Removing A Linux Distro (Slightly Newbish Question)

[Lupus_Yonderboy]

Yeah, I basically want to delete a linux partition, but I'm unsure how to go about it.

Before you all gasp (As I know you will!) I'm not getting rid of Linux as a whole, the situation stands like this:

I'm using a laptop running Windows XP
I successfully created a disk partition
On it I installed Fedora 8
From the grub bootloader, I was able to dual boot Fedora 8 and Windows XP as I saw fit.

It was going well, but to put it simply I wasn't happy with Fedora (Alot of complications regarding my wireless card, I have nothing against the distro itself)

So basically I decided to switch my distro, I gave Backtrack 3 a try and loved it as it was perfectly compatable with my wireless card right away (PS don't try and change my mind, I'm using BT3 damnit!)

But yeah, now I want to replace Fedora 8 with Backtrack 3, same dual boot options and disk sizes, just different distro. (I know BT3 is a live CD, but I'm installing it)

A few things to consider is that Fedora 8 used grub and I heard that Backtrack 3 uses LILO, also bear in mind that BT3 is based on Slax (Which is based on slackware) I believe.

So yeah, it's kind of a strange question and probably requires some knowledge of BT3. I just know that in the graphical installer for Fedora 8, there was an option to install over existing linux distros (Obviously there was nothing there at the time) I wondered if BT3 has this option.

I was thinking of deleting the entire partition Fedora is on and then creating a new, fresh one. But maybe this is too long winded and there is a quicker/simpler way.


Thanks in advance.

[valemon]

I have never installed Backtrack 3 but during partitioning you should just choose to install in fedora's partition. Also the new bootloader will install over fedora's.

[Lupus_Yonderboy]

I have never installed Backtrack 3 but during partitioning you should just choose to install in fedora's partition. Also the new bootloader will install over fedora's.

Right, okay thanks for that. And I should be able to see details on Fedora and Windows Partition by using qtparted right?

[valemon]

With qtparted you can view and create-resize partitions. what do you mean "see details"?

[devils casper]

I would suggest you to boot up Fedora, log in as root and execute this

fdisk -l

Post output here.
Fedora creates LVMs by default and if you didn't create partitions manually during Fedora installation then you have LVM only. You have to delete LVM before Fedora installation. GParted or any other Partitioning Tool doesn't support LVM.

[Lupus_Yonderboy]

I would suggest you to boot up Fedora, log in as root and execute this

fdisk -l

Post output here.
Fedora creates LVMs by default and if you didn't create partitions manually during Fedora installation then you have LVM only. You have to delete LVM before Fedora installation. GParted or any other Partitioning Tool doesn't support LVM.

Will do. I'll get back to you on that.

And valemon, I meant view details of where it is mounted.

According to Backtrack, I have /mnt/dev1 /mnt/dev2 and /mnt/dev3

On grub, I have fedora.something.85, fedora.something.42 and other (windows) obviously, .85 is a kernel update of .42 but these aren't separate mount points are they?

/mnt/dev1 and /mnt/dev2 both looked like they had some windows stuff in them, which I wanted to keep, and /mnt/dev3 looked like it had some fedora stuff in it.

Those three were the options I was given for creating a partition in Backtrack installation.

On a side note, the installer isn't going past the partition stage for some reason, but that'll be discussed on the remote exploit forums rather than here I suppose.

[devils casper]

On grub, I have fedora.something.85, fedora.something.42 and other (windows) obviously, .85 is a kernel update of .42 but these aren't separate mount points are they?

All kernel versions are on same partition.

/mnt/dev1 and /mnt/dev2 both looked like they had some windows stuff in them, which I wanted to keep, and /mnt/dev3 looked like it had some

Check output of fdisk -l command.

On a side note, the installer isn't going past the partition stage for some reason.

It could be because of LVM only. Post output of fdisk -l command here, if possible.

[Lupus_Yonderboy]

All kernel versions are on same partition.
Check output of fdisk -l command.

It could be because of LVM only. Post output of fdisk -l command here, if possible.

Yes sirrr

[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xed1f86f7

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        4249    34130061    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2           13811       14593     6289447+  12  Compaq diagnostics
/dev/sda3            4250        4274      200812+  83  Linux
/dev/sda4            4275       13810    76597920    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5            4275       13810    76597888+  8e  Linux LVM

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/dm-0: 76.3 GB, 76302778368 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9276 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-0 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-1: 2080 MB, 2080374784 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 252 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x30307800

Disk /dev/dm-1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

I hope that means more to you than it does me. I notice LVM is there like you said though, not sure what to do from here, as far as removal goes.

[devils casper]

Boot up Windows OS and type diskmgmt.msc in RUN dialog box. Disk Management Tool windows will pop up. Delete last two partitions. Both should be marked as unknown only. Partition deletion will create free space but Windows OS will not boot up on reboot coz of GRUB.
Either boot up from GParted LiveCD and create two partitions for BT manually Or start BT installation. Installer will create/format partitions out of free space itself.
Installer will install Lilo too and setup dual boot.

[Lupus_Yonderboy]

Hmm, sounds kinda dangerous, but I'll give it a shot. However I don't have a Windows recovery disk, so I'll have to burn that before I try.

Another thing, which /dev/sda is my windows installed on? (Just incase I end up installing over it on the BT installation)