Re: Update problems, v 6.2

On Thu, Jan 02, 2003 at 11:54:47AM +0000, Gordon Sorber wrote:
> Happy New Year! And back to work...
> 
>    I think I have found the cause of my problem, but not a solution.
> My youngest son now admits to having installed Windows 3.something
> so he could play a game while visiting me. It didn't seem to
> recognise the Linux or any partitioning, but created it's own
> partition and overwrote part of Linux. The installation did not
> completem properly: Win3 doesn't recognise the newer 19" screen
> and his game required higher resolution than the default, so he
> deleted most of Windows.
>    I only have the one computer, used as a workstation; no net or
> web access. This is typed on a public library terminal, my only
> web access.
>    I have now downloaded a lot of documentation on fdisc from
> //www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000345.html etc. I don't seem to
> have fdisc under Linux. It is said that this is a Windows utility.
> How does Linux cope with partitions?
>    I have bought Win2000, and left it in the box, until I can
> figure out how to partition my disks, fix my RH Linux 6.2, perhaps
> load RH 8 in another partition, and then get my Gnu and BSE versions
> up in their own partions. I have explained that I can't get on the
> web from home, due to the primitive tele lines, something like in
> the Amazonas i guess.
>    How can I remove the defective Win partition, restore my RH Linux
> and then systemmatically partition my disks? I have several Linux
> and Unix manuals, which give little info on partitioning, referring
> to Windows' fdisk as a useful tool, but not a Linux module.
>    A computer is a wonderful tool and I have given each of my kids
> one, where they live with their mom and stepfather, but I am
> developing a strong hate for gaming and its side effects at my home.
> My interests are in programming astrophysics and perusing Donald
> Knuth's Art of Computer Programming.
>    Where can I get RH updates on ROM? I can still boot up and sign
> on as root, but I can't seem to read the Dell Linux ROMs that came
> with the system. RH doesn't seem to have any help for someone like
> me, who can't download onto his own running Linux system.
>    Sorry to bother you with all this. Just give me some addresses
> where I can get/buy some solutions. Perhaps it would be easiest to
> just buy the latest RH Linux? I wonder why this pisses me off.
> 
>    Thanks for the suggestions,
>    Gordon Sorber
fdisk is the program that produces partitions in Linux. Using the o
option should remove all partitions and allow you to create new ones.
If you find fdisk will not remove partitions for you then go to the
ultimate linux start again tool:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hdx bs=512
where x is a,b, etc the designation of your disk. Let this run for a
hour or so and you are guaranteed not to have any known partition
left. Then you can start from scratch, partitioning and then
formatting, installing and so on.
-- 
-------------------------------------------
Aaron Konstam
Computer Science
Trinity University
715 Stadium Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78212-7200

telephone: (210)-999-7484
email:[email protected]