How to delete the hdd and re-partition during the installation.

tck · 2014-02-19 10:30:37

Hi,
I am new to Arch, currently I have a laptop that installed with Opensuse os, now I want to switch it to Arch entirely.

So, I need to delete the whole partitions that previously created when install Openesuse. I just want to install single Arch on the machine only.

How can I do it?

Thanks

pks · 2014-02-19 10:54:52

You should probably refer to the beginners guide which explains the whole installation process, including disk formatting.

rexineffect · 2014-02-19 11:00:52

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners'_guide#Prepare_the_storage_drive

This should help you, I'm new also but I got my arch installed.

This guide recommends using gparted to do it for new guys from a live cd. That way you can use a graphical program to set up your disk.

First you have to choose your partition table type, GPT or MBR.
Then choose your partition scheme - (/ and /home) or (/boot / and /home) or (/boot swap / and /home) there are lots of options here.

Then you need to read the "additional required partitions" on that page I gave you cause if you have UEFI there's special steps, same for bios motherboard and same if you are using GPT table.

Its all there though, if you still need help ask, and if you can't figure it out at all with that page I'll try to be more specific.

Good luck man have fun!

tck · 2014-02-19 11:41:06

rexineffect wrote:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners'_guide#Prepare_the_storage_drive
This should help you, I'm new also but I got my arch installed.
This guide recommends using gparted to do it for new guys from a live cd. That way you can use a graphical program to set up your disk.
First you have to choose your partition table type, GPT or MBR.
Then choose your partition scheme - (/ and /home) or (/boot / and /home) or (/boot swap / and /home) there are lots of options here.
Then you need to read the "additional required partitions" on that page I gave you cause if you have UEFI there's special steps, same for bios motherboard and same if you are using GPT table.
Its all there though, if you still need help ask, and if you can't figure it out at all with that page I'll try to be more specific.
Good luck man have fun!

Thanks!! I going with the Gparted live cd. By the way, do you mean we can set up the partition (/ and /home ) by only using the gparted live cd (not during the installation)?

pks · 2014-02-19 11:44:28

tck wrote:

Thanks!! I going with the Gparted live cd. By the way, do you mean we can set up the partition (/ and /home ) by only using the gparted live cd (not during the installation)?

You don't need the GParted live CD. You can simply install gparted in the ArchLinux live CD, add it to your xinitrc and execute xinit then. If you're new to this, though, it might be easier to use the GParted live CD though.
In my opinion programs like fdisk aren't that hard to use, though. So you might try that first. It's described in the Wiki, as well.

rexineffect · 2014-02-19 11:54:01

Yea you can set up your scheme all with gparted. Keep in mind though, that is just formatting your disk correctly, no files will be installed, just the disk setup for arch to install to.

So when you get into gparted what your goal is going to be is to set up your disk for install. I used the scheme of

3 partitions,

one for root 20GB - /

one for swap 2GB

and one for home 80GB- /home

This is a pretty common config and I think it is best but it depends on your situation and what you want, thats pretty standard though.

So that's what you'll have set up when you leave gparted live cd and then boot to your arch cd, all your partitions set up and ready for arch to install its files to.
Also, arch wiki is really killer wiki, I mean the guys did an awesome job on the beginners guide, but there's nothing wrong with having extra reference guides. I used this one with the arch wiki:

http://lifehacker.com/5680453/build-a-k … he-process

I would take a look at them both.
And i would have them both open when your doing this whole thing, so hopefully you have a tablet or a cell phone to have these pages open while you install.

And like pks said, you don't have to use gparted live cd, its just recommended in the beginners guide. I did use it, and i thought it made it a lot easier. But if you are familiar with command line disk editing, go for it!

EDIT: PS man i dont know about you but i always like to have extra partitions on my disk so I can test other linux distrobutions. It kinda sounds like you are testing them, you have centos and now arch, are you sure your not going to want to install more later? Cause if you maybe want to and you have a big enough hard drive your not pressed for space you might want to create your arch install partitions and have an extra couple for another distro in the future.
Like me I installed arch, and now im installing Gentoo to try it out, i made extra partitions beforehand.
So I made my arch ones:
sda1 - /
sda2 - swap
sda3 /home
then for Gentoo
sda4 - /
sda5 /home

and they would be sharing swap partition. So i had all these partitions set up before I installed anything to the disk. Just an idea Good luck!

Last edited by rexineffect (2014-02-19 12:01:46)

tck · 2014-02-19 14:35:03

Thanks guys, you all are very helpful.

Arch Linux

#1 2014-02-19 10:30:37

How to delete the hdd and re-partition during the installation.

#2 2014-02-19 10:54:52

Re: How to delete the hdd and re-partition during the installation.

#3 2014-02-19 11:00:52

Re: How to delete the hdd and re-partition during the installation.

#4 2014-02-19 11:41:06

Re: How to delete the hdd and re-partition during the installation.

#5 2014-02-19 11:44:28

Re: How to delete the hdd and re-partition during the installation.

#6 2014-02-19 11:54:01

Re: How to delete the hdd and re-partition during the installation.

#7 2014-02-19 14:35:03

Re: How to delete the hdd and re-partition during the installation.

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