Linux Solutions

Recommendations for Partitioning
This step will provide the user with recommendations on how to do a partition setup for openSUSE. If a hard disk only containing Windows FAT or NTFS partitions is selected as the installation target, YaST proposes to shrink one of these partitions. Accept the proposal with Next and proceed with the installation.

The proposed partitioning is Partition Based by default. If a user prefers an LVM Based setup, check the respective option to automatically convert the proposal.

Partitioning a Specific Disk
If the machine contains more than one hard disk and the user wants to restrict the partitioning proposal to just one disk, then choose Create Partition Setup and then select a specific disk from the list. If the chosen hard disk does not contain any partitions, the user can choose which existing partition(s) to utilise. To add a separate partition for the personal data check Propose a Separate Home Partition. Instead of the default partition based proposal it is possible to Create an LVM Based Proposal. Choose two times Next to proceed to the next step.

Resizing a Windows Partition
If the selected hard disk only contains a Windows FAT or NTFS partition, YaST offers to delete or shrink this partition. If the user selects Delete Windows Completely, the Windows partition is marked for deletion and the space is used for the installation of openSUSE.
It is important to note that if the user deletes Windows, all data will be lost beyond recovery as soon as the formatting starts.

To Shrink the Windows Partition, the user needs to interrupt the installation and boot Windows to prepare the partition before shrinking it. For all Windows file systems, a user can proceed as follows:
- Deactivate a Virtual Memory file, if there is one.
- Run scandisk.
- Run defrag.

After these preparations, restart the openSUSE installation. When the user turns to the partitioning setup, then he/she proceeds as before and select Shrink Windows Partition. After a quick check of the partition, the dialog for resizing the Windows partition opens.

To change the proposed settings use the slider or the input fields to adjust the partition sizing.

If the user leaves this dialog by selecting OK, the settings are stored and the user returns to the previous dialog. The actual resizing takes place later, before the hard disk is formatted.

Custom Partitioning
A user can set up his/her own partitioning scheme by selecting Create Partition Setup and then Custom Partitioning. The Expert Partitioner opens displaying the current partition setup. Expand the Hard Disks in the System View pane by clicking on the +, then click on one of the listed hard disks. Now a user can Add, Edit, Resize, or Delete partitions.