How to partition my disk ?

Élisabeth · 2021-09-18 18:28:15

What about ext4 as rolfie suggested?

rolfie · 2021-09-18 19:20:22

I am sorry I don't get what you are doing, and why you have problems like not being able to set the boot flag and why ext4 isn't available. Are you using Manual Partitioning? This is recommended for an individual setup as you like it.

Steps:
1.) Highlight the disk where you want to install (sda, nvme....) and press Return (RET). You should be asked if you want to create a new partition table. Say yes and choose gpt (I just did that in a VM). May you have created partitions already, does not matter, they are getting deleted.
2.) When thats done, in the next screen you should see the disk and below that a line that says free space xxx GB. Move the cursor to the free space and press RET.
3.) On the next screen select "Create a new partition", press RET. Specify 256M as size, Beginning. Press RET.
4.) On the next screen first scroll down to Use As (ext4 should be presented as default). Press RET. You should get a list with 15 choices starting with ext4, ext3, ..... , Do not use.
5.) Select EFI System Partition and press RET. You should get a screen where the name is empty, the bootable flag is already set. You can't specify any mount point here, this is done automagically by the install process.
6.) Move the cursor up to the Name field, press return and call it e.g. EFISystem.
7.) Move the cursor down to "Done setting up the Partition" and press RET.
8.) On the next screen move the cursor to the large free space below the EFI partition. Press RET. Specify 64G, beginning, RET. Note: the installer leaves 1M empty before the EFI partition.
9.) Again you should see a screen that starts with Name, then Use as (you should see ext4 as default). You should leave everything at default, and just modify Name and Label. When you are happy move down the cursor to "Done setting up the Partition" and press RET.
10.) Same game for the swap partition. Specify 16G and beginning. USE as Swap partition. Done RET.
11.) Same game for /home. Slect the rest of the disk, Use as ext4, mount point /home. Done RET.
12.) Move cursor to "Finish partitioning..." and RET.

Now you should have the disk split up in 256M EFI System, 64G for /, 16G for Swap and the rest for /home.

rolfie

Last edited by rolfie (2021-09-18 19:51:41)

Élisabeth · 2021-09-18 20:28:37

rolfie wrote:

I am sorry I don't get what you are doing, and why you have problems like not being able to set the boot flag and why ext4 isn't available. Are you using Manual Partitioning? This is recommended for an individual setup as you like it.
Steps:
1.) Highlight the disk where you want to install (sda, nvme....) and press Return (RET). You should be asked if you want to create a new partition table. Say yes and choose gpt (I just did that in a VM). May you have created partitions already, does not matter, they are getting deleted.
2.) When thats done, in the next screen you should see the disk and below that a line that says free space xxx GB. Move the cursor to the free space and press RET.
3.) On the next screen select "Create a new partition", press RET. Specify 256M as size, Beginning. Press RET.

That's exactly what I did.

rolfie wrote:

4.) On the next screen first scroll down to Use As (ext4 should be presented as default). Press RET. You should get a list with 15 choices starting with ext4, ext3, ..... , Do not use.
5.) Select EFI System Partition and press RET. You should get a screen where the name is empty, the bootable flag is already set. You can't specify any mount point here, this is done automagically by the install process.
6.) [...]
7.) [...]

There were at most 8 choices (ext2, FAT23, swap, ...) but no ext3 or ext4 and I'm sure no EFI System Partition.
I chose FAT32 as you wrote earlier that the EFI partition will be formatted as such.

rolfie wrote:

8.) On the next screen move the cursor to the large free space below the EFI partition. Press RET. Specify 64G, beginning, RET. Note: the installer leaves 1M empty before the EFI partition.
9.) Again you should see a screen that starts with Name, then Use as (you should see ext4 as default). You should leave everything at default, and just modify Name and Label. When you are happy move down the cursor to "Done setting up the Partition" and press RET.

Again, no ext4 or ext3 available.

rolfie wrote:

10.) Same game for the swap partition. Specify 16G and beginning. USE as Swap partition. Done RET.

Yes. That's what I did.

rolfie wrote:

Now you should have the disk split up in 256M EFI System, 64G for /, 16G for Swap and the rest for /home.

I did not proceed because of the above but that's the partition sizes I would have ended up with.
I followed exactly this procedure. The dialogs are exactly as you described. It's just that ext4 and EFI System weren't available as options.

rolfie · 2021-09-18 20:43:41

Haven't got any further ideas. Your install is behaving un-normal. That no EFI partition is possible may be due to that the installer possibly is started in legacy mode. But why ext3 and ext4 as options are missing?

Maybe some of the issue are due to the fact that you need to start the installer with an additional stick being present.

rolfie

Last edited by rolfie (2021-09-18 20:44:14)

Élisabeth · 2021-09-18 20:53:41

I just tried it again and photographed the partitioning screens.

How to use this partition:
Ext2
FAT16
FAT32
swap area
Reserved BIOS boot area
do not use this partition

I even took the Debian stick out before I got there.

Élisabeth · 2021-09-18 20:55:44

rolfie wrote:

Your install is behaving un-normal. That no EFI partition is possible may be due to that the installer possibly is started in legacy mode.

Right at the beginning when I am presented with the initial installation screen, it says in the top left corner that I'M in UEFI installation mode.

Élisabeth · 2021-09-18 21:00:19

I should go through the Debian installation process and see what options I'm being offered.

Élisabeth · 2021-09-18 21:02:39

What irony: In my previous experience ThinkPad was a safe bet for Linux conversion.
It was damned hard tracking one down in France (lots in Germany but I wanted a French illuminated keyboard).

Élisabeth · 2021-09-18 21:29:40

Élisabeth wrote:

I should go through the Debian installation process and see what options I'm being offered.

Expert install does not offer partitioning, at leat not before commencing the installation.

ralph.ronnquist · 2021-09-18 21:31:10

@Élisabeth it appears you are using "Expert install" method and are skipping the "load components" step. (Otherwise you would have an ext4 formatting option).

May advice on that would be: Don't.

The plain "install" method works fine for the overwhelming majority of cases and it's only if you really insist on some special peculiarity during the installation procedure that you would use "Expert install". I know that some people feel good about running an "Expert install" even though their need for that is nil, but if you do, you will need to explicitly take all the steps that are needed (which presupposes knowing which they are).

Obviously I might be wrong in my guesswork and in that case you should just ignore me.

golinux · 2021-09-18 21:53:38

@Élisabeth . . . Have you looked at the install guide on the website? There are images of the installation screens and comments too. I am pretty sure that instructions are the same for chimaera.

Élisabeth · 2021-09-18 22:20:00

ralph.ronnquist wrote:

@Élisabeth it appears you are using "Expert install" method and are skipping the "load components" step. (Otherwise you would have an ext4 formatting option).
May advice on that would be: Don't. [...]

You're right. I skipped load components.
My understanding was you have to use Expert install to partition the disk as suggested above.
You might be right that that is overkill for the normal user - I don't know.
Up until the partitioning everything the options were clear.
I would need to see whether the default Installation offers me setting up locales, for example. (en_GB + fr_FR with French keyboard).

I'll look at load components and plain Install tomorrow.
Thanks for the tips.

Élisabeth · 2021-09-18 22:21:27

golinux wrote:

@Élisabeth . . . Have you looked at the install guide on the website? There are images of the installation screens and comments too.

Of course !
Partitioning is not detailed there.

golinux · 2021-09-18 22:33:33

Duh . . . sorry for the noise. FWIW, I always pre-partition my disks and then just point the installer to the appropriate ones. But then I most often install with the "live" iso (and not very often).

Élisabeth · 2021-09-18 22:35:55

ralph.ronnquist wrote:

@Élisabeth it appears you are using "Expert install" method and are skipping the "load components" step. (Otherwise you would have an ext4 formatting option)..

I couldn't resist giving it a quick try. You're a genius!

I selected a couple of components.
And all of a sudden the installation process was populated with setting clock and users.

And ... the partitioning options appeared.

Last edited by Élisabeth (2021-09-18 22:36:28)

ralph.ronnquist · 2021-09-19 00:37:51

Élisabeth wrote:

My understanding was you have to use Expert install to partition the disk as suggested above.

Just for the sake of clarity: All partitioning choices, options and methods are available equally with "default install" and "expert install".

