Q. I am new to Linux and I not able to understand /dev/hdc (is it C: drive?) under Linux. This is quite confusing for a new Linux user like me. What device naming convention followed by Linux? Can you explain it in layman’s term?
A. Linux does not follows DOS or Windows XP style partition names or drive names. It is true that it is a bit confusing for a new Linux user. Linux use combination of bus and . For example if you are using IDE hard disk or CDROM it is will use HD word. If you are using SCSI interface it will use SD word.
A typical home pc or laptop has 2 or 4 IDE channels as follows:
- ide0 = primary
- ide1 = secondary
- ide2 = tertiary
- ide3 = quaternary
For example:
- ide0 = primary master = hda
- ide1 = primary slave = hdb
- ide2 = secondary master = hdc
- ide3 = secondary slave = hdd
and so on…
SCSI devices are listed as devices sda, sdb, sdc, sdd, sde, sdf, and sdg in the /dev directory. Similarly, partitions on these disks can range from 1 to 16 and are also in the /dev directory.
Now each hard drive has 4 primary partitions (limit of PC x86 architecture). First partition is denoted by number 1. For example:
- First partition : /dev/hda1
- Second partition : /dev/hda2
- Third partition : /dev/hda3
- Fourth partition : /dev/hda4
You can run command fdisk -l to display list of partitions:
# fdisk -l
Output:
Disk /dev/hda: 20.0 GB, 20060651520 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2438 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hda1 * 1 1275 10241406 83 W95 FAT32 /dev/hda2 1276 1530 2048287+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris Disk /dev/hdb: 80.0 GB, 80060424192 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9733 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hdb1 * 1 2432 19535008+ 83 Linux /dev/hdb2 2433 2554 979965 82 Linux swap / Solaris /dev/hdb3 2555 6202 29302560 83 Linux /dev/hdb4 6203 9733 28362757+ 5 Extended /dev/hdb5 6203 9733 28362726 83 Linux
In above output /dev/hda1 is FAT32 partition with Windows XP installed (windows XP/Vista C: ).
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It is true that PC/X86 impose a limit of 4 primary partitions per hard drive, but one of those partitions can be designated as an extended partition. Inside of this extended partition, logical partitions can be specified. So you can have partition number as follows:
a) 1-4 primary partitions
b) 5-16 logical partitions
For example /dev/hda5.
Having looked at the answer to the question, I think that output “fdisk -l” suggests that windows OS is at ide0, and linux is ide1.
Some time ago I was trying to do the same configuration( windows OS-primary master, linux – primary slave). The installation was ok. During the boot up, I was getting error some think like ” MBR error “.
Then I had to create a boot disk in order to get my windows to work.
Is your boot loader on MBR or on hda1?
My ide0 has 4 partions-
partition 1(NTFS)- windows os
partition 2 & 3(NTFS)- windows data
partition 4 – Unallocated.
Any suggestion how could I get the same configuration to work?
You can install mbr on /dev/hda (IDE0) and use grub to boot both oses or use Windows 2000/XP to boot Linux. Both operations require modification of MBR, hence backup is suggested. If you need specific procedure let me know… or just post your question to our forum.cyberciti.biz
—————————————–
DISK ==> Your device
—————————————–
/dev/hda ==> Primary Master IDE
/dev/hdb ==> Primary Slave IDE
/dev/hdc ==> Secondary Master IDE
/dev/hdd ==> Secondary Slave IDE
/dev/sda ==> SCSI Disk 0
/dev/sdb ==> SCSI Disk 1
/dev/sdc ==> SCSI Disk 2
/dev/sdd ==> SCSI Disk 3
—————————————–
in order to address the actual data that is being held on your data, you need to address it by partitions.
For example if you had 2 parition on /dev/hda.
First parition => /dev/hda1
Second parition => /dev/hda2
Hope this helps someone :)
For example:
ide0 = primary master = hda
ide1 = primary slave = hab
ide2 = secondary master = hdc
ide3 = secondary slave = hdd
Hi ,
ide1 = primary slave = hab should be
thanks
ghanshyam gupta
ide1 = primary slave = hab
should be ide1 = primary slave = hdb
hi,can any one suggeess me, how to run an application in linux
Shortcut Key for RUN command = Alt+f2
Works on openSUSE 11, make sure to change the ownership of the new partition from root (sudo chown ).