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Thread ID: 81792 2007-08-07 10:03:00 Must I partition the HDD to install Ubuntu when a partition is already available? Renmoo (66) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
577755 2007-08-07 10:03:00 Quick question here, my HDD has been partitioned to C: and D:. Do I still need to follow the instructions to partition my HDD even though a spare partition (i.e. D: ) is already available?

Cheers :)
Renmoo (66)
577756 2007-08-07 10:06:00 No just install it on D. Speedy Gonzales (78)
577757 2007-08-07 10:16:00 be very careful with this, this is how i recently messed up my windows not by installing it but listening to my friend(who is supposed to be a computer expert) and using partition magic to format partition into linux compatbile:( . deathracer (11825)
577758 2007-08-07 10:18:00 Why use partitionmagic??

The linux install will format the hdd to a a linux format for you.

Thats if you've got a partition already.
Speedy Gonzales (78)
577759 2007-08-07 10:23:00 Why use partitionmagic??

The linux install will format the hdd to a a linux format for you.

Thats if you've got a partition already.
like i said i listened to my friend:( when i shouldnt have and linux wouldnt let me install plus i had vista on that hdd already so i wanted to keep vista and also have linux running on it. but thats the price i payed unfortunately, hopefully it thought me something and i wont mess up like that again.
deathracer (11825)
577760 2007-08-07 10:25:00 How do I instruct Ubuntu to install it to D: (it is not recovery partition by the way)? It seems that Ubuntu insists on repartitioning the whole disk at the last page. The page also asks questions like "installing to hdc1" or some similar kind.

Anyway, I got scared (yeah, I know you are laughing, you know who you are :p ) and rebooted back to Windows. I found that Linux has indeed created an unallocated partition for me.

I think I may have confused myself...
Renmoo (66)
577761 2007-08-07 10:29:00 Don't try to format the spare partition, Ubuntu will do this for you.

Just remember to double-check every step and confirm it is doing what you want it do it; no rushing ahead and skim reading.

Linux will refer to your partitions using its own terminology (not C and D etc). Primary master IDE drive will be either sda or hda. Each partition on that drive will be numbered starting from one eg, sda1, sda2. Your primary slave IDE will be sdb or hdb, secondary master IDE sdc or hdc and so on.

Some distros will refer to IDE devices using the sdX prefix, when historicially this was used for SCSI, sATA or USB interfaced devices. I believe the latest version of Ubuntu now follows this terminology (due to it using libata drivers). Just to add to the confusion, other distros still continue with the hdX terminology.

Probably confused you now. :p
Jen (38)
577762 2007-08-07 10:35:00 Oh... I am a complete hardware noob to be honest. So what would Ubuntu refer unallocated partition as? So C: is now hda, D: is sda1/2, Recovery partition as sda1/2...?

Cheers
Renmoo (66)
577763 2007-08-07 10:40:00 Have a read of this (help.ubuntu.com)

Select the hdd (hopefully you know what the size of the hdd / partition is).

And hopefully its bigger or smaller than the Windows hdd/partition
Speedy Gonzales (78)
577764 2007-08-07 10:46:00 Unallocated should refer to an unformatted partition.

How did you create your free partition and is it formatted?

How many hard drives do you have installed in your computer, and what is your current partitioning like?

As an example (do not apply this to your set up in case it is not accurate):
Single IDE drive installed = hda (or sda)
3 partitions on that single hard drive = hda1, hda2 and hda2 (or sda1,sda2 and sda3).

If you are about to commit partitioning or formatting to a drive, it is rather important you do not hope it is correct ...
Jen (38)
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