Re: Fw: HELP ME GET AN 'A'!

["Pete Peterson" <petersonp genrad com>]

> From: "Jonathan Bradshaw" <jonathan bradshaw21 fsnet co uk>
> To: <redhat-install-list redhat com>
> Subject: Fw: HELP ME GET AN 'A'!
> 
> 
> Hi, I'm very new to anything computer related that differs from downloading
> MP3's. I start a university course next week and am required to have loaded
> Redhat 7.3. My limited knowledge has left me more than a little stumped and
> I'm hoping, with your help, I can impress my uni piers with a fully loaded
> system - Come on share the joy and help me get that distinction. I know you
> want to!

piers?

> O.k. here's the problem - I've been attempting to set up a dual boot system
> with Windows XP (already installed on my machine). By following the
> installation guide I created a 8 gig partition using the FIPS programme. I
> have then tried to install RH 7.3 by booting from CD ROM. This works until
> partitioning during installation.

> During installation I choose a custom class and also disk druid. I
> immediately get a message saying that "The partition table on /tmp/hda is
> inconsistent" and that, "it does not appear that linux has detected the
> BIOS geometery incorrectly". I subsequently ignore this message and carry
> on with trying to set up root, boot and swap partitions. Firstly, I delete
> the partition made with FIPS to create free space and then set up two
> partitions with their corresponding mount points. I get to the third and
> get a message, "Partitioning failed. Could not allocate partitions as
> primary partitions".

Please give a better description of your situation after deleting the
partition you made with FIPS.  At that point, do you have just one primary
NTFS partition with XP on it and the rest of the disk is unpartitioned space?
Is there an extended partition? How large is the disk and the XP partition?
After deleting the FIPS-created partition, does Disk Druid still complain
about the partition table?  Linux doesn't care whether you put it on a
primary partition or a logical partition.  Restrictions inherited from DOS,
limit you to 4 primary partitions, one of which can be an "extended"
partition, which can contain numerous "logical" partitions.

You should be able to ignore warnings about 1024 cylinders, but you can't
ignore warnings about inconsistent partition tables.  If the tools you've
used to tweak the partitions have left you with bad partition tables, you
need to fix that somehow before proceeding.  Don't try to make partitions
for Linux with other tools.  Leave the space not used for XP as unused
unpartitioned space and create the partitions with fdisk or Disk Druid
during the installation.

> I can progress to the next screen, but this is without assigning a boot
> partition.
>
> Furthermore, the partition I have made with FIPS isn't anywhere near
> cyclinder 1024. Is this causing the problem?

If you have a reasonably modern PC (probably the case if XP runs on it),
you shouldn't really need a boot partition and you shouldn't have to worry
about the 1024 cylinder limit.  To keep things simple for your first time
at this, you should probably create a swap partition that's twice the size
of your RAM and use the rest of the space you've allocated to Linux for a
root (mounted on "/") partition.  These can either be primary partitions
or logical partitions (inside an extended partition).

> Hope this makes sense and hope you can make my academic career.
> 
> J the Blagger

Give us as much information as possible to maximize the likelihood of 
getting useful help from us.

By the way -- **DO** make a boot disk when the installer offers to create
one.   You probably won't have to use it, but you'll be glad you made it
if you run into any bootup problems.

-- 
    pete peterson
    Teradyne, Inc.; 7 Technology Park Drive; Westford, MA 01886-0033
    +1-978-589-7478 (Office); +1-978-589-2088 (FAX);
    pete peterson teradyne com or petersonp genrad com