Install - Filesystem

half · n00b Joined: 28 Jul 2004 Posts: 3

Hi!

For the first time in my life I am trying to install linux. The machine I have had windows on it before (one partion on a 2gig hdd, yeah the machine is old). Now I wonder if the fat32 filesystem on the hdd will cause me trubbel? Is there a way to reformat my hdd using a linux filesystem before I install gentoo? I understand that there are a few filesystems out there for linux. If I am out in the blue please correct me with what to do.

I am a real nooob so please be gentle!

Thx and hoping for response

widu · Guru Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Posts: 333 Location: Freiburg

If you boot from a liveCD simply use fdisk to partition you harddisk first - if you want to. There are of course several tools to reformat partitions. For the beginning I would recommend ext3 as filesystem, because I never ever had any trouble with it. to set up an ext3 filesystem on e.g. /dev/hda1 (wich is the first partition on your first hd) simply type

Maedhros · Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:33 am Post subject:

Hi there!

I'm assuming you don't want Windows on this computer anymore, so you can do whatever you wish to the hard-disk? What I think you're looking for is this part of the Installation Guide:
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=4

It'll tell you how to set up the disk, etc. Basically, setting up the partitions and filesystems is part of the install; you don't have to do it first. I personally use cfdisk instead of fdisk though - it's a much more intuitive program!

(Note: this wasn't a "RTFM n00b!" post - it's just that the Handbook explains things better than I can!

)
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half · n00b Joined: 28 Jul 2004 Posts: 3

Hi !

Thnx alot for the answers.. I´ll look into it right away. Feels like I have som reading to do

Again, thx alot!