Removing installed Mandriva One 2007

[farueulogy]

This was my first time with linux and after using the Live CD for Madriva I decided to install it and give it a whirl.

However, now I'd like to remove it and move on to ubuntu.

The problem is I don't know which partition it is on on my harddisk. I also run windows xp and desperately don't want to loose anything from that as it has software galore and I'd have extreme trouble reinstalling that.

How do I find out which partition is mandriva?

How do I remove the LILO boot system?

Thanks!

Side question - As an interesting side point, on loading LILO I have four windows partitions labeled "windows, windows 1, windows 2, windows 3". I was just wondering if this is normal. Only "windows 1" loads windows xp. The rest load random windows scans - More information on those after another reboot for me to check them out.

[oz]

You can install Ubuntu right over the Mandriva partitions. You'll get a chance during your installation to do just that. Ubuntu uses GRUB, and it should install over LILO automatically if you installed it to the MBR.

[farueulogy]

You can install Ubuntu right over the Mandriva partitions. You'll get a chance during your installation to do just that. Ubuntu uses GRUB, and it should install over LILO automatically if you installed it to the MBR.

Sounds like a good solution but I'm a noob and have questions:

What is MBR?

Will the ubuntu installation make it clear which is mandriva?

When you says "Mandriva partitions" do you mean plural as I appear to have multiple partitions and I don't know what they are - see picture at bottom.

I figure C: is windows, but the rest is confusing. Is only one mandriva? Are the others something to do with my side question "windows, windows2, windows3"

New information on side question and partitions shown by LILO:
"windows" partition runs "hardware diagnostics" a collection of test choices and nothing else with a reboot on close - has dell branding.
"windows 2" partition shows Dos-like screen of "DRMK version 8.00" followed by "Can't load kernal file" - nothing else and required force turn off.
"windows 3" partition shows another Dos-like screen of "Error 0x07" then "boot: windows 3" and nothing else which required another forced turn off.



If you can't see the picture I have:
94MB FAT Healthy (EISA)
38.07GB NTFS Healthy (System) - Windows
Three unknown partitions grouped in an "extended partition": 7.2GB, 1.44GB and 4.44GB
4.64GB GB FAT32 Healthy unknown partition

[Juan Pablo]

If you want to make sure, download the GParted live cd

Launch GParted and delete the partitions with a file system you don't know, here is a small list:

ext3
swap
reiserfs
xfs
jfs

[farueulogy]

If you want to make sure, download the GParted live cd

Launch GParted and delete the partitions with a file system you don't know, here is a small list:

ext3
swap
reiserfs
xfs
jfs

Admittedly the ones you list I don't know - NTFS is obviously windows. I wonder what the "FAT 32" partition is at the end of the list though.

Any ideas?

[oz]

MBR is the master boot record. GRUB and LILO usually ask if that's where you want to install them.

The image above is a bit small when I look at it, but the three partitions within the green border appear to be your current Linux installation.

[oz]

BTW - the livecd suggested by Juan Pablo above is a great tool for handling partitions. It's pretty much a clone of Partition Magic. It's a small download, a quick burn to CD, and there are good instructions for using it on the website:

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php

[farueulogy]

MBR is the master boot record. GRUB and LILO usually ask if that's where you want to install them.

The image above is a bit small when I look at it, but the three partitions within the green border appear to be your current Linux installation.

Thanks

I threw the text of each partition underneath the picture. Do you have any idea what the last partition a "FAT 32" 4.64GB one might be? (I'm not talking about the "My book" partition which is my USB hard drive just to clarify)

[oz]

That last partition looks like some kind of storage space you might have setup.

My best guess on the Linux partitions:

first one is /
second is swap
third is /home

...but I'm only guessing

Edit: if you should decide to do any shrinking of your Windows partitions, you should defrag them first.

[farueulogy]

That last partition looks like some kind of storage space you might have setup.

My best guess on the Linux partitions:

first one is /
second is swap
third is /home

...but I'm only guessing

Edit: if you should decide to do any shrinking or your Windows partitions, you should defrag them first.

Hopefully I am going to leave my windows partition the same size and install ubuntu over the "undefined space" as it is now after I used Gparted just then. The three grouped partitions did appear to be linux as two were ext3 and one was "linux-swap".

That last partition is somewhat random. I don't remember setting up any storage space at all ever. 60% of the space is used and I think dell may have had a part to play in it. It might be a bit risky just removing it.


Thanks to everyone for their help and I will inform you here of how sucessful or not I am in a little bit replacing the MBR.