Red Hat Enterprise Linux Installation Guide 5.2 - linux.meuhobby.com

Partition Naming Scheme
Figure 25.13. Disk Drive with Final Partition Configuration
In Figure 25.13, “Disk Drive with Final Partition Configuration”, 1 represents before and 2
represents after.
Note
The following information is specific to x86-based computers only.
As a convenience to our customers, we provide the parted utility. This is a freely available
program that can resize partitions.
If you decide to repartition your hard drive with parted, it is important that you be familiar with
disk storage and that you perform a backup of your computer data. You should make two
copies of all the important data on your computer. These copies should be to removable media
(such as tape, CD-ROM, or diskettes), and you should make sure they are readable before
proceeding.
Should you decide to use parted, be aware that after parted runs you are left with two
partitions: the one you resized, and the one parted created out of the newly freed space. If your
goal is to use that space to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux, you should delete the newly
created partition, either by using the partitioning utility under your current operating system or
while setting up partitions during installation.
1.5. Partition Naming Scheme
Linux refers to disk partitions using a combination of letters and numbers which may be
confusing, particularly if you are used to the "C drive" way of referring to hard disks and their
partitions. In the DOS/Windows world, partitions are named using the following method:
• Each partition's type is checked to determine if it can be read by DOS/Windows.
• If the partition's type is compatible, it is assigned a "drive letter." The drive letters start with a
"C" and move on to the following letters, depending on the number of partitions to be labeled.
• The drive letter can then be used to refer to that partition as well as the file system contained
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