Redhat 6.1 /boot too big at 1 MB?

[psandy]

Hi, I'm installing Linux for the first time (Redhat 6.1, don't ask why) and I finally got the hang of this partitioning thing, used FIPS etc etc. Anyway, I have 20 gigs of space set aside for Linux and I don't have any trouble making the required partitions except for /boot. The smallest DiskDruid lets me make any partion is 1 MB, and Redhat reccomends a max /boot partition of 16 MB, but no matter how small I make it DiskDruid says it's too big! If I leave out a /boot directory, it starts giving me the same "too big" messages about /. If I try to install anyway, it just sits there and doesn't do anything. I've successfully installed this on a different computer before, so I know the CD is just fine. Anyway, I'm pretty lost here, and I haven't seen this problem in any FAQ's or DOC's or anything like that. By the way, I'm using Windows ME. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, guys.

-Psandy
thumboy666@hotmail.com

[The Whizzard]

Are you making the /boot at the begining of the drive? It should be the first partition created. Also, you shouldn't make /boot less than 4 or 5MB. It's where the kernel and other things needed for booting reside. If you decide to compile a kernel later on, you may not have enough space.

[bdg1983]

It could be the version of Diskdruid included with Redhat 6.1 is a little old and is having problems with that particular drive.

Try using other partitioning tools to prepartition your drive before you start the Redhat 6.1 install.

[Lorithar]

*umm*


it is also possible that the diskdruid utility is noting that the partition is not lining up properly on a cylinder boundary.

When partitioning a disk, the breaks between partitions have to fall at a certain point on the disk. Some disk sizes will just not fit .. thus most disk utilities simply ask on which cylinder to start and which cylinder to end... sometimes resulting in slightly odd sizes.

It is possible that you could achieve the smaller size you want with fdisk rather than disk druid... it has been my preference all along, although one must be more careful about what one does, as it will do what you tell it without hesitation... or a prompt...