Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

leonax · 2014-11-15 14:55:32

I would like to install archlinux on an acer v3 571G with 500gb hdd and dual boot with windows 8.1. Here is the present structure of the disk.

/dev/sda1 ntfs Recovery 400mb
/dev/sda2 fat32 ESP 300mb
/dev/sda3 unknown microsoft reserved partition 128mb
/dev/sda4 ntfs Acer 222.82 47 used mfsdata
/dev/sda5 ntfs -------- 450mb hidden diag
/dev/sda6 ntfs Data 222.16mb mfsdata
unallocated 1.00mb
/dev/sda7 ntfs Push Button Reset 19.53gb hidden diag

Can you give me advise on where to install linux partition and how to format it with gparted. I am sorry for duplication since I have posted this in newbie thread but have not got reply. I can use gparted disk on the acer and also successfully used an usb installation disk and booted to root just to see but haven't installed anything yet.

Last edited by leonax (2014-11-16 02:11:19)

CarlD · 2014-11-15 15:21:41

leonax wrote:

I would like to install archlinux on an acer v3 571G with 500gb hdd and dual boot with windows 8.1. Here is the present structure of the disk.
/dev/sda1 ntfs Recovery 400mb
/dev/sda2 fat32 ESP 300mb
/dev/sda3 unknown microsoft reserved partition 128mb
/dev/sda4 ntfs Acer 222.82 47 used mfsdata
/dev/sda5 ntfs -------- 450mb hidden diag
/dev/sda6 ntfs Data 222.16mb mfsdata
unallocated 1.00mb
/dev/sda7 ntfs Push Button Reset 19.53gb hidden diag
Can you give me advise on where to install linux partition and how to format it with gparted. I am sorry for duplication since I have posted this in newbie thread but have not got reply. I can use gparted disk on the acer and also successfully used an usb installation disk and booted to root just to see but haven't installed anything yet.

Something doesn't seem right with this output. You say the HD is 500GB, yet the totals of the partitions listed does not add up to that.

Gusar · 2014-11-15 16:12:54

@CarlD: Yeah, the Data partition is for sure 222GB, not 222MB

@leonax: Shrink the Acer (/dev/sda4) and Data (/dev/sda6) partitions. You can also delete the Data partition entirely if you want. Then move partitions around so that you'll have continuous unallocated space, and create a new ext4 formatted partition in that space. Gparted makes all this very easy to do. Finally, install Arch to this new ext4 partition.

CarlD · 2014-11-15 16:16:30

Gusar wrote:

@CarlD: Yeah, the Data partition is for sure 222GB, not 222MB
@leonax: Shrink the Acer (/dev/sda4) and Data (/dev/sda6) partitions. You can also delete the Data partition entirely if you want. Then move partitions around so that you'll have continuous unallocated space, and create a new ext4 formatted partition in that space. Gparted makes all this very easy to do. Finally, install Arch to this new ext4 partition.

Hmm. I was thinking the same thing. Just wanted to make sure the partition sizes were correct before advising anything!

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-15 16:20:23

As you're running Windows 8.1 in EFI-mode, you will have to mount /boot at the windows-generated EFI system partition (/dev/sda2).

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … _dual_boot

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2014-11-15 16:21:52)

leonax · 2014-11-15 17:09:47

OK Thanks will try what Gusar and Head on a Stick advise. But it would not be linux unless there were 2 options. Now which one to do? Somewhere I read not to delete data partition even though it is empty since windows uses its for some kind of recovery. Also I read somewhere re uefi that its best to have a certain amount of unallocated space at the end. I can't remember what for though. If this is the case I could shrink sda4 create a small ntfs data partition and then format complete sda6 leaving the small 1mb unallocated space. I don't know what this space is for though

I will check the numbers when I boot gparted cdrom.

Gusar · 2014-11-15 17:59:56

The Data partition isn't so much "used for" recovery, it's that performing a factory reset of the machine will leave the Data partition intact, while the Acer partition will get nuked. But I think this only works if you don't mess with partitions, which you'll be doing anyway to make space for Linux. So I'd delete the partition (I did actually, on my netbook), and if you'll need to perform a factory reset, make sure there isn't any important data anywhere on the disk.

To actually perform recovery tasks, there's "Recovery" (nah, really ) and "Push Button Reset" (contains the factory reset image). Additionally, If you can spare a 16GB usb stick, you can use the Acer supplied software to turn it into a "Windows Recovery" stick, the software will then give you the option to delete "Push Button Reset".

About needing space at the end, the only thing I can think of is the backup GPT header. But partitioning software takes care of that by itself, you don't need to concern yourself with this.

