How to Create Partitions with G-Parted Live

[clemkonan]

Objective:
To create partitions to support installing Vector Linux.
Utility:
G-parted Live

Status:
My HD partition map read from left to right is as follows:

A) Unallocated 19.54 GIB
B) /dev/hda1 NTFS 20.87 GIB Boot ( Win XP here)
C) Unallocated 20.87 GIB
D) /dev/hda2 extended 88.02 GIB
E) /dev/hda 5 Fat 32 15.31GIB
F) /dev/hda6 Linux Swap 2.04GIB
G) /dev/hda7 Ext3 16.11GIB
H) /dev/hda8 Ext3 54.56 GIB

The two drives listed in the top righ hand corner are :

/dev/hda 149.05GIB
/dev/sdev 977.48 MIB

What I know: ( I think I know!)

The Windows partition should be first.
If I can move the 2 unallocated blocks I am probably ok ( dont know how)

Questions:

How do I clean this up? The two unallocated blocks came from resizing down the XP partition.
What is /dev/sdev?

HD - Western Digital Caviar 160 GIB
Mobo: Nu2400A Athlon 1300
Ram: 512 DDR
Video : ATI Rage

[devils casper]

Have you installed any Linux OS yet?
Boot up from any Linux LiveCD and execute this in Terminal/Konsole

fdisk -l

Post output here. Let us check exact partition structure.

[clemkonan]

I am not at the home PC but I will do so this evening. Its a new 160 GB drive, it has XP loaded and running but no I have not installed Linux, I am working from the live CD.

I very much wanted to send you a screen shot but was not sure how to save it from G-parted to a floppy. Whats instinctive in Windows is not always the same with Linux. If all fails I will boot a live CD of PCLinuxOs so I can access the web from the same PC and send the screen shot.

Sincere thanks

[clemkonan]

root@localhost ~]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 2551 5242 21623490 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2 7968 19457 92293425 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 7968 9966 16056936 b W95 FAT32
/dev/hda6 9967 10232 2136613+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda7 10233 12335 16892316 83 Linux
/dev/hda8 12336 19457 57207433+ 83 Linux
[root@localhost ~]#

[devils casper]

Boot up from GParted CD and merge unallocated space in first partition ( /dev/hda1 ). Shrink first partition from right side and you will have one unallocated space block. Move Extended Partition ( including Logical partitions inside extended ) to left side. You will have free space at the end and you can create only two Primary ( hda3, hda4 ) partitions or unlimited number of Logical ( hda9, 10, 11..... ) partitions.

[clemkonan]

Success thanks for the help.