partitioning bug during install: RH8/9 FC1

[David Kewley]

Trae McCombs wrote on Sunday 21 December 2003 08:33:
> From my experience, Windows wants to be on the first drive of a system.
> /dev/hda1 (or /dev/sda1).  The problem I run into is when I'm trying to
> slice up the drive is...  I typically (bad or not, not looking for
> flames on how I'm setting up the drive) do the following:
> 
> /dev/hda1 windows 2000 /windows
> /dev/hda2 linux / 
> /dev/hda3 swap
> 
> [I know some people say put swap at the beginning of the drive...]
> 
> Anyhoo, the problem is when you create a partition of a smaller size for
> /dev/hda1 than is for /dev/hda2, cfdisk, or whatever the GUI fdisk tool
> is, will re-arrange the partitions every single time.  meaning, it puts
> the root partition / as /dev/hda1 and puts windows /windows as /dev/hda2
> even though I've specified the direct opposite.

I generally install Windows first, so it gets the first partition.  Then I 
install RHL/FC.  Of course the Disk Druid doesn't touch the Windows 
partition during Linux install, so Windows stays [h,s]da1.

If you could create the first partition before running the Linux install, 
that might do the trick for you.  If you don't want to install Windows 
first (why not? it works great for me), then perhaps you could use some 
other tool to create the first partiion before running the Linux install.

The Disk Druid partition ordering doesn't seem to be driven purely by size 
on my home RHL9 box (keep in mind that I created the NTFS & FAT32 
partitions before installing RHL9):

$ sudo /sbin/fdisk -l
Disk /dev/hda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot    Start       End    Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *         1      1275  10241406    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2          1276      2295   8193150    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda3          2296      2550   2048287+   c  Win95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda4          2551      9729  57665317+   f  Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5          2551      2677   1020096   83  Linux
/dev/hda6          2678      3952  10241406   83  Linux
/dev/hda7          3953      4717   6144831   83  Linux
/dev/hda8          4718      4782    522081   82  Linux swap

$ mount <output snipped to show only hda*>
/dev/hda5 on / type ext3 (rw)
/dev/hda6 on /local1 type ext3 (rw)
/dev/hda7 on /usr type ext3 (rw)

What is Disk Druid's logic for partition ordering?  Does it have to do with 
concern over /boot location (i.e. put / first if you don't have separate 
/boot, then order by size)?  I am one of those who is under the impression 
(correctly or not) that the earlier part of the disk is faster, and it's 
better to put swap there.  And there is a good warning about /boot and 
large disks; why force / first?  I'm only making guesses; what is actually 
going on, and why?

> PS. Why did we stop including regular fdisk?  It's nice to be able to
> use this tool from time to time.  Just put a button with "Experts Only"
> or something and pop up a warning telling people they are entering a
> world of hurt if they don't know what they are doing with the fdisk
> tool.

Not a big priority to me, but I'd like to see the return of fdisk during 
install, too.

David