Partitioning advice

[vikrang]

I have 160GB SATA HDD.I would like to basically allocate as follows

1. Win related - 100GB
2.Linux - 60 GB

I would like to know how to chop it so that in the 60 GB of Linux partition , so that I have the flexibility to manipulate this 60GB with installing/trying multiple distros ...ie , without a hitch I should be able to resize partitions , format as required and install

Currently I am thinking abt the foll

Partition 1 - (Primary) (Bootable)NTFS Windows 7 Pro (System Files) + Application instal Dir- 40 GB

Partition 2 - (Primary) NTFS 40 GB - For Win Data (MS office Files/Music/Personal files etc) .. Multimedia folders can be accessed from Linux also..So planning to share it with both Win / Linux.

Partition 3 - (Primary) NTFS 20 GB - Intended to be a buffer storage..If I run out of space for Linux , I could maybe resize and convert to Linux Partition from cfdisk.

Partition 4 (Linux) Extended

Part 5 - Swap (1.5 GB) --------To be shared among other distros..My
RAM 1 GB

Part 6 - Fedora 13.1 (/ Root) ----15 GB for everything (No separate
boot or home)

Part 7 - PCLinux OS 2010 ------ 15 GB (same as above)

Part 8 -- KNOPPIX ------- 5 GB (reiserfs)

Part 9 (or Additional as reqd for others - Mint /Crunchbang /Zenwalk)


Will any of the above require a Primary partition ??

[yancek]

Any Linux system can be installed on a logical partition.
Windows needs to be on a primary, at least the boot files need to be on a primary partition so your proposal should be good.

[vikrang]

Thanks yancek...One more doubt , usually I use GParted for partitioning , As mentioned I tried to install Zenwalk which uses Cfdisk, it is not able to recognise the free space at the end of all partitions...I remember facing this problem , in such a case , if I create a new partition from the end (using option "create partition from end"), then "free space is sandwiched between 2 partitions and u can use it, but if there is contiguous free space at the end , cfdisk does not seem to recognize

Currently,
I have used the above partitioning..After installing some Fed , PC linx and Knoppix, the last chunk of unused free space is not recognized by Zenwalk and I am not able to create a partition

[oz]

Try running gparted using the latest version of Parted Magic for your partitioning. I'm pretty sure the version of gparted found on that won't leave that small bit of unallocated space at the end of hard drives. Some of the older versions did, but I haven't noticed it happening anymore with the later releases.