Partition limits?

[Jorophose]

Can you only make a limited amount of partitions?

I've seen in some places they say that there's a limit of four, but they seem to contradict themselves later, so I'm never certain.

I'm planning to slice up my hard drive into about 6 partitions:
- One for Windows system files (Long story short, parents don't understand what is Linux and why I'd want it)
- One for windows user files
- One for linux swaps
- A shared partition for the entire network
- Kubuntu root files
- kubuntu's /home

Is that possible? Will WindowsXP and Kubuntu recognise both?

[sky]

Re: Partition limits?

Hi,

If I remember well the limit of 4 primary partitions is for windows.
Anyway the way to do it, is to create an extended partition and then add logical partition.
So keep one or two primary partitions and make the others as logicals. Like this you can make almost as many partitions as you want...

Hope it helps

[Jorophose]

Re: Partition limits?

So basicly have like:

Partition1\rootfiles
Partition1\home
Partition1\swap

etc?

Thanks for the reply.

[kubicle]

Re: Partition limits?

If I remember well the limit of 4 primary partitions is for windows.
Anyway the way to do it, is to create an extended partition and then add logical partition.
So keep one or two primary partitions and make the others as logicals. Like this you can make almost as many partitions as you want...

AFAIK the 4 primary partition limit is an MBR limit (the partition table only has 'slots' for 4 partitions...so it's not a windows issue).

Anyway, as mentioned, you can work around this by creating extended partition(s) and creating logical partitions inside them.

Notes:
1. An extended partition counts as a primary partition (reserves one 'slot') so if you have one extended partition, you can only have 3 primary partitions etc.
2. Haven't run into the limit of logical partitions on one extended partition, but I recall reading it is 24 logical partitions on one extended partition (so in most cases a non-issue)
3. This information might be outdated, but I think windows needs to be installed on a primary partition (not on a logical partition)

[penguin.ch]

Re: Partition limits?

Quote from man fdisk:

A DOS type partition table [which is what you are supposed to work with in the case given] can describe an unlimited number of partitions. In sector 0 there is room for the description of 4 partitions (called `primary'). One of these may be an extended partition; this is a box holding logical partitions, with descriptors found in a linked list of sectors, each preceding the corresponding logical partitions. The four primary partitions, present or not, get numbers 1-4. Logical partitions start numbering from 5.

Therefore, I would recommend a layout similar to this one:

# /dev/hda1 - 1st primary - Windoze system (aka "c:" drive)
# /dev/hda2 - 2nd primary - Windoze homes (aka "d:" drive)
# /dev/sda3 - 3rd primary - Shared partition for all systems
# /dev/sda4 - 4rd primary - containter for logical partitions
# /dev/sda5 - 1st logical - Linux system - swap space
# /dev/sda6 - 2nd logical - Linux system - root system
# /dev/sda7 - 3rd logical - Linux system - user homes

Hint: if possible, refrain from the usage of the NTFS file system, thereby making in easier to maintain the Windoze system (e.g. occasionally kicking out unwanted guests) from the Linux "side of live" 8)

HTH
Birdy

[sky]

Re: Partition limits?

So I my memories were not good Sorry, anyway there's workaround to get really much more than 4 partitions...
Thanks kubicle for precising it.

Cheers