linux peeps: partition question

[bmacd]

i just partitioned my 120 gig western digital into three partitions:
A) 39gig fat
B)36 gig NTFS
C)36 gig NTFS

I planned on using partition A (39 gig fat) for mandrake 8.2, and after i got past the welcome screen and into the partition box, i selected "auto allocate" and it says "not enough free space". What gives? I don't want to kill my previous two NTFS partitions (although blank) so that linux can eat my whole drive. How do i do this?

-=bmacd=-

edit: how do i do this using mandrake alone? I don't want to use any third party software like partition magic. And i'll also be dual-booting with win2k.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Wrong forum. I know the answer though

 

[bmacd]

i know this is the wrong forum, but i wasn't sure how fast i'd get an answer in the OS forum. Besides, the mods will move it in a couple posts anyways. From my past experience, they move it after a good answer is posted. AT mods =helpful and understanding

-=bmacd=-

 

[bmacd]

n0cmonkey: what's it going to take to get the answer?

/me gets on his knees

-=bmacd=-

 

[FoBoT]

what gives is that linux doesn't use fat or ntfs partitions

you have to leave some unpartitioned space so that linux can create its own partition using its own file system, not a windows file system (fat/ntfs)

so redo you drive, just remove the fat partition, then when you install linux, CAREFULLY tell it to use the free space at the front of your drive (where the fat partition was) to create its own partition, just be real careful which choices you make so that you don't tell it to delete your ntfs partitions

good luck!

 

[bmacd]

the point of making three partitions on the drive was to give my first one to linux and give the other two to win2k as NTFS. I formatted my "supposed-to-be" linux partition as fat b/c i didn't know what else to format it as.

-=bmacd=-

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: bmacd
n0cmonkey: what's it going to take to get the answer?

/me gets on his knees

-=bmacd=-

Getting on your knees definitely wont get you the answer from me!

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: bmacd
the point of making three partitions on the drive was to give my first one to linux and give the other two to win2k as NTFS. I formatted my "supposed-to-be" linux partition as fat b/c i didn't know what else to format it as.

-=bmacd=-

From withing Mandrake, delete the FAT partition, and tell the installer to create its partitions there. Jebus this isnt hard!

 

[bmacd]

/me brushes off his knees and begs for n0cmonkey's forgiveness in search of the answer very quickly....

-=bmacd=-

 

[bmacd]

i'm on win2k right now. Wouldn't it be easier to delete the partition now instead of waiting to do it in mandrake? It'll be a good half hour before i could come back to ATOT and find out that i messed something up...

-=bmacd=-

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: bmacd
i'm on win2k right now. Wouldn't it be easier to delete the partition now instead of waiting to do it in mandrake? It'll be a good half hour before i could come back to ATOT and find out that i messed something up...

-=bmacd=-

Thats fine, delete it there. *sigh* delete the partition in any way you can!

 

[dakata24]

either way, mandrake is going to repartition the free space.. and it takes a mere few eye blinks to delete a partition in win2k or mandrake. formatting on the other hand on a 39gb partition takes awhile..