9.10. Storage and partitioning
It is always a good idea to back up any data that you have on your systems. For example, if you are upgrading or creating a dual-boot system, you should back up any data you wish to keep on your storage devices. Mistakes do happen and can result in the loss of all your data.
If you install Fedora in text mode, you can only use the default partitioning schemes described in this section. You cannot add or remove partitions or file systems beyond those that the installer automatically adds or removes. If you require a customized layout at installation time, you should perform a graphical installation over a VNC connection or a kickstart installation.
Furthermore, advanced options such as LVM, encrypted filesystems, and resizable filesystems are available only in graphical mode and kickstart.
If you have a RAID card, be aware that some BIOSes do not support booting from the RAID card. In cases such as these, the /boot/ partition must be created on a partition outside of the RAID array, such as on a separate hard drive. An internal hard drive is necessary to use for partition creation with problematic RAID cards.
A /boot/ partition is also necessary for software RAID setups.
Select Installation Destination from the Installation Summary Menu to select and partition the disks Fedora will be installed on.
Partitioning allows you to divide your hard drive into isolated sections, where each section behaves as its own hard drive. Partitioning is particularly useful if you run multiple operating systems. If you are not sure how you want your system to be partitioned, read
Appendix A, An Introduction to Disk Partitions for more information.
On this screen you can choose to create the default partition layout automatically, or choose to partition storage devices manually to create a custom layout.
If you do not feel comfortable with partitioning your system, choose automatic partitioning and let the installation program partition the storage devices for you.
Choose the disks to install Fedora on by clicking their graphical representations from the pane at the top of the screen. Each disk is marked with its label and size. Hold down Ctrl or Shift while clicking on the disks to select or unselect multiple disks.
To encrypt all partitions except the
/boot partition, select
Encrypt my data. I'll set a passphrase later. Refer to
Appendix C, Disk Encryption for information on encryption.
Click Continue once you have made your selections.
The Installation Options dialog now appears, informing you if there is enough space on the selected drive to install Fedora.
If there is sufficient space to install Fedora, choose from the following paths:
If there is not enough space and there are existing filesystems on the selected disk, you will be informed how much space could be reclaimed by shrinking or deleting these filesystems. The potential space is presented in three categories:
Free space available for use
Free space unavailable but reclaimable from existing partitions
Space in selected disks reclaimable by deleting existing partitions
Choose from the following paths to generate sufficient space to install Fedora:
Optionally, click Partition Scheme Configuration in the Installation Options dialog to choose a partitioning scheme. This will apply to both automated and manually-generated partitions, although individual partitions can later be modified during the manual partitioning process. Choose from:
When you install Fedora on a system with multipath and non-multipath storage devices, the automatic partitioning layout in the installer might create volume groups that contain a mix of multipath and non-multipath devices. This defeats the purpose of multipath storage.
9.10.1. x86, AMD64, and Intel 64 Boot Loader Installation
To boot the system without boot media, you usually need to install a boot loader. A boot loader is the first software program that runs when a computer starts. It is responsible for loading and transferring control to the operating system kernel software. The kernel, in turn, initializes the rest of the operating system.
GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader), which is installed by default, is a very powerful boot loader. GRUB can load a variety of free operating systems, as well as proprietary operating systems with chain-loading (the mechanism for loading unsupported operating systems, such as Windows, by loading another boot loader). Note that Fedora 18 uses GRUB 2. GRUB Legacy is no longer actively developed.
If there are no other operating systems on your computer, or you are completely removing any other operating systems the installation program will install GRUB as your boot loader without any intervention.
You may have a boot loader installed on your system already. An operating system may install its own preferred boot loader, or you may have installed a third-party boot loader. If your boot loader does not recognize Linux partitions, you may not be able to boot Fedora. Use GRUB as your boot loader to boot Linux and most other operating systems. Follow the directions in this chapter to install GRUB.
If you install GRUB, it may overwrite your existing boot loader.
The installation program installs GRUB in the master boot record, or
MBR, of the device for the root file system.
If you have other operating systems already installed, Fedora attempts to automatically detect and configure GRUB to boot them. You may manually configure any additional operating systems if GRUB does not detect them.
To specify which device the bootloader should be installed on, select
Full disk summary and options at the bottom of the
Installation Destination screen. The
Selected Disks dialog will appear. If you are partitioning the drive manually (refer to
Section 9.13, “Creating a Custom Partition Layout”), this dialog can be reached by clicking
Storage device/s selected on the
Manual Partitioning screen.
In the boot column, a green tick will mark one of the devices as the intended boot device. To change the boot device, select a device from the list and click Set as Boot Device to install the boot loader there instead.
To decline installation of a new boot loader, select the ticked device and click Do not install bootloader. This will remove the tick and ensure GRUB is not installed on any device.
If you choose not to install GRUB for any reason, you will not be able to boot the system directly, and you must use another boot method (such as a commercial boot loader application). Use this option only if you are sure you have another way of booting the system!
While partitioning your hard drive, keep in mind that the BIOS in some older systems cannot access more than the first 1024 cylinders on a hard drive. If this is the case, leave enough room for the /boot Linux partition on the first 1024 cylinders of your hard drive to boot Linux. The other Linux partitions can be after cylinder 1024.
In parted, 1024 cylinders equals 528MB. For more information, refer to:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/bios/sizeMB504-c.html
9.10.1.1. Alternative Boot Loaders
GRUB is the default bootloader for Fedora, but is not the only choice. A variety of open-source and proprietary alternatives to GRUB are available to load Fedora, including LILO, SYSLINUX, and Acronis Disk Director Suite.
The Fedora Project does not support third-party boot loaders.
