by wobo » Jan 24th, '13, 13:53
Rhis is only one aspect of the problem.
The main rule is, as the doktor already said: DO NOT mix tools for partitioning the same harddisk! Repeat this 100x while powering up your system every day.
One reason is the different way gparted and other tools and diskdrake work. We found that out early in 2004 or 2005 during a linux event where Frank Hoffmann held a speech about different distributions and I was there as visitor. Result:
You start with diskdrake on a fresh harddisk.
You define 3 primary partitions and an extended partition. On this extended partition you define one logical drive and leave the rest of the harddisk free. Now, what happens is that diskdrake only defines the extended partition as far as this logical drive goes. If you add a second logical drive later, diskdrake extends the extemded partition up to the end of that logical drive.
Now, what happens if you boot another distribution and you use that distribution's tool, like gparted to add another logical drive on the free space of the harddisk? It doesn't work, the toll will tell you that there is no room available. Because 3 primary partitions are used and the extended partition is defined by diskdrake, but the other tool does not recognize this extended partition as "extendable" or "variable" as it is defined by diskdrake. Tested and reproduced there and again the same issue hit me during last year's FrOSCon when I wanted to install Debian (or was it Fedora?).
wobo
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And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter
(Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin)