cfdisk question

[jimlynch11]

im trying to install gentoo over and existing linux partition on my WinXP dual boot machine. when i go to cfdisk the linux partitions i get the followeing error message:
"No partition table or unknown signature on partition table.
Do you wish to start with a zero table y/N?"
what should i do, keeping in mind that i dont want to lose my windows partition at any cost. I tried simply doing mkswap for the swap drive, etc, and that seemed to work fine, but I have to format to erase all the existing data because I want to start from scratch. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[chadders]

Did you maybe put partition number on cfdisk command, like cfdisk /dev/hda1 or something? Leave off the partition number cuz partition table isnt in a partition. Try cfdisk /dev/hda without partition number.

Chad :D

[jimlynch11]

wouldnt this erase my windows partition, which is /dev/hda1


how do i just format a single partition rather than the whole drive?

[chadders]

cfdisk doesnt format anything. It just gives space for partitions. At the beginning of your harddisk is a partition table. It tells your computer where on the disk the partitions are at. Formatting partition uses mke2fs or mkfs command.

So, when you run cfdisk it lets you delete space for partitions, give space for new partitions and change type of space for partitions, stuff like that. When you START CFDISK you tell it the DISK that the partition table is on that you want to change. Thats /dev/hda not /dev/hda1.

I'm kinda guessing that your windows partition is taking up the whole disk.
If your /dev/hda1 windows partition is taking up your whole harddisk then you gotta make it smaller so you have space to define more partitions for gentoo. cfdisk cant make your partition windows smaller. To do that you got to use something like Partition Magic or reinstall windows.

Chad