[tempusfugitive]

I am trying to install Fedora 9 on an external hard drive. I don't know which file system to use.

I think I understand that using an LVM is nice because I can expand it later, but I don't know anything about LVMs except that I can't use it for the boot partition. Will I be able to count on the installation walking me through creating one, or should I, as a noob, stick to simple, default options?

Besides an LVM, the Fedora 9 documentation says to use ext3; am I to assume that this is the best/only other choice of file system? The drive currently uses fat32. Although there's tons of free space, I do have some things saved on the drive that I'd rather not have erased. I have backed most of it up in case that's an absolute necessity, but is it possible to install in such a way as to avoid destroying my stuff? If so, can I also install in such a way as to avoid destroying the data even if I install Fedora with a totally different file system than what the data is on? Would I need to set up this sort of non-destructive partition myself or would the installation walk me through it?

Finally, since I'm installing to an external hard drive, should there be something "different" about my installation (I'm thinking along the lines of things having to do with the boot loader. I'm already pretty sure I will be able to boot from the EHD)?

Thanks in advance for any help, I have been confused about this for days.

[namenotfound]

fat32 works with pretty much any operating systems.
Windows, Linux, Mac

So if you're wondering what to format your external hard drive, that would be a good option. If you only plan to use it with Linux, and not Windows or Mac, then ext3 is fine.

[lotuseclat79]

Hi tempusfugitive,

Unless you are a file system guru or have system software experience, i.e. you are a regular user, stick with ext3. The difference between ext2 and ext3 is that ext3 has a journal capability.

Suggest you read: ext3, and the See Also sections before the end.

The author of ext3, Dr. Stephen Tweedie, I believe works at Red Hat, and there is an ext3-users mailing list. The replacement for ext3, namely ext4, is in development.

Your use of a ? at the end of the next to last paragraph of your message does not seem to indicate that you are sure whether you will be able to boot from an EHD - just an observation - are you asking that question?

-- Tom

[avisitor]

You can use the FOSS non-destructive repartitioning software gparted to resize that fat32 partition and create a bootable ext3 partition.

Make sure you have a backup though.

[tempusfugitive]

Originally Posted by lotuseclat79

Hi tempusfugitive,

stick with ext3. The difference between ext2 and ext3 is that ext3 has a journal capability.


Your use of a ? at the end of the next to last paragraph of your message does not seem to indicate that you are sure whether you will be able to boot from an EHD - just an observation - are you asking that question?

-- Tom

Well, another poster has said that I cannot access ext3 partitions with Windows, so is it possible to only partition a section of my hard drive using ext3, keeping the fat32 portion (and the data on it) intact?

I didn't mean for the sentence about booting from the EHD to look that way; it's just an awkward sentence. My boot menu includes an option to boot from USB, so I assumed that I'd be able to boot from the EHD.

[tempusfugitive]

Nevermind, avisitor answered my question about having both fat32 and ext3 together.

[avisitor]

Actually, there are IFS drivers for ext3 for Windows. They're still experimental though. (NTFS support on Linux is far better)

FWIW: http://www.fs-driver.org/

[TerryNet]

is it possible to only partition a section of my hard drive using ext3, keeping the fat32 portion (and the data on it) intact?

Yes, that's what avisitor advised.

Resizing a partition, or any partitioning, usually works fine but it's playing with fire; so the advice to have a backup of data should not be ignored.