How should I partition this drive.

[drdoom]

I dug up an old 320 gig drive and I want to partition it so I can install Windows 7 and Linux. The only reason for Windows 7 will be DX11. I have three 1TB NTFS drives in the system so storage will not be an issue on the boot drive.

[bldegle2]

90/70/160, assuming Linux has a smaller install footprint..

win7/Lin/pagefile and more storage...

or,

divide/2, LOL

or,

the OS that gets the most clutter gets the larger partition...

I need some coffee..

laterzzzz...

[James]

If not planning on storing anything on the OS drive, simply do 50/50. If you have the desire, you can also use ext3 vs. ext4. That way, both systems could see both partitions. (Using an ext2 driver for windows,for example.)

[drdoom]

I don't need Windows to see the Linux partition just Linux to see windows. That does not seem to be an issue with my current install of Ubuntu.

[RobartGilbert]

Hi drdoom,

Before you partition and format your hard disk, make sure that you do the following:

If you are using a SATA hard disk, skip this step and go to the "Determine the type of file system that you want to use" section. If you are using an IDE hard disk, set the jumpers and the cabling according to the role of the hard disk (for example, master or subordinate) and make any required BIOS (or CMOS) changes. To set the jumpers and cabling, and make any required BIOS or CMOS changes, see the documentation that was included with your hard disk and motherboard, or contact the manufacturers.

You can use either the NTFS or FAT file systems.
If the hard disk already contains data, back it up
If the hard disk has a drive overlay or a disk management program, make sure that it is compatible
If you have software that you want to reinstall, verify that you have the disks
You can use the Windows XP Setup program to partition and format the hard disk.

Thanks | see if this helps

[RobartGilbert]

Hi drdoom,

You can use your operating system disk to make partition. Before you partition and format your hard disk, make sure that you do the following: Prepare the hard disk according to the manufacturer's instructions Determine the type of file system that you want to use.
If the hard disk already contains data, back it up. If the hard disk has a drive overlay or a disk management program, make sure that it is compatible

Thanks | see if this helps

[drdoom]

If not planning on storing anything on the OS drive, simply do 50/50. If you have the desire, you can also use ext3 vs. ext4. That way, both systems could see both partitions. (Using an ext2 driver for windows,for example.)

I'm using some freeware partition software and it give the option of NTFS, ext3 and ext4 as the file system. Which would give both Linux access to Windows but not the other way around and which gives both OS's access?

[Vindir]

You're stuck with NTFS for the windows install so linux will have access.

For the linux side:

• An ext2 or ext3 system for the linux install will let you set up windows to read/write through a few third-party drivers of varying quality.
• If you want to give windows read-only access to linux an ext4 partition is supported for reads with the same drivers as above for now.
• If you want to cut windows off from the linux install go with btrfs or xfs or resierfs or the like.

[James]

[*]If you want to give windows read-only access to linux an ext4 partition is supported for reads with the same drivers as above for now.

They have Windows drivers for ext4 now? I thought native extents broke compatibility with the ext2/3 drivers that were available.

[Vindir]

They have Windows drivers for ext4 now? I thought native extents broke compatibility with the ext2/3 drivers that were available.

Yeah, ext2read supports both ext4 and lvm2 for read-only mounts now. It was added in almost 2 years ago now, it just didn't get much fanfare.

[kujoe2002]

I have ubuntu on a 500GB SATA HDD (disk 2) partitioned to hold win 8 and mint as well. They all (but mint show up fine on the boot. I setup a 50GB partition for ubuntu as NTFS. It runs fine. It only took 3.2GB of the 50GB I partitioned. If the HDD is 320, this is what I would do:

part (x): 80GB NTFS Ubuntu
Part (x): 200GB NTFS Win 7
rest setup as data sector or free space. You can change the 80 to 120 (true 120GB) incase you think you are going to install many programs on ubuntu. If you are going to run a lot of programs on ubuntu, then I would run two partitions both at NTFS split equally (roughly 160 GB each)

[James]

Personally, I wouldn't plan on running any Linux in the long term off of an NTFS r/w partition as the boot/root partition. Maybe that's FUD talking, but I've seen way too many linux systems eat NTFS partitions after they have been heavily used.

[Vindir]

Installing linux to an NTFS partition sounds like a bad idea all around. Quick googling didn't come up with much, but I assume if it's working for Ubuntu they're doing a wubi style install and you're basically wrapping up a virtual disk on top of the ntfs partition. NTFS doesn't store the proper metadata to handle linux permissions and file access entries.

edit: Assuming it is a wubi install awful performance is the most obvious reason to not do it that way - http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...ubi_1010&num=4

[drdoom]

I have ubuntu on a 500GB SATA HDD (disk 2) partitioned to hold win 8 and mint as well. They all (but mint show up fine on the boot. I setup a 50GB partition for ubuntu as NTFS. It runs fine. It only took 3.2GB of the 50GB I partitioned. If the HDD is 320, this is what I would do:

part (x): 80GB NTFS Ubuntu
Part (x): 200GB NTFS Win 7
rest setup as data sector or free space. You can change the 80 to 120 (true 120GB) incase you think you are going to install many programs on ubuntu. If you are going to run a lot of programs on ubuntu, then I would run two partitions both at NTFS split equally (roughly 160 GB each)

I want to give Linux as much dedicated space as possible since Win7 will be a secondary OS. Storage space for Win7 will not be a problem since the computer has 3 other NTFS 1Tb drives. One of them has a 75gig WinXP OS partition. All other space is for storage. Would 100Gb be sufficient for Win7?

[kujoe2002]

Installing linux to an NTFS partition sounds like a bad idea all around. Quick googling didn't come up with much, but I assume if it's working for Ubuntu they're doing a wubi style install and you're basically wrapping up a virtual disk on top of the ntfs partition. NTFS doesn't store the proper metadata to handle linux permissions and file access entries.

edit: Assuming it is a wubi install awful performance is the most obvious reason to not do it that way - http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...ubi_1010&num=4

I'm not running mine WUBI style and it's functioning fine for me.