Appendix E. An Introduction to Disk Partitions

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E.1.4.2. Using Space from an Unused Partition

In this case, maybe you have one or more partitions that you do not use any longer. Perhaps you have

dabbled with another operating system in the past, and the partition(s) you dedicated to it never seem

to be used anymore. Figure E 9, illustrates such a situation.

Figure E 9. Disk Drive With an Unused Partition

If you find yourself in this situation, you can use the space allocated to the unused partition. You will

first need to delete the partition, and then create the appropriate Linux partition(s) in its place. You

can either delete the partition using the DOS

fdisk

command, or you will be given the opportunity

to do so during a custom installation.

E.1.4.3. Using Free Space from an Active Partition

This is the most common situation. It is also, unfortunately, the hardest to handle. The main problem

is that, even if you have enough free space, it is presently allocated to a partition that is already in use.

If you purchased a computer with pre installed software, the hard disk most likely has one massive

partition holding the operating system and data.

Aside from adding a new hard drive to your system, you have two choices:

Destructive Repartitioning

Basically, you delete the single large partition and create several smaller ones. As you might

imagine, any data you had in the original partition is destroyed. This means that making a com 

plete backup is necessary. For your own sake, make two backups, use verification (if available in

your backup software), and try to read data from your backup before you delete the partition.

Caution

If there was an operating system of some type installed on that partition, it will need to be

reinstalled as well. Be aware that some computers sold with pre installed operating systems

may not include the CD ROM media to reinstall the original operating system. The best time to

notice if this applies to your system is before you destroy your original partition and its operating

system installation.

After creating a smaller partition for your existing software, you can reinstall any software, re 

store your data, and continue your Red Hat Linux installation. Figure E 10 shows this being

done.