Step by step learning to format everything and re-install from scratch

[cp2819]

ok great

how about

ubuntu

30 Go : primary - /
100 Go : extended - / home

all other partitions, later ...
all extended.

by the way, can someone explain about primary and extended ?

[oldos2er]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_pa...artition_types

[Bucky Ball]

win 7 :
100 Go primary : system
50 Go extended : data win 7

ubuntu :
100 Go primary : root
40 Go extended : home

debian :
70 Go primary : root
40 Go extended : home

other system linux for testing
50 Go primary : root
40 Go extended : home

2 Go : swap


any comment, suggestion or advice ?

???

There's no point in having the Linux / partitions that big in any of the Linux installs. I've never used more than 15Gb for / ; 20Gb would be fine, 30Gb overkill, especially considering you have a separate /home.

The other issue is the separate /home partitions. If the Linux installs are Debian based they can use the same /home or other data partition (using symlinks to achieve the latter). You don't need three separate ones. Redundancy. If you use a separate NTFS data partition, you can store personal stuff from Windows on there also meaning there's no point the Win partition being that big (or having a data partition) either.

After Clonezilla, something like:

Win install = 40Gb (unless it's XP which I also use 15Gb for)
Extended partition:
/ = Ubuntu = 20Gb
/ = Xubuntu 20Gb
/ = Lubuntu
/home (formatted EXT4) or /data (formatted NTFS) = large as you like
/swap = 2Gb

With extended partition, you make it on whatever free space you have, that is considered one partition, but you can put logical drives inside it. Ubuntu can happily go in there.

PS: If you boot into Win there should be some manufacturer app that lets you burn recovery disks. Burn two copies then wipe the drive and away you go.

[cp2819]

thanks for the info

okay, I will keep 30Go for / = ubuntu

@ Bucky Ball : on my new laptop , I don't have win installed because the laptop is sold with only ubuntu factory installed.

I am keeping the weapons ready : clonezilla is downloaded, I will put it on a usb key bootable
and start to make image of my hdd
Actually I don't have any external hdd to put the image on, I will try to borrow one from my friend and I am ready to go.


Anyone can answer my other question ?
I have another little problem
all the texts in Terminal are not in English
because my native language is not English and my laptop is not configured in English

Is it possible to have those texts in English (to post here ) when my configured langage is not English on my laptop ?

[mips]

okay, I will keep 30Go for / = ubuntu

20GB would be more than enough, I doubt you would ever come close to filling it.

[cp2819]

20GB would be more than enough, I doubt you would ever come close to filling it.

even if I plan to test a lot of programs ?
I guess all the installed programs go there ? right ?

[cp2819]

ok my friends
problem with Clonezilla

I make an image with clonezilla as a test
and get an error
"this file is not NOt apartclone image
Partclone image fail"

I do it again and again three times, same error
Download again Clonezilla iso
same problem...

Well, I am not at ease ...

[Bucky Ball]

even if I plan to test a lot of programs ?
I guess all the installed programs go there ? right ?

If you have a separate /home or /data partition which you're using as /home then the apps are on / and their configs, settings, personal data is on /home.

[shreepads]

ok my friends
problem with Clonezilla

I make an image with clonezilla as a test
and get an error
"this file is not NOt apartclone image
Partclone image fail"

I do it again and again three times, same error
Download again Clonezilla iso
same problem...

Well, I am not at ease ...

Did you get the error while trying to create the image or while trying to test the image you've created?

If you got the error while trying to create the image then my guess is that you are specifying the wrong options in the Clonezilla text menus. Please have a look at the instructions again carefully, it is a little counterintuitive at times..

[cp2819]

I got the error while Clonezilla verified the image created
I noticed strangely , the image created was smaller than what I think it should be...
I have done all operations on a test computer with IDE HDD and save to an external HDD
I followed some good tutorials on clonezilla , and it was not too difficult to understand...


I guess I will try to make backup images with Acronis
to be sure
and wait for some more sugggestions about the error I got with clonezilla