The "expert install" method merely offers a richer potential of confusion, and (admittedly) some few additional choice dialogues that pretty much everyone will chose the defaults for anyhow. Even those who would insist on using LILO as boot method can use the "default install" and then escape to the "expert install" level for the boot system installation step. If you necessarily need to use "expert install" you are one of a single-handed handful.

The labeling of "expert" for the "expert install" method is a misnomer because the expert would chose the default method almost always. Maybe it should better have been called the "unusual install" method.

Élisabeth · 2021-09-19 03:03:44

ralph.ronnquist wrote:

Just for the sake of clarity: All partitioning choices, options and methods are available equally with "default install" and "expert install".

That's good to know. Will look at that later.
Undoubtedly, some choose Expert Install to feel better.

PedroReina · 2021-09-19 08:54:01

ralph.ronnquist wrote:

I know that some people feel good about running an "Expert install" even though their need for that is nil

Just for the record, I feel at home using Expert install. I like to see all the options and answer all the cuestions. I did so in my first Debian instalation as a teaching tool for mysef and I do now (20+ years later) to see easily what is going on. Just my 0.02 currency units.

Élisabeth · 2021-09-19 14:19:06

PedroReina wrote:

ralph.ronnquist wrote:
I know that some people feel good about running an "Expert install" even though their need for that is nil
Just for the record, I feel at home using Expert install. I like to see all the options and answer all the cuestions. I did so in my first Debian instalation as a teaching tool for mysef and I do now (20+ years later) to see easily what is going on. Just my 0.02 currency units.

Good strategy, Pedro.

By the way I worked in Madrid for a few weeks; I ported a relational database to a UNIX system for the Catastro.

Élisabeth · 2021-09-19 22:16:12

Miracle - I have a bootable Devuan system, even with manually configured internet access via ethernet.

In the end I went down the expert install route as Pedro suggested and found it straightforward enough.

I used to have a highly customised Debian system on my previous laptop, which died a year ago. I'll have lots to figure out and install to get back what I had before.

But for starters bloody Windows is gone.

Thank you, thank you for your patience !

PedroReina · 2021-09-20 08:59:06

Élisabeth wrote:

I ported a relational database to a UNIX system for the Catastro.

Good to know. Congratulations

Magnus · 2021-09-21 14:07:52

Élisabeth wrote:

I used to have a highly customised Debian system on my previous laptop, which died a year ago. I'll have lots to figure out and install to get back what I had before.

If you still have the disk with the system you can copy the old system to the new computer. Use the "cp -a" command. Then change /etc/fstab and /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/resume to the new computers partitions. Then you may have to install some drivers to. That's it.

Élisabeth · 2021-09-21 16:28:31

Magnus wrote:

Élisabeth wrote:
I used to have a highly customised Debian system on my previous laptop, which died a year ago. I'll have lots to figure out and install to get back what I had before.
If you still have the disk with the system you can copy the old system to the new computer. Use the "cp -a" command. Then change /etc/fstab and /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/resume to the new computers partitions. Then you may have to install some drivers to. That's it.

The old disk died. Hence the new laptop. I just have an old backup.
I wish I could get just one file off that disk but I have been told it's unrecoverable.

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#26 2021-09-18 18:28:15

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#27 2021-09-18 19:20:22

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#28 2021-09-18 20:28:37

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#29 2021-09-18 20:43:41

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#30 2021-09-18 20:53:41

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#31 2021-09-18 20:55:44

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#32 2021-09-18 21:00:19

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#33 2021-09-18 21:02:39

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#34 2021-09-18 21:29:40

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#35 2021-09-18 21:31:10

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#36 2021-09-18 21:53:38

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#37 2021-09-18 22:20:00

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#38 2021-09-18 22:21:27

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#39 2021-09-18 22:33:33

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#40 2021-09-18 22:35:55

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#41 2021-09-19 00:37:51

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#42 2021-09-19 03:03:44

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#43 2021-09-19 08:54:01

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#44 2021-09-19 14:19:06

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#45 2021-09-19 22:16:12

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#46 2021-09-20 08:59:06

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#47 2021-09-21 14:07:52

Re: How to partition my disk ?

#48 2021-09-21 16:28:31

Re: How to partition my disk ?

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