Newbie question - partition

[Radu]

Hi. I'm (more than) new to Linux - although I'm a seasoned windows user. I
plan to get Suse 8.2. When I installed win2000 on my computer I've been lazy
and I've set my whole HD as a single partition - C:

Can I install Linux WITHOUT wiping out all my work on this computer ? I
mean, will the installation program detect a some free space on my HD (I
have plenty) and somehow steal that space & change it from NTFS to...
whatever Linux uses ? Or should I reformat my drive and start from scratch
(that would mean at least three days of work, in my config) ?

Thank you

[horne]

David scribbled:

> Radu wrote:

>> Hi. I'm (more than) new to Linux - although I'm a seasoned windows user.
>> I plan to get Suse 8.2. When I installed win2000 on my computer I've been
>> lazy and I've set my whole HD as a single partition - C:
>>
>> Can I install Linux WITHOUT wiping out all my work on this computer ? I
>> mean, will the installation program detect a some free space on my HD (I
>> have plenty) and somehow steal that space & change it from NTFS to...
>> whatever Linux uses ? Or should I reformat my drive and start from
>> scratch (that would mean at least three days of work, in my config) ?

>
> Use a Windows partitioning tool and free some disk space for
> linux to install into. Don't format the disk space as you will
> partition and format it during the linux install.
>
> There are some "free" partitioning tools available for download
> if you don't want to buy one.
>

Be sure to run defrag (thorough mode) at least a couple times to ensure all
the Microsoft Windows OS, applications, and your data files are not
scattered all over the disk before you run the partitioning tool.

--
Free Software Foundation (FSF) Associate Member 499
Linux Counter Statistics: UserID 277671
LindowsOS v4.0 (Linux kernel 2.4.20) Elite-II Zero-Footprint PC

[Xyerp]

"Radu" <alexraduREMOVETHIS@sprint.ca> wrote in message news:<hkC3b.4027$Jf3.46073@newscontent-01.sprint.ca>...

> Hi. I'm (more than) new to Linux - although I'm a seasoned windows user. I
> plan to get Suse 8.2. When I installed win2000 on my computer I've been lazy
> and I've set my whole HD as a single partition - C:
>
> Can I install Linux WITHOUT wiping out all my work on this computer ? I
> mean, will the installation program detect a some free space on my HD (I
> have plenty) and somehow steal that space & change it from NTFS to...
> whatever Linux uses ? Or should I reformat my drive and start from scratch
> (that would mean at least three days of work, in my config) ?
>
> Thank you

Yes, but you will need to "repartition" your drive. If you are just
looking to play before you wipe off Windows, you could try the Knoppix
distro...

[Clive Dove]

David wrote:

> Radu wrote:

>> Hi. I'm (more than) new to Linux - although I'm a seasoned windows
>> user. I plan to get Suse 8.2. When I installed win2000 on my computer
>> I've been lazy and I've set my whole HD as a single partition - C:
>>
>> Can I install Linux WITHOUT wiping out all my work on this computer ?
>> I mean, will the installation program detect a some free space on my
>> HD (I have plenty) and somehow steal that space & change it from NTFS
>> to... whatever Linux uses ? Or should I reformat my drive and start
>> from scratch (that would mean at least three days of work, in my
>> config) ?

>
> Use a Windows partitioning tool and free some disk space for
> linux to install into. Don't format the disk space as you will
> partition and format it during the linux install.
>
> There are some "free" partitioning tools available for download
> if you don't want to buy one.
>

I don't know about SuSe but the Mandrake 9.1 installer will
non-destructively shrink a NTFS partition (or any other windows
filesystem) to make room for linux partitions.
Versions prior to 9.1 could shrink fat32 partitions but not NTFS.

When you install linux, it is also a good idea to set aside a small
fat32 partition (drive letter D:) to use as a file exchange. Linux can
read a NTFS partition but not write to it (yet).

Before shrinking your C: partition, run scandisk and defrag under
windows. This without regard to the partitioning tool that you use.