[gentoo-user] TWO (probably stupid) questions about partitions

[gentoo-user] TWO (probably stupid) questions about partitions

[Fernando Meira]

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Hi,

this is how my disk is divided:
Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40007761920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4864 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 1275 10241406 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2 1276 4208 23559322+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda3 4209 4271 506047+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda4 4272 4864 4763272+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda5 1276 4208 23559291 b W95 FAT32

Now I want to clean hda1 (which has windows) and mount there /usr and point 
$PORTAGE_TMPDIR there (because my gentoo system, in hda4, run out of space). 
Once I'm doing this, I could split that partition into smaller ones (e.g. to 
create /boot), but hda1 needs to be Extended. So,

1. Can /boot be inside an Extended partition? Would probably be place in 
hda6...
2. In case of not changing my boot config (my doing Q1), will I need to 
re-install my bootloader in MBR anew? Or on other words, will MBR be erased 
when cleaning hda1?

Question extra :) : what tends to be bigger /etc or /usr ?

Thanks,
Fernando

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Re: [gentoo-user] TWO (probably stupid) questions about partitions

[Mauro Faccenda]

Fernando Meira wrote:

> Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
> /dev/hda1 * 1 1275 10241406 7 HPFS/NTFS
> /dev/hda2 1276 4208 23559322+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
> /dev/hda3 4209 4271 506047+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
> /dev/hda4 4272 4864 4763272+ 83 Linux
> /dev/hda5 1276 4208 23559291 b W95 FAT32
> 
[...]
> 1. Can /boot be inside an Extended partition? Would probably be place in 
> hda6...

I think so. But your hda1 partition doesn't seem to be a logical volume
in a extended partition.

> 2. In case of not changing my boot config (my doing Q1), will I need to 
> re-install my bootloader in MBR anew? Or on other words, will MBR be erased 
> when cleaning hda1?

If you change the /boot partition from hdaX to hdaY, you'll need to
change the your bootloader setup...

> 
> Question extra :) : what tends to be bigger /etc or /usr ?

/usr

[]'s
	Mauro
-- 
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Re: [gentoo-user] TWO (probably stupid) questions about partitions

[Bastian Balthazar Bux]

Fernando Meira wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> this is how my disk is divided:
> Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40007761920 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4864 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> 
>    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
> /dev/hda1   *           1        1275    10241406    7  HPFS/NTFS
> /dev/hda2            1276        4208    23559322+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
> /dev/hda3            4209        4271      506047+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
> /dev/hda4            4272        4864     4763272+  83  Linux
> /dev/hda5            1276        4208    23559291    b  W95 FAT32
> 
> Now I want to clean hda1 (which has windows) and mount there /usr and
> point $PORTAGE_TMPDIR there (because my gentoo system, in hda4, run out
> of space). Once I'm doing this, I could split that partition into
> smaller ones (e.g. to create /boot), but hda1 needs to be Extended. So,
> 
> 1. Can /boot be inside an Extended partition? Would probably be place in
> hda6...

Don't know

> 2. In case of not changing my boot config (my doing Q1), will I need to
> re-install my bootloader in MBR anew? Or on other words, will MBR be
> erased when cleaning hda1?

MBR is not erased, but it need to know where /boot is, whit grub you
need to repeat the

grub
root (hd0,x)
setup (hd0)
quit

phase.

Having different partitions for an home system (with the exception of
/boot in hda1 ) has always revealed useless for me.
Also allocating 100 Mb for hda1/boot your first partition is much bigger
than the actual "/dev/hda4" .

What about to move your entire system in that place ? When finished this
leave to you the entire space hda4 space and the choice of what to with
that.

The easyer way I know to to this is
1) have handy a bootable livecd/resque disk.
2) substituite hda1 with
   - hda1 = "/boot" = 50-100 Mb
   - hda2 = "/" = all the rest
3) mkfs.[your preferred] /dev/hda1
4) mkfs.[your preferred] /dev/hda2
5) Stop all services you can
6) mkdir /mnt/TheFuture /mnt/ThePast
7) mount -obind / /mnt/ThePast
8) mount /dev/hda2 /mnt/TheFuture
9) mkdir /mnt/TheFuture/boot
10) mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/TheFuture/boot
11) cp -a /mnt/ThePast/* /mnt/TheFuture/
12) check with "ls -al /mnt/ThePast/" if there are hidden file to copy
13) change /mnt/TheFuture/etc/fstab /boot/grub/grub.conf
14) rerun your bootloader install phase (if grub see before)

reboot

Try to boot each of your S.O.
Warning the previous mentioned hda1 may be called hdaX from the
partitioner, check it.

Hint, groub admit editing of the boot parameters pressing "e" key, may
be handy if there are any mistake in grub.conf

> 
> Question extra :) : what tends to be bigger /etc or /usr ?

check it yourself

#du -sh /etc /usr

"usr" is the bigger partition in the system usually

> 
> Thanks,
> Fernando


HIH, Francesco
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Re: [gentoo-user] TWO (probably stupid) questions about partitions

[Fernando Meira]

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Hi Francesco,

thanks for your reply.
You gave me a new idea.
I can't create 2 partition as you proposed, but only one. This because I 
already have 3 primary and 1 extended. Yes.. big mess.. have to fix it 
later...
So, what I will do is this:
- leave around 32M in the beginning of the disk for a future /boot when I 
can alter the partitions table freely.
- create hda1, starting after 32M until the end of spare disk.
- move the system from hda4 to hda1, the way you said. BTW, "cp -a" or 
"rsync" would get better results?

Question: I had a bootable flag on my windoze partition before (hda1), 
though /boot was in hda4. Now should I move it to where /boot will stay, 
right?

Thanks,
Fernando.
On 8/11/05, Bastian Balthazar Bux <BastianBalthazarBux@pnpitalia.it> wrote:
> 
> Fernando Meira wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > this is how my disk is divided:
> > Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40007761920 bytes
> > 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4864 cylinders
> > Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> >
> > Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
> > /dev/hda1 * 1 1275 10241406 7 HPFS/NTFS
> > /dev/hda2 1276 4208 23559322+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
> > /dev/hda3 4209 4271 506047+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
> > /dev/hda4 4272 4864 4763272+ 83 Linux
> > /dev/hda5 1276 4208 23559291 b W95 FAT32
> >
> > Now I want to clean hda1 (which has windows) and mount there /usr and
> > point $PORTAGE_TMPDIR there (because my gentoo system, in hda4, run out
> > of space). Once I'm doing this, I could split that partition into
> > smaller ones (e.g. to create /boot), but hda1 needs to be Extended. So,
> >
> > 1. Can /boot be inside an Extended partition? Would probably be place in
> > hda6...
> 
> Don't know
> 
> > 2. In case of not changing my boot config (my doing Q1), will I need to
> > re-install my bootloader in MBR anew? Or on other words, will MBR be
> > erased when cleaning hda1?
> 
> MBR is not erased, but it need to know where /boot is, whit grub you
> need to repeat the
> 
> grub
> root (hd0,x)
> setup (hd0)
> quit
> 
> phase.
> 
> Having different partitions for an home system (with the exception of
> /boot in hda1 ) has always revealed useless for me.
> Also allocating 100 Mb for hda1/boot your first partition is much bigger
> than the actual "/dev/hda4" .
> 
> What about to move your entire system in that place ? When finished this
> leave to you the entire space hda4 space and the choice of what to with
> that.
> 
> The easyer way I know to to this is
> 1) have handy a bootable livecd/resque disk.
> 2) substituite hda1 with
> - hda1 = "/boot" = 50-100 Mb
> - hda2 = "/" = all the rest
> 3) mkfs.[your preferred] /dev/hda1
> 4) mkfs.[your preferred] /dev/hda2
> 5) Stop all services you can
> 6) mkdir /mnt/TheFuture /mnt/ThePast
> 7) mount -obind / /mnt/ThePast
> 8) mount /dev/hda2 /mnt/TheFuture
> 9) mkdir /mnt/TheFuture/boot
> 10) mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/TheFuture/boot
> 11) cp -a /mnt/ThePast/* /mnt/TheFuture/
> 12) check with "ls -al /mnt/ThePast/" if there are hidden file to copy
> 13) change /mnt/TheFuture/etc/fstab /boot/grub/grub.conf
> 14) rerun your bootloader install phase (if grub see before)
> 
> reboot
> 
> Try to boot each of your S.O.
> Warning the previous mentioned hda1 may be called hdaX from the
> partitioner, check it.
> 
> Hint, groub admit editing of the boot parameters pressing "e" key, may
> be handy if there are any mistake in grub.conf
> 
> >
> > Question extra :) : what tends to be bigger /etc or /usr ?
> 
> check it yourself
> 
> #du -sh /etc /usr
> 
> "usr" is the bigger partition in the system usually
> 
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Fernando
> 
> 
> HIH, Francesco
> --
> gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
> 
>

