Could anybody give me some partitioning advice?
I installed Linux Mint 13 onto a clean PC a while ago. Now I'd like to dual-boot with Debian (minimal, netinst) to try out different wm's and desktops etc, and get to know it a bit.
I'd like to keep my Mint installation (my kids have Minecraft, and all sorts of things on WINE, so restoring backups is last resort!) so I'd like to resize partitions nondestructively. I had a look at the Mint partitions, and I'm not really sure where to start and I'm worried about breaking something, so I thought I'd ask first.
Is there a quick guide to doing this (or something similar)?
Thanks,
Karl
I want to dual-boot Debian and Mint
Forum rules
There are no such things as "stupid" questions. However if you think your question is a bit stupid, then this is the right place for you to post it. Stick to easy to-the-point questions that you feel people can answer fast. For long and complicated questions use the other forums in the support section.
Before you post read how to get help. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
There are no such things as "stupid" questions. However if you think your question is a bit stupid, then this is the right place for you to post it. Stick to easy to-the-point questions that you feel people can answer fast. For long and complicated questions use the other forums in the support section.
Before you post read how to get help. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
I want to dual-boot Debian and Mint
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Re: I want to dual-boot Debian and Mint
I'm sure there's a guide, but I'll leave that to someone more familiar.
If you don't want to lose data, boot through a live CD/DVD and resize the partition from there. Don't move partitions if you don't have to; in my experience this causes more problems than actually resizing.
Also, don't cancel after you start. Make sure you have the right dimensions before you begin resizing.
Be wary if you're considering using a live USB. More than once I've had the USB stop receiving power during the middle of a resize, causing loss of data. Never happened with a CD or DVD.
That being said, it could just be a problem with my flash drives and not with live booting USBs in general. Just a word of caution.
If you don't want to lose data, boot through a live CD/DVD and resize the partition from there. Don't move partitions if you don't have to; in my experience this causes more problems than actually resizing.
Also, don't cancel after you start. Make sure you have the right dimensions before you begin resizing.
Be wary if you're considering using a live USB. More than once I've had the USB stop receiving power during the middle of a resize, causing loss of data. Never happened with a CD or DVD.
That being said, it could just be a problem with my flash drives and not with live booting USBs in general. Just a word of caution.
Re: I want to dual-boot Debian and Mint
You probably need to consider CLONE your hard disk OS partition.karmafarmer wrote: I'd like to keep my Mint installation (my kids have Minecraft, and all sorts of things on WINE, so restoring backups is last resort!)
read this post and link for common options
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=124703
I would NOT want to say there is such thing as nondestructive partitioning..so I'd like to resize partitions nondestructively.
Any partitioning method, would carry a risk of loss of data or making OS partition unbootable.
All you need areIs there a quick guide to doing this (or something similar)?
1. a USB drive that had large enough space to clone your existing hard disk OS installation
2. choose a method to clone your existing hard disk OS installation.
3. then you are in a position to do some partitioning work on the hard disk.
Re: I want to dual-boot Debian and Mint
Code: Select all
$ sudo apt-get install virtualbox-4.2
Re: I want to dual-boot Debian and Mint
Thanks for all the replies. After considering a virtualbox, a USB clone, etc, I've decided I actually had my heart set on a dual-boot. I'm not (entirely) uncomfortable with Debian, I've installed it and use it on my laptop, it's just that I've always had a clean hard drive to play with.
Since my lappy only has 128MB RAM, it's no good for what I want to do, so I'd like to (if I can), boot into a liveCD (preferably with Mint), resize my desktop's partitions and install Debian on there. Hopefully when I boot up Mint it will still be there.
I don't mind the risk of losing data, as I have everything backed up, I'd just prefer there to be the chance of not having to, so if there's anything I can do to preserve the data, I'd rather do that
So far, from what I gather, I boot into a LiveCD, resize the necessary partition(s) without moving them, then boot into Debian CD and install from there?
A few questions, if that's ok:-
Which partition(s) should I resize? I'm not sure how Mint's installation sets things up, but it was a clean install on an empty hard drive.
What's my next step?
Thanks again for the help,
Karl
Since my lappy only has 128MB RAM, it's no good for what I want to do, so I'd like to (if I can), boot into a liveCD (preferably with Mint), resize my desktop's partitions and install Debian on there. Hopefully when I boot up Mint it will still be there.
I don't mind the risk of losing data, as I have everything backed up, I'd just prefer there to be the chance of not having to, so if there's anything I can do to preserve the data, I'd rather do that
So far, from what I gather, I boot into a LiveCD, resize the necessary partition(s) without moving them, then boot into Debian CD and install from there?
A few questions, if that's ok:-
Which partition(s) should I resize? I'm not sure how Mint's installation sets things up, but it was a clean install on an empty hard drive.
Code: Select all
Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders, total 156301488 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00044536
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 148080639 74039296 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 148082686 156301311 4109313 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 148082688 156301311 4109312 82 Linux swap / Solaris
Thanks again for the help,
Karl
Re: I want to dual-boot Debian and Mint
OK, you know the risk.karmafarmer wrote:
I don't mind the risk of losing data, as I have everything backed up, I'd just prefer there to be the chance of not having to, so if there's anything I can do to preserve the data, I'd rather do that
Now, you must have a USB drive that can backup.
Just run Live DVD or Debian/mint/partedmagic or any linux DVD you have, run gparted, copy the whole internal hard disk's /dev/sda1 and paste to USB unallocated space, when complete, you have a CLONE of your /dev/sda1 .
from your fdisk data, your root is on /dev/sda1, which has the largest size, some 70+G.So far, from what I gather, I boot into a LiveCD, resize the necessary partition(s) without moving them, then boot into Debian CD and install from there?
A few questions, if that's ok:-
Which partition(s) should I resize? I'm not sure how Mint's installation sets things up, but it was a clean install on an empty hard drive.
What's my next step?Code: Select all
Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/sda1 * 2048 148080639 74039296 83 Linux
So you would shrink this /dev/sda1 and create a 10G-20G space for Debian installation.
Then, boot laptop from Debian CD, and install from there.
Since you mentioned Debian (minimal, netinst), I just want to put a few notes for you, skip reading if you are already experienced dealing with Debian netinstall.
if you have not yet experienced how to install from Debian netinst, you might want to know that you MUST have internet access to start with, and have a lot of free time.
In order that you have internet, your internet access with wired lan must work out of the box with Debian , that is, your wired LAN is already supported by the Debian 'free', default kernel.
Else, you would need to have non-free-firmware preinstalled.
If you do not mind an easier path, then, google and get a Debian Live CD, which can check internet, etc in live mode and let you play before install.
Or, even easier, get a un-official Debian iso,http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unoff ... -firmware/
this one is the easier, because it has non-free-firmware already preloaded, save much trouble.