Very Computer

by **Allan Adle** » Fri, 23 Apr 2004 01:21:25

If I want to install Linux on a PC with a 120 GB HD, will RedHat 8.1 or
so have trouble formatting or using such a large hard drive? Is there
something special one has to do that one doesn't have to do with much
smaller drives?

Ignorantly,
Allan Adler

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by **Bit Twiste** » Fri, 23 Apr 2004 02:07:32

Quote:
> If I want to install Linux on a PC with a 120 GB HD, will RedHat 8.1 or
> so have trouble formatting or using such a large hard drive?

If your bios can find it correctly, you should be able to use it.
My Redhat 8.0 is on a 120 gig drive.

/dev/hdb7 /rh80 ext3 defaults 1 2

by **John Thompso** » Sat, 24 Apr 2004 04:01:09

Quote:> If I want to install Linux on a PC with a 120 GB HD, will RedHat 8.1 or
> so have trouble formatting or using such a large hard drive? Is there
> something special one has to do that one doesn't have to do with much
> smaller drives?

Linux would have no problem, but depending on the PC BIOS you may have to
restrict the boot partition to a certain size.

--

by **Steve Wolf** » Fri, 23 Apr 2004 05:51:17

Quote:> > If I want to install Linux on a PC with a 120 GB HD, will RedHat 8.1
or so
> > have trouble formatting or using such a large hard drive? Is there
> > something special one has to do that one doesn't have to do with much
> > smaller drives?

> Not that I'm aware of. Unless your ancient bios won't see
> full disk at boot time.

Even then, all is not necessarily lost. As long as your BIOS can access
the bootstrap and kernel, that will get you far enough that you no longer
need the BIOS for disk access. As an example, I have a P3/650 at home
with an 80-gig drive. If I try and let the board auto-detect the drive,
or manually enter the settings, it will lock up as soon as the POST
diagnostics run.

So, I told the BIOS that it had an 8-gig hard drive (making up some
numbers for the cylinders, heads, and sectors). The BIOS will get far
enough to load LILO's code, which loads the kernel, and from there, it's
easy sailing.

steve