion for a noob”?

Wait until you see my “its confusion for professionals”. 🙂

Background story: It was an attempt to squeeze some room from a Windows-occupied hard drive for Linux. Did not quite remember whether happened exactly. Perhaps some errors during/after the GPart operation, and then my hard drive ended up like this: 2 sub-partitions inside the extended partition got their shadow partitions, and the total size number do not even add up. LOL. Interestingly, the Windows system on it remains functional. But I suspended my Linux attempt on this machine, for now.

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[Member cherith_reddy]

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rayluo wrote:

Congrats on solving the issue, Cherith.

So, now it is time for some light joke. 🙂
You called your earlier screenshot as “its confusion for a noob”?

Wait until you see my “its confusion for professionals”. 🙂

Background story: It was an attempt to squeeze some room from a Windows-occupied hard drive for Linux. Did not quite remember whether happened exactly. Perhaps some errors…….functional. But I suspended my Linux attempt on this machine, for now.

LOL

after seeing few youtube videos
ME(a 16-year-old): why I am the only person having such technical complexities with weird partitions😵

but after seeing your screenshots🤯
Me: thank God I didn’t mess with my computer…😨

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