Suggestions for partitioning software?

[Soral 3.0]

Hi, I want to partition my 160 gig so I can install and dual boot linux.
my hd is fully formatted in ntfs and has winxp installed -- I don't want anything to happen to windows.

Are there any recommendations for good partitioning software?

btw -- I might buy a new hard drive (to put linux on) and is there a way to completely erase a linux partition on a hard drive so it can be fully utilized by windows?

-Soral 3.0

[cscgal]

I like PartitionMagic :) Very featurerich and trustworthy. http://www.partitionmagic.com/partitionmagic/

[Sphyenx]

Dani i hope you dont mind me countering your post with thisbut Partiton magic is great but Not free.

this one is is money is an issue

Free:
http://www.icewalkers.com/Linux/Software/519720/SystemRescueCd.html
its labeled rescue cd, but it works it does more then partiton, all you need is something to burn an ISO file. I use nero.

[TheOgre]

Then again, there's always fips for the more tech-savvy.

You can use a Win98 boot floppy to wipe a linux-formatted drive to put Windows on - it'll say it doesn't have a recognizable filesystem (obviously) but you can take it from there...

[Soral 3.0]

Well, thanks for showing me the free one's -- However, will they offer me the reliability that partitionmagic offers?
Ogre -- do you mean that if I use fdisk, I can simple delete a linux partition without having to reformat the whole disk?

[TheOgre]

Yes, just delete the unknown partition and create a new partition for Windows. You can do a quick format of the new partition from within Windows using NTFS.

[Sphyenx]

yes you can use the one built in, but the free one in my opininons better then norton's and so forth. I use it alot, i fix alot of my friends PC's after nice virus problems. lol (=

[TheOgre]

If you download the RescueCD, there's a Linux partition utility called QtParted that looks almost identical to Partition Magic, and works very well. There's also a bunch of other tools on the CD that are Linux ports of popular software that you can play with once you get the drive partitioned.

You may want to check out partimage (a disk imaging utility) after you get your system up and running. It works via the commandline (you'll need an FTP server on your LAN - there's tons of free ones available), but it's extremely easy to figure out if you can read :)

[Soral 3.0]

Okay,
I'm converted to freeware.
But which is it?
FIPS or Rescue CD?

[DMR]

If you need to manipulate the NTFS partition, fips won't do; it can only handle FAT/FAT32. Unfortunately, this is true of many of the free open-source partitioning tools.

As mentioned, qtparted should work:

http://freshmeat.net/projects/qtparted/?branch_id=36614&release_id=154236

[Soral 3.0]

thank y'all for the input -- here I go to mess with the structure of my hd using the rescue cd...

-Soral 3.0

[DMR]

-- here I go to mess with the structure of my hd using the rescue cd...

Right then- tell us how it goes, andplease let us know if have any questions or problems; it's better to ask before you click the wrong button...

:mrgreen:

[Sphyenx]

lol, the e-boot (as i call it has qtparted built in with a few other good app's) It is easy to use and full out gui.

[Soral 3.0]

okay,
you guys gotta help me again with a problem that's probably blatantly obvious -- but that I can't figure out anyways...
I'm using the rescue cd -- but I can't get qparted to run
From what I know -- you type in "run_qparted" in the "boot:" console... but I keep getting invalid kernel...
help?

[DMR]

If I understand what you've posted correctly, you're trying to run qparted at the wrong prompt. Just press the Enter key at the boot prompt, let the system boot up until you get to the command prompt, and then type the qparted command there.

[Soral 3.0]

ooh.
then I have a bigger problem
when I tried pressing "Enter" at the boot prompt...
It will start booting then...
just stop
It will stop in the middle of recognizing the devices...if I recall correctly -- after it recognizes the primary hard drive?
I never get to the command prompt...
hmmm...

[DMR]

OK- the operating system is having a problem with your hardware configuration by the sound of it.

What are your hardware specs, and what version/distro of Linux is your rescue CD based on? Depending on the distro, there may be parameters than you can enter at the boot: prompt to work around the problem(s).

[Soral 3.0]

lesee,
I have the newest version of the rescue cd -- that means version .2.15 the distro it runs on is "Build system: SystemRescueCd is based on the Gentoo LiveCd..."
my own specs are

asus p4p800se mobo
radeon 9800 pro AIW
160 gig hd
1 gig mem dual channel
a 3.0 ghz intel processor w/ hyperthreading
here's the rescue cd site...
http://www.sysresccd.org/

thanks for all the support

-Soral 3.0

[DMR]

Oh crud:

- I'm not very familiar with Gentoo at all.

- The documentation at sysrescd.org is really light on troubleshooting info; I couldn't find anything helpful there.

- I cannot find a Hardware Compatibility List on Gentoo's site, so I can't verify that your particular components are known to work with the distro.


I'll have to see if I can come up with more info; I'll repost when/if I can find anything useful.

[Soral 3.0]

wow
thanks.
However, before you buy a book "gentoo - unleashed" and read the whole thing...
Is there an easier or alternate way of running qparted?
-Soral 3.0