Ubuntu on T30. Hard disk size mistery

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Manuel · #1 Post by **Manuel** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:29 am

Hi, I have a ThinkPad T30 2366-R7G with Windows XP. I would like to install Ubuntu 6.10 in dual boot. My hard disk is a 40 GB drive but the Ubuntu partition/install tool is unable to see the full disk size. More precisely I get the following situation:
/dev/hda (37,26 GiB)
--> /dev/hda1 ntfs 35.58 (boot)
--> /dev/hda2 fat32 1,68 (hidden, lba)

The partition tool included in the Ubuntu CD gets the hidden partition but something is missing (2,74 GiB). Why?

K0LO · #2 Post by **K0LO** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:26 am

40 GB = 37,26 GiB

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibibyte

Turbo Audi · #3 Post by **Turbo Audi** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:40 am

Yup, thats how binary works.

Ummm this missing partition....could it be the hidden recovery partition from IBM? Your swap file will be 2gb when installing as well.

K0LO · #4 Post by **K0LO** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:57 am

It doesn't look like he's missing anything:

hda1 = 35.58 GiB (Windows partition)
hda2 = 1.68 GiB (recovery partition)
Total = 37.26 GiB

37.26 GiB x 1.073 = 40 GB

Manuel · #5 Post by **Manuel** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:03 am

k0lo wrote:40 GB = 37,26 GiB

Wonderful! So Ubuntu 6.10 partition tool gets the full disk! hda1 is the main partition where Windows XP is installed and hda2 is the hidden IBM fat32 partition for the factory restore. That's all: 40 GB.

This is my plan to install Ubuntu in dual boot. The first move will be to delete the IBM hidden partition hda2 since I have the IBM CDs to restore the system if needed. Then I will implement the following partitions on my hard disk:

1) NTFS - Windows XP Pro (resized to 15 GB)
2) EXT3 - Ubuntu (14 GB)
3) SWAP (1 GB)
4) FAT 32 - Shared (10 GB)

I have only a doubt: do I have to explicitely create the SWAP partition or it is automatically created by Ubuntu install process? And, if automatically created, where can I decide his size (1GB=2*RAM)?
Thanks

K0LO · #6 Post by **K0LO** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:08 am

The installer will let you create partitions, including swap. If you use the "Alternate Install CD" for Ubuntu instead of the "Desktop CD" version, you will have more control over the partitioning process.

Turbo Audi · #7 Post by **Turbo Audi** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:17 am

Sounds like you have a grasp on it, its very easy. Let us know if you have any troubles. I have done this 1,000 times, its fun.

Manuel · #8 Post by **Manuel** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:19 am

I'm using the Desktop CD. I've read I could create a second ext3 partition (mount point /boot). Is it really necessary?

Manuel · #9 Post by **Manuel** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 4:15 pm

Is FAT32 really necessary? I've just read that I could format the shared partition as NTSF and use the NTFS-3G driver to write from Ubuntu.

Turbo Audi · #10 Post by **Turbo Audi** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:54 pm

Manuel wrote:Is FAT32 really necessary? I've just read that I could format the shared partition as NTSF and use the NTFS-3G driver to write from Ubuntu.

Check this thread. Ubuntu uses the EXT3 file system, apparently there is a driver that lets Windows use the same partition. Let us know if it works out.

http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread. ... +partition

Manuel · #11 Post by **Manuel** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:57 am

Here is the setup I will implement:

hda [40GB]
> hda1 - ntfs - /media/win [10GB]
> hda2 - ext3 - / [10GB]
> hda5 - fat32 - /data [9GB]
> hda6 - swap - swap [1GB]

hda1 and hda2 are primary partitions placed at the beginning of the disk
hda5 and hda6 are logical partitions placed at the end of the disk

****

Just 2 doubts:

1) Can two primary partitions see each other? Otherwise I will change hda2 to a logical partition.

2) Does make any sense to place the shared FAT32 (as a primary partition) between the Windows and the Linux partitions (not at the end of the disk as a logical partition) to speed up access to data from the two operating systems?

Thanks

K0LO · #12 Post by **K0LO** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:55 am

Manuel:

The arrangement that you have chosen should work fine.

Windows will not see hda2; only hda1 and hda5. Of course, if you want it to see hda2 you can install a driver in Windows that will let you see ext3 filesystems.

Ubuntu will be able to see all of the partitions. You will be able to mount hda1 and read your ntfs files if you so desire.

There is no difference in speed between primary and logical partitions. The location on the disk will matter somewhat, but unless you're trying to eke out the last millisecond in access time, I wouldn't worry about it.

Manuel · #13 Post by **Manuel** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:50 am

Just a note: Ubuntu 7.04 can read and write files on the NTFS drives commonly used by Windows. So no need for FAT32 with the next Ubuntu release

Jedacite · #14 Post by **Jedacite** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:27 pm

Manuel wrote:Is FAT32 really necessary? I've just read that I could format the shared partition as NTSF and use the NTFS-3G driver to write from Ubuntu.

I don't think so strictly speaking, there are the drivers to let you write to your ext3 drive in Windows, and your NTFS drive under Linux (NTFS-3G is one of them.)

You probably want to start with Fat32 as it will be easier to do (especially if you are new to Linux) and that Fat32 driver can always be converted to NTFS later when you are comfortable with everything (or when the new Ubuntu comes out, assuming it has easier enabling of write mode for NTFS.)

Ubuntu on T30. Hard disk size mistery

Ubuntu on T30. Hard disk size mistery

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