[CS-FSLUG] Disk partitioning, difference between logical and primary partitions?

[Tim Young]

I don't have the really technical information right at my fingertips, but 
here is the quick difference.

The initial partition information could hold information for 4 partitions 
(the primary partitions).  If you wish to extend the number of partitions, 
you create one large partition, which you can divide up into logical 
partitions.  (I believe you can have 18 or so logical partitions?  I am not 
sure, but it is a lot.)

So:

------------------------------------------------------
|part1 | part 2 | part 3| extended part              |
------------------------|-----------------------------
                         | part 5  | part 6 | part7   |
                         ------------------------------

Partitions 1-4 are slots for primary partitions.  If you need to have more 
than 4 partitions, you MUST have an extended partition and logical 
partitions.  A number of operating systems hide the "extended" partition 
from you, making it automatically for you.  So you often just see the 
primary and logical partitions.

	- Tim

N. Thompson wrote:
> I've always wondered what the difference between logical and primary 
> partitions were, I've always used primary when partitioning but using that I 
> can only fit so many partitions onto a disk before its full.
> 
> I was wondering what the difference between logical and primary partitions 
> was, I think I remember seeing primary partitions nested in logical once 
> before so I think logical partitions are for increasing a drive's capacity to 
> store partitions. Am I correct?
> 
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