Message-Id: <5.0.0.25.2.20001124033554.0251ac78@pop.alaska.net>
Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 03:35:57 -0900
From: Walter Sorton
I have a Pentium II running Windows 98 that I'm preparing for a fresh install of SuSE Linux 7.0. The machine is used as a home workstation. While I have adequate diskspace (8.4 GB), I'd like to make it all count. A little over half is available for Linux. One option is to use the same space (about 250 MB) under both Windows 98 and Linux for a swapfile.
I think it's probably not worth the trouble. If I understand, you'd want to use the same 250MB partition for swap on both W98, and Linux. This means you'd have to change the partition type each time you reboot. I think it's POSSIBLE, but your going to have to run the equivalent of FDISK or Partition Magic on each reboot. I'd only attempt it if I had plenty of time, and were VERY curious. The amount of work to switch would be out of proportion to the 250MB saved, I think. If you try, let us know if it works out though! <p>>Here's what I understand I'd have to do: Create a separate partition solely
for the swapfile (I could use a logical partition). I'm not sure what partition type this would be (Using YAST I'd set it as 82 for Linux?). Add a command to delete win386.swp near the end of autoexec.bat to delete the file as a part of Windows 98 shutdown processing. Add a mkswap command to my Linux bootscript (where?) to create the Linux swapfile just before the swapon command. Then as a part of Linux shutdown, just after swapoff (where is this script?) I'd need to reformat the swapfile for Windows (what command/arguments?). Finally, I'd have to designate the file for swap purposes in Windows (System Properties>Virtual Memory Tab) and in Linux (Yast setup??). Being a Linux newbie, I don't understand all the details. Also, I'm not sure that this is a good overall strategy. For example, suppose there is a powerfailure, normal shutdown processing doesn't occur and then you start the OTHER OS which finds an incompatibly formatted swapfile. Would it be better to always format the swapfile as a part of startup processing (then it wouldn't matter how the system was shutdown)? I'm expecting that this might add 5 seconds to my boot process, which is acceptable (not if it is MUCH longer).
I'm thinking that the extra 250MB is worth having, but not if it causes serious problems. Has anyone made this work reliably? What are the pitfalls??
Another issue: I'm considering using ReiserFS for my Linux partitions. I understand that I'd have to use the NOTAIL option when mounting my boot part ition to make the files accessible to LILO. I have no compelling need to use ReiserFS except a desire to have a better, more reliable system and to push the limits a little bit. I'm assuming SuSE wouldn't release ReiserFS unless it was reliable. I understand that it may lack all the utilities, like fsck. Am I making a mistake??
TIA,
Peter Hollings Atlanta, Georgia phollings@alum.mit.edu
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