Last edited by Gusar (2014-11-15 18:01:47)

leonax · 2014-11-15 20:14:23

I have finished partitioning shrinked the windows data partition, created small empty ntfs data partition and formatted the entire sda6 to ext4. I went through the beginners guide
mount /dev/sda6 /mnt
mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/boot

I went for gummiboot at the end as boot loader putting it in /boot. (was not sure what to do here),

I exited and rebooted but there was no boot options and the laptop booted to windows directly. Must be something to do with gummiboot. The guide was pretty good only stumbling blocks were for me the network interfaces wired and wireless and boot options.

Last edited by leonax (2014-11-15 20:18:15)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-15 20:30:08

leonax wrote:

I went for gummiboot at the end as boot loader putting it in /boot. (was not sure what to do here)

We could probably do with a bit more detail on this particular point -- there are many steps involved in installing gummiboot: could you list those you have followed plz.

Gusar · 2014-11-15 20:52:36

The system is configured to start the Windows bootloader. You'll need to use efibootmgr to change that, first create a new entry for gummiboot, then change the boot order so that gummiboot will be first. How to create the entry is described in the gummiboot wiki page, to change the boot order look at efibootmgr's help.

leonax · 2014-11-15 23:48:07

sorry I was away for a while. I followed the beginners guide but I was pretty confused about gummiboot. I think I did gummiboot --path=/boot install since I had mounted /dev/sda2 on /mnt/boot. /dev/sda2 is windows esp partition.

Now I have chrooted back into linux on the laptop what do I do? Sorry for being such a newbie.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-15 23:58:09

leonax wrote:

Now I have chrooted back into linux on the laptop what do I do? Sorry for being such a newbie.

Read the wiki more:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Be … #Gummiboot

Being a n00b is fine (I'm a n00b!), but you need to make an effort to read & understand better what you are doing.
If you are expecting help, you need to provide more information in your posts.
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Gusar · 2014-11-16 00:08:07

@leonax: Look at my post above, I explained quite specifically what you need to do and where to get the info on how to do it. There is a possibility things won't work as they should, Acer machines are always quirky (and yet, I continue to buy them ), but in theory efibootmgr should do the job.

Last edited by Gusar (2014-11-16 00:08:21)

leonax · 2014-11-16 01:07:25

I have read these wiki pages up and down and I have done other searches but I am still confuse. Sometimes it's the small things that don't get explained. I can not give you more info because I can not copy and paste or give you screenshots from the acer laptop, being on a different laptop.
I am confused about $esp as in the gummiboot wiki it says to edit $esp/loader/loader.conf. Now I dont have this in the chroot environment, the boot dir has nothing.. I am now in
[root@archiso /]# ls
bin boot dev etc home lib lib64 lost+found mnt opt proc root run sbin srv sys tmp usr var.
I believe I have to create loader file etc but I don't know how and then do something like
efibootmgr -c -g -d /dev/sda -p 2 -w -L "rEFInd" -l '\EFI\refind\refind_x64.efi'

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-16 01:28:46

$ESP refers to /boot (if you have mounted /boot at your EFI system partition).

You can add the entry using:

# efibootmgr -c -d /dev/sdX -p Y -l /EFI/gummiboot/gummibootx64.efi -L "Gummiboot"

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Gu … efibootmgr

Change the boot order with:

# efibootmgr -o xxxx,yyyy,zzzz

EDIT: Where xxxx is the 4-digit code of the first system you wish to boot (the gummiboot entry), etc...
Use `efibootmgr -v` to see all the NVRAM entries in full.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2014-11-16 01:31:33)

leonax · 2014-11-16 01:52:47

Oh looking good. Did that went straight to windows then when I restarted I hit the f12 key and got a menu. I chose gummiboot and it has logged me in. I never did efibootmgr -o xxxx,yyyy,zzzz because I did not know what xxxx,yyyy,zzzz meant. I suppose if I changed the order to gummiboot that would do it.

I suppose I am good to go

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-11-16 01:57:11

So would you consider this [SOLVED]?

leonax · 2014-11-16 02:13:04

thanks for the help the two of you, much appreciated. I now am in kde all working well having used bumblebee for nvidia graphic card.

Last edited by leonax (2014-11-17 15:51:32)

Arch Linux

#1 2014-11-15 14:55:32

Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#2 2014-11-15 15:21:41

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#3 2014-11-15 16:12:54

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#4 2014-11-15 16:16:30

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#5 2014-11-15 16:20:23

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#6 2014-11-15 17:09:47

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#7 2014-11-15 17:59:56

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#8 2014-11-15 20:14:23

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#9 2014-11-15 20:30:08

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#10 2014-11-15 20:52:36

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#11 2014-11-15 23:48:07

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#12 2014-11-15 23:58:09

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#13 2014-11-16 00:08:07

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#14 2014-11-16 01:07:25

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#15 2014-11-16 01:28:46

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#16 2014-11-16 01:52:47

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#17 2014-11-16 01:57:11

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

#18 2014-11-16 02:13:04

Re: Solved partitioning windows 8.1 500gb disk help needed

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