🚀 go-pugleaf

Stephen Davison <stephen@emissive.demon.co.uk> writes:

>The docs tell me how to set up partitions using FDISK.  This will 
>result in alll my data going out of the window.  I can not do a backup 
>of my disk, as 800Mb is a lot of HD disks!  (My old Archive Viper died 
>some time ago!)

>Is there some way of doing it without losing all my data.  

Yes.  But you will have to backup or move the data from the DOS
secondary (extended) partition.  

>The drive is a 1Gig IBM Pegasus.  I have 4 partitons on it at the 
>moment
>c:	500Mb
>d:	150Mb      |
>e:	100Mb      | these are in the extended partiton.
>f:	250Mb      |


DOS will not allow but one Primary Partition.  All other partitions on a
drive must be a (or in a) extended partition.  Right now, all of your
disk space is taken by the Primary (c:) and the extended (d,e,f).  

d,e,and f drives are considered logical drives and are contained in the
extended partition.


Removing f would only clear space in the extended partition and Linux 
(using a linux filesystem) would not be able to use it.  You have to reduce 
the size of the extended file system so that there is unused space available
on the drive for Linux.  To do this, you will have to modify the extended
partition and this means potentially loosing all data contained in d,e,and
f drives.  

You also have the option of using your dos filesystem to install Linux.
Sorry, I can't help you here because I have never tried it but I would
recommend that you spend a great deal of time in the Installation HOWTO
before proceeding with this method.

Above all, ask questions.  :)  This has been done thousands of times
before and most folks out here are willing to help

good luck

Kelly 
ekbond@netcom.com