Dual boot/reformatting problem

[lwpack]

Hello all. First of all, please excuse me, I'm just starting to learn Linux and am not very computer savvy. I'm trying to install a dual boot (Ubuntu/Vista) on my computer and I would like to be able to share files among the two OS's. I'm told Linux doesn't do so well with NTFS so I need to reformat the Windows partition to FAT32. However, I read somewhere that Windows won't allow a FAT32 partition bigger than 32GB. I would like my Windows partition to be bigger than that so what are my options? Is it possible to have part of the Windows partition FAT32 and part NTFS? And secondly how does one even change the Windows partition to FAT32? Thanks.

[venkatbandi]

Hello all. First of all, please excuse me, I'm just starting to learn Linux and am not very computer savvy. I'm trying to install a dual boot (Ubuntu/Vista) on my computer and I would like to be able to share files among the two OS's. I'm told Linux doesn't do so well with NTFS so I need to reformat the Windows partition to FAT32. However, I read somewhere that Windows won't allow a FAT32 partition bigger than 32GB. I would like my Windows partition to be bigger than that so what are my options? Is it possible to have part of the Windows partition FAT32 and part NTFS? And secondly how does one even change the Windows partition to FAT32? Thanks.

First create one logical drive that will support
NTFS with in that install ur windows, then other logical drives format with FAT32, leave some free space for linux installation, after installing linux, if u mount whatever u formatted with FAT32 those will mount in linux.
#fdisk -l
all the best

[devils casper]

Hello all. First of all, please excuse me, I'm just starting to learn Linux and am not very computer savvy. I'm trying to install a dual boot (Ubuntu/Vista) on my computer and I would like to be able to share files among the two OS's. I'm told Linux doesn't do so well with NTFS so I need to reformat the Windows partition to FAT32. However, I read somewhere that Windows won't allow a FAT32 partition bigger than 32GB. I would like my Windows partition to be bigger than that so what are my options? Is it possible to have part of the Windows partition FAT32 and part NTFS? And secondly how does one even change the Windows partition to FAT32? Thanks.

hi lwpack !!

Welcome to the LinuxForums.

most of Linux Distributions support FAT32 read/write and NTFS read access out of box. its possible to enable write access too but you have to install a few packages.
dont re-format Windows. just create a free/unpartitioned space for Linux. 6-10GB is enough for any distribution. start installation and select Free/unpartitioned space for install.






Casper

[lwpack]

First create one logical drive that will support
NTFS with in that install ur windows, then other logical drives format with FAT32, leave some free space for linux installation, after installing linux, if u mount whatever u formatted with FAT32 those will mount in linux.
#fdisk -l
all the best

Hmm. I'm a bit confused. So I should have one primary partition which is NTFS and in which I install Vista, then create an extended partition with two logical partitions, FAT32 and ext3, and install Linux on the ext3 part???

[lwpack]

hi lwpack !!

Welcome to the LinuxForums.

most of Linux Distributions support FAT32 read/write and NTFS read access out of box. its possible to enable write access too but you have to install a few packages.
dont re-format Windows. just create a free/unpartitioned space for Linux. 6-10GB is enough for any distribution. start installation and select Free/unpartitioned space for install.

Casper

So you're saying I should just install the software that allows linux to write to NTFS and not even bother with FAT32? What do you mean when you say create a free/unpartitioned space for Linux? Is this an extended partition?

[devils casper]

So you're saying I should just install the software that allows linux to write to NTFS and not even bother with FAT32?

yes. ntfs-3g enables NTFS write access and works perfectly. either create FAT32 partition for DATA share or enable NTFS write access in Linux.
[QUOTE]
What do you mean when you say create a free/unpartitioned space for Linux?[/qurote]
a space that is not partitioned. free/unformatted. let installer do its job. you can create partitions manually too. Ubuntu's default file system is ext3.

Is this an extended partition?

it depends. its not possible to create more than 4 Primary Partitions OR 3 Primary Partitions + 1 Extended Partitions.
if your disk has 1 Primary + 1 Extended, you can leave free space outside Extended Partition. Installer will create two Primary Partitions. / (root) and swap.
otherwise leave free space in Extended Partition. installer will create two Logical Partitions inside Extended Partition.

its depend on you. either create partition manually OR leave free space.





Casper

[lwpack]

[QUOTE=devils_casper]yes. ntfs-3g enables NTFS write access and works perfectly. either create FAT32 partition for DATA share or enable NTFS write access in Linux.

What do you mean when you say create a free/unpartitioned space for Linux?[/qurote]
a space that is not partitioned. free/unformatted. let installer do its job. you can create partitions manually too. Ubuntu's default file system is ext3.

it depends. its not possible to create more than 4 Primary Partitions OR 3 Primary Partitions + 1 Extended Partitions.
if your disk has 1 Primary + 1 Extended, you can leave free space outside Extended Partition. Installer will create two Primary Partitions. / (root) and swap.
otherwise leave free space in Extended Partition. installer will create two Logical Partitions inside Extended Partition.

its depend on you. either create partition manually OR leave free space.





Casper

That makes sense. Thanks! I remember reading that if you have two OS's installed on different primary partitions they will be hidden from each other. Does this mean that if I want to have read/write access to the NTFS partition from within Linux then I HAVE to install linux in an extended partition?

And secondly, does whether I install Linux in a primary or extended partition affect how I change GRUB to recognize Vista?

[devils casper]

I remember reading that if you have two OS's installed on different primary partitions they will be hidden from each other.

if you are dual booting two Windows OS then yes. no nedd to hide partitions in Linux/windows or linux/linux dual boot.

Does this mean that if I want to have read/write access to the NTFS partition from within Linux then I HAVE to install linux in an extended partition?

as i mentioned earlier, Linux doesn't care about partition tag. install it in any partition, it will work perfectly and it will have access to all the partitions.

And secondly, does whether I install Linux in a primary or extended partition affect how I change GRUB to recognize Vista?

Install GRUB in MBR of Harddisk ( its default ), GRUB will recognize vista.





Casper

[lwpack]

if you are dual booting two Windows OS then yes. no nedd to hide partitions in Linux/windows or linux/linux dual boot.


as i mentioned earlier, Linux doesn't care about partition tag. install it in any partition, it will work perfectly and it will have access to all the partitions.

Install GRUB in MBR of Harddisk ( its default ), GRUB will recognize vista.





Casper

Thank you!

[saikee]

Just a couple of points if that help.

(1) Fat32 has a limit of maximum size of "any" file must be less than 4Gb. So storing DVD movies is out. The partition limit is much bigger than the physical hard disks we can buy. The maximum fat32 partition I created is 400Gb and experience no problem.

(2) WIth ntfs-3g Linux can write reliably on ntfs partitions. I am not an active user of it but it seems to bear up the common consensus.

(3) An other alternative to have a common shared partition between Linux and Windoze is to make a Ext2 or Ext3 partition and install the free Ext2ifs program in Windoze. The partition can be mounted just like an ordinary drive in Windoze and works like a charm. Journalling in Ext3 will not be implemented and so a Ext3 partition is effectively read/write as Ext2.

(4) For hiding and unhiding MS systems here is an example of Grub booting 3 Dos and 5 Windows (including a Vista) in a pc.