[CS-FSLUG] Adding a partition for Linux

[Eduardo Sanchez]

On Thursday 10 July 2008, Jim Isbell, W5JAI wrote:
> I have a PC running on XP and want to add a partition so I can
> install Linux.  BUT...the entire drive is occupied with the one
> partition for XP.  Is it possible to shrink the partition, either
> within Windows or with an external CD so that I can add Linux without
> loosing the stuff I have on the Win partition.  The Win partition
> while using the whole drive is only using 6 gbytes pf the 80 gbytes
> available!

The answer is Yes. I recently did exactly this stuff.

With a fairly recent live Linux CD (such as System Rescue CD -- 
http://www.sysresccd.org/) I resized the XP partition using GParted. It 
didn't even need defragmenting.

I installed Linux (Slackware 12.1) afterwards. I marked the boot linux 
partition as bootable, and I installed LILO (the boot loader) in the 
first sector of the boot partition.

LILO automatically detected the XP partition and added an option for it.  
Since then, my dual-boot setup worked fine.

The key is, do not install any boot manager on the boot sector. I was 
told that if that happened, the XP partition would be unable to boot.

Blessings,


Eduardo
-- 
Prof. Eduardo Sanchez
Asuncion, Paraguay, South America
http://shadow.sombragris.org
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 But if in vain, down on the stubborn floor
 Of Earth, and up to Heav'n's unopening Door,
   You gaze TO-DAY, while You are You--how then
 TO-MORROW, when You shall be You no more?

	-- The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
	   

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