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Re: [gentoo-user] TWO (probably stupid) questions about partitions

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 20:09:38 +0000, Fernando Meira wrote:

> Now I want to clean hda1 (which has windows) and mount there /usr and
> point $PORTAGE_TMPDIR there (because my gentoo system, in hda4, run out
> of space). Once I'm doing this, I could split that partition into
> smaller ones (e.g. to create /boot), but hda1 needs to be Extended. So,
> 
> 1. Can /boot be inside an Extended partition? Would probably be place
> in hda6...

Yes it can. I never have any primary partitions on x86/amd64 boxes,
so /boot is always on /dev/hda5.

> 2. In case of not changing my boot config (my doing Q1), will I need to 
> re-install my bootloader in MBR anew? Or on other words, will MBR be
> erased when cleaning hda1?

No, the MBR is separate from any partition tables. that's why hda1 starts
on block 1, the MBR is on block 0.

> Question extra :) : what tends to be bigger /etc or /usr ?

/usr, by a long way. But the question is largely irrelevant, you cannot
put /etc on a separate partition. How would you mount it?


-- 
Neil Bothwick

Earlier, I didn't have time to finish anything. This time I w

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Re: [gentoo-user] TWO (probably stupid) questions about partitions

[Bastian Balthazar Bux]

Fernando Meira wrote:
> Hi Francesco,
> 
> thanks for your reply.
> You gave me a new idea.
> I can't create 2 partition as you proposed, but only one. This because I
> already have 3 primary and 1 extended. Yes.. big mess.. have to fix it
> later...
> So, what I will do is this:
> - leave around 32M in the beginning of the disk for a future /boot when
> I can alter the partitions table freely.
> - create hda1, starting after 32M until the end of spare disk.

sound good, 50 Mb instead of 32? 18 Mb are not so much nowadays.
This also don't change the partition scheme of your HD probably making
win more happy.

> - move the system from hda4 to hda1, the way you said. BTW, "cp -a" or
> "rsync" would get better results?

"cp -a" work for me (TM) , rsync make not much sense when the
destination is empty.

> 
> Question: I had a bootable flag on my windoze partition before (hda1),
> though /boot was in hda4. Now should I move it to where /boot will stay,
> right?

keep the bootable flag *only* on the win partition, it's the only one
that need it.

