Download What Is Linux?

developer.com - Reference
can't currently use X sectors of this partition. This warning was in
early versions of Linux that couldn't handle filesystems larger
than 64K and can be ignored.
After you have created the Linux partition, assign it a type. Some versions of fdisk prompt
for this information right away, and others let you select the option to assign filesystem
types from the fdisk menu. In either case, the letter l will display all known filesystem
types. Choose the one that designates a Linux swap space (number 82), and check the
partition table. Figure 3.4 shows the filesystem types supported by the version of Linux
included with this book. As you can see, many filesystem types are allowed, although most
users will only use the DOS, Linux swap, and Linux data types. The other filesystem types
were included in earlier versions of Linux for compatibility with other operating systems.
Figure 3.4.
The filesystem types supported by Linux, identified by type number and description.
Your Linux swap space partition should have the correct size and partition type when you
display the partition table with the p command. Although Linux doesn't care about the
partition type numbers, some other operating systems do note them, so it's a good practice
to label them correctly in order to prevent future problems. This practice also helps you
keep the partition table organized.
Next, create your primary Linux filesystem partition in the same manner. If you want to use
the rest of the disk drive for that partition, you can enter the end sector number of your
drive (Linux's fdisk will tell you the range you can use). This number would be the usual
default if your hard drive has a DOS, Linux swap space, and Linux filesystem partition on
it. After you have created the Linux filesystem partition, identify its filetype as 82, which is
a Linux native type. You can display the partition table at any time with the p command
(inside fdisk only). Figure 3.5 shows a partition table set up on a 2.4G SCSI hard drive
(/dev/sda), which has 500M for DOS (/dev/sda1), a 16M Linux swap space partition
(/dev/sda2), and the rest of the drive for Linux data (/dev/sda3).
Figure 3.5.
A completed partition table with DOS and Linux sharing a large (2.4G) drive.
Make a note of the size of the swap space and filesystem partitions, in blocks, as you will
need this information later. You can read this information straight from the partition table.
After you create the Linux partitions and are satisfied with the partition table layout, save
and exit fdisk. Make sure you write the table to disk with the w command. If you don't save
the information, you will have to repeat the process again.
Enabling the Swap Space for Installation
Linux's installation routine requires a good chunk of RAM to proceed. If you have 4M of
http://24.19.55.56:8080/temp/lsg03.htm (15 of 28) [3/17/2001 7:42:46 PM]