Can Linux be installed on 17 gig?

[cyclone2]

I just got Redhat 5.2 deluxe to play with (if I can install it I will upgrade it) and I have a 10 gig main drive with Win98 and 2000 dual boot. Since I dont want to screw them up I put in a 17 gig partitioned into 4 equal sections. Then trying to install Linux Disk Druid sees my hard drive as one partition only so I use linux fdisk- it says that I may have problems because I have more than 1054 cyl. but allowed me to delete a partition and install a linux swap and a native partition (total 4.2 gigs cyl 2- 528)
Now they are there but setup still cant see anything but 1 17 gig partition
Any help or direction appriciated!

Also I dont want to use Lilo or Boot magic, just want to boot from floppy or cd.

[This message has been edited by cyclone2 (edited 05-28-2000).]

[CMonster]

It is a good thing that you do not want to use LILO or Boot Magic because these both cannot work properly on drives or partitions beyond 8GB, so booting from floppy would be a good option indeed.

As for your install troubles: Is this system by any chance having an Ultra ATA 66 controller and is the disk in question an Ultra ATA 66 disk? Even the newer versions of Linux still have some major problems with some of these controllers.

You will certainly learn a lot by installing Redhat 5.2 and then upgrading it - I think you would become a Linux expert in short order. I would strongly recommend Mandrake7, and you can get the CD for free or a couple of $$. It really isn't worth it to start with an earlier version of Linux because so much has changed.

[a Bill]

So all those installations of Redhat 6.1 that I have done this year (50-60) on 18 gig HDDs isn't working? http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[cyclone2]

Thanks for the reply bill it was really helpful! not!
No its not an Ultra 66(or if it is I can only run 33) Late last night I wiped out all partitions on disk and was able to install linux by getting it to install Workstation automatically. Now- when I get home I have to see if I can go into my drive and rescue the rest of my disk ie; partition the remaining space on my disk into fat32 partitions. We'll see=-dont want a 500meg 17gig drive! lol

[cyclone2]

Well so much for my first foray into the world of linux- it sucks! I need a smaller friggin harddrive or better understanding of its partitioning. It took over my whole 17 gig harddrive(I dont have partion magic/dunno if it would work) couldn't add windows partitions and lilo installed anyway hiding my 2 windows drives!
Thankfully other posts in this forum(cmonster) told me how to frag my MBR to get back to reality!
Any reccomendations for better/idiot proof installs than Redhats piece of work?
Also consider my hard drives

[a Bill]

My original post was for the replier http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

Use a newer boot disk, I install Linux on 18 gig HDDs al the time. I also stuck it on a 36 gig HDD but that was just once. When you install Linux and you get to the part about making the partition bootable, tell it no and when you get to the part about making a boot disk, tell it yes.

But then from your original post I could tell you already read the manual, NOT http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Good luck with your install http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[CMonster]

a bill

Why is it that I am being taken out of context here? Where did I say you could not install Linux on a large hard disk? Were you reading what you think I said instead of what I said?

It is a good thing that you do not want to use LILO or Boot Magic because these both cannot work properly on drives or partitions beyond 8GB, so booting from floppy would be a good option indeed.

I said that LILO and Boot Magic have problems beyond an 8GB limitation, which is true. Although you CAN install LILO on the Linux partition of a very large drive IF that partition is first on the drive and does not exceed the 1024 cylinder; in this case, current versions of LILO will not properly recognize/boot other partitions - in other words LILO cannot be used as a boot manager for the whole system when certain drive size limitation are exceeded.. And "Boot Magic" just plain will not install on a drive larger than 8GB.

!Of course Linux can be installed on a large drive, that is why I said that booting from a floppy was a good option (some Ultra ATA 66 controllers are NOT supported - check it out yourself with the Linux community).

furthermore, you can even boot from DOS mode by using loadlin.exe and a copy of the vmlinuz kernel image on the "C" drive, without LILO or a boot disk; like this: C:\>loadlin vmlinuz root=/dev/hda* -where"*" is the actual root partition. If desired you can even create a DOS batch file and use the DOS command prompt as a boot loader.

cyclone2,

Sorry you had such a bad first experience with Linux; You should know that Redhat 5.2 and Redhat 6.1 are very different. "a bill" mentioned using Redhat 6.1 - which has a much better install. I thought that maybe your version of Linux could SEE the drive/partitions but NOT install on them, which is often the case when you run into the Ultra ATA 66 problem. But it appears that you may not have properly setup the root and swap partition. I recommended Mandrake7 because to date I think it has the most user friendly install. Personally I use Partition Magic 5 and create the ext2 and swap file prior to install.

In a very few months new releases of Linux will include new more powerful windowing systems, perhaps then you may want to give it a try again.

If you want to email me with your snail-mail address, I will be happy to mail a copy of Mandrake7 to you cyclone2.

George

I sort-of certify that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my limited knowledge, and with certain exceptions which can be numerous depending on software versions, hacking, mood swings, and the weather, under peanut'alty of BBS pergatory .. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif



[This message has been edited by CMonster (edited 05-30-2000).]

[cyclone2]

To Bill - yes I did read the manual, twice once before installing and also during install. As I say disk-druid would see whole drive but no partitions, and fdisk could see them but said I may have problems and guess what I did! I did get 2 linux partitions on disk (not Very first part of disk But below 1054 cyl. as they asked for) As this release is only 1 1/2 yr old I figured give it a whirl but when you READ " if you just installed a whopping 1.2 gig hard drive" in the book you can see it may be behind the times.
To Cmonster; Thanks for the offer, I will try Mandrake 7 next I have read it is descent. I downloaded the main section (all?) last night [gotta love cable-630 meg in 53 min.] and will get the floppy image and whatever and try again this weekend.
Due to your lifesaving tip to someone else (fdisk /mbr) I wont worry about lilo installing but my main problem is full comprehension of partitioning needs in my application. Thanks

[psyklone]

cmonster ..

*LOL* i dig the disclaimer.

http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[ctaylor]

One cool thing about Linux is that the BIOS limitations on hard drives do not apply. The Linux kernel bypasses the BIOS chip when communicating with the hardware. I know people who have used 10 year old 486 machines as webservers containing fully accessible 18 gig hard drives despite the 512 meg BIOS HDD limitation.

The BIOS may scream and yell during the install, but don't let it discourage you. Once installed you will be fine.

The main limitation (that I have been told) is that the Linux system files be located somewhere within the first 4 gig of the hard drive. Personally I have used LILO on a floppy when booting an old multi O/S machine (Win98/NT Workstation/NT Server/RedHat 6.0) I had with Linux installed more than 8 gig into the hard drive.

Also make sure you perform a WORKSTATION install as a server install (at least with RedHat) will reformat and partition your hard drive.

[This message has been edited by ctaylor (edited 05-31-2000).]

[CMonster]

ctaylor -Thanks for joining in with that bit of Linux information http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

Yeah, most people are used to the "single partition" concept; but it is common for Linux OS to be installed across multiple partitions -the boot partition being below the 1024 cylinder of course, unless booting from floppy. "No drive letters" - another great thing that takes some getting used to.

[This message has been edited by CMonster (edited 05-31-2000).]

[cyclone2]

thanks for the replies guys, I will try again this weekend with Mandrake, Might disconnect my main hard drive and set up my 17 to master to see if linux and lilo will easily set up on the first section of hard drive just to avoid any confusion heh!
Im sure you will see more posts from me but hopefully good ones!
Another CTaylor!