> 
> Thanks,
> Fernando.
> On 8/11/05, *Bastian Balthazar Bux* <BastianBalthazarBux@pnpitalia.it
> <mailto:BastianBalthazarBux@pnpitalia.it>> wrote:
> 
>     Fernando Meira wrote:
>     > Hi,
>     >
>     > this is how my disk is divided:
>     > Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40007761920 bytes
>     > 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4864 cylinders
>     > Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
>     >
>     >    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
>     > /dev/hda1   *           1        1275    10241406    7  HPFS/NTFS
>     > /dev/hda2            1276        4208    23559322+   f  W95 Ext'd
>     (LBA)
>     > /dev/hda3            4209        4271      506047+  82  Linux swap
>     / Solaris
>     > /dev/hda4            4272        4864     4763272+  83  Linux
>     > /dev/hda5            1276        4208    23559291    b  W95 FAT32
>     >
>     > Now I want to clean hda1 (which has windows) and mount there /usr and
>     > point $PORTAGE_TMPDIR there (because my gentoo system, in hda4,
>     run out
>     > of space). Once I'm doing this, I could split that partition into
>     > smaller ones (e.g. to create /boot), but hda1 needs to be
>     Extended. So,
>     >
>     > 1. Can /boot be inside an Extended partition? Would probably be
>     place in
>     > hda6...
> 
>     Don't know
> 
>     > 2. In case of not changing my boot config (my doing Q1), will I
>     need to
>     > re-install my bootloader in MBR anew? Or on other words, will MBR be
>     > erased when cleaning hda1?
> 
>     MBR is not erased, but it need to know where /boot is, whit grub you
>     need to repeat the
> 
>     grub
>     root (hd0,x)
>     setup (hd0)
>     quit
> 
>     phase.
> 
>     Having different partitions for an home system (with the exception of
>     /boot in hda1 ) has always revealed useless for me.
>     Also allocating 100 Mb for hda1/boot your first partition is much
>     bigger
>     than the actual "/dev/hda4" .
> 
>     What about to move your entire system in that place ? When finished this
>     leave to you the entire space hda4 space and the choice of what to with
>     that.
> 
>     The easyer way I know to to this is
>     1) have handy a bootable livecd/resque disk.
>     2) substituite hda1 with
>        - hda1 = "/boot" = 50-100 Mb
>        - hda2 = "/" = all the rest
>     3) mkfs.[your preferred] /dev/hda1
>     4) mkfs.[your preferred] /dev/hda2
>     5) Stop all services you can
>     6) mkdir /mnt/TheFuture /mnt/ThePast
>     7) mount -obind / /mnt/ThePast
>     8) mount /dev/hda2 /mnt/TheFuture
>     9) mkdir /mnt/TheFuture/boot
>     10) mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/TheFuture/boot
>     11) cp -a /mnt/ThePast/* /mnt/TheFuture/
>     12) check with "ls -al /mnt/ThePast/" if there are hidden file to copy
>     13) change /mnt/TheFuture/etc/fstab /boot/grub/grub.conf
>     14) rerun your bootloader install phase (if grub see before)
> 
>     reboot
> 
>     Try to boot each of your S.O.
>     Warning the previous mentioned hda1 may be called hdaX from the
>     partitioner, check it.
> 
>     Hint, groub admit editing of the boot parameters pressing "e" key, may
>     be handy if there are any mistake in grub.conf
> 
>     >
>     > Question extra :) : what tends to be bigger /etc or /usr ?
> 
>     check it yourself
> 
>     #du -sh /etc /usr
> 
>     "usr" is the bigger partition in the system usually
> 
>     >
>     > Thanks,
>     > Fernando
> 
> 
>     HIH, Francesco
>     --
>     gentoo-user@gentoo.org <mailto:gentoo-user@gentoo.org> mailing list
> 
> 


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. These pages are best viewed by coming to my house and looking at   .
. my monitor. [S. Lucas Bergman (on his website)]                    .
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Re: [gentoo-user] TWO (probably stupid) questions about partitions

[Benno Schulenberg]

Fernando Meira wrote:
> - move the system from hda4 to hda1, the way you said. BTW, "cp
> -a" or "rsync" would get better results?

Better use tar, thru the buffering it moves data in bigger chunks: 
less seeks, much quicker.  At least, copying /usr/portage was five 
times faster with tar than with cp -a.  In a single line:

cd /sourcedir; tar -cf - . | (cd /destdir; tar -xvf -)

Benno
-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] TWO (probably stupid) questions about partitions

[Bastian Balthazar Bux]

Benno Schulenberg wrote:
> Fernando Meira wrote:
> 
>>- move the system from hda4 to hda1, the way you said. BTW, "cp
>>-a" or "rsync" would get better results?
> 
> 
> Better use tar, thru the buffering it moves data in bigger chunks: 
> less seeks, much quicker.  At least, copying /usr/portage was five 
> times faster with tar than with cp -a.  In a single line:
> 
> cd /sourcedir; tar -cf - . | (cd /destdir; tar -xvf -)

cd /sourcedir; tar -cpf - . | (cd /destdir && tar -xpvf -)

> 
> Benno
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