Questions using PartitionMagic for dual-boot with WinXP-Pro

[Maude User]

Hi -

I need help partitioning a laptop (using PartitionMagic) which already has WinXP-Pro on it, so it can dual-boot FreeBSD. 

SUMMARY
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I'm thinking of doing the following layout (things I'm unsure about are in brackets [...]):

- "boot" (Z:) - FAT [or FAT32?]- 2MB [less/more?] - primary - install Easy Boot [or LILO?] here
- "winxp" (C:) - NTFS - 20GB - primary (I will move/resize this existing partition, using PMagic)
- "winxp2" (X:) - FAT [or FAT32, NTFS?] - 15GB - logical [or primary?]
- "linux" - ext2 - 24GB - primary
- "swap" - ext2 [or FAT, FAT32?] - 1MB - logical [or primary?]

but I'm unsure about a lot of these parameters and I'm afraid of making the computer unbootable! The above layout sums up my questions - same questions in more detail below:

DETAILS
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Specs: Compaq v3125us, Windows XP Professional (with Service Pack 2), 60GB hard disk, 512MB RAM, and NO floppy drive. (Also: Pioneer DVR-K14 Slimline (DVD+/-RW, CD-RW), Intel Extreme Graphics 2 video chipset, ACPI power management.) I have PartitionMagic 8.0. 

(Note: In the questions below, I use the word "partition" because that's what PartitionMagic uses. I understand that in FreeBSD this is called a "slice.")

(1) PartitionMagic says that if an OS partition starts after the "boot boundary," that OS won't be bootable. It says I have boot boundaries at 2GB, and at 1024 cylinders. 

Does this mean I should create a small partition BEFORE my WinXP partition, to put Boot Easy or LILO there? (Apparently PartitionMagic has a command to MOVE an existing partition - so it looks like I can just move the existing WinXP partition slightly to open up some space in front of it.)

If I do need to create a boot partition:

...(a) How big should it be?

...(b) What file system should it be - FAT, FAT32, ext2 or ext3?

...(c) Should it be a primary partition, or logical (extended)?

Anybody have a preference on using LILO versus Boot Easy?

Will there be a screen during the regular FreeBSD install that lets me install Boot Easy or LILO?

(2) Should the file system for my Linux partition be ext2 or ext3?

(3) Do I need a Linux swap partition? If so:

...(a) How big should the Linux swap partition be? (I heard it should be twice the size of my RAM. I have 512MB, so should my Linux swap partition be 1024MB?)

...(b) Should the Linux swap partition be FAT, FAT32, ext2 or ext3?

...(c) Should the Linux swap partition be a primary partition - or logical (extended)?

(4) It would be nice (but not required) to create a second logical partition at this time for WinXP (a second logical drive, say X:), so I could keep my WinXP user or data file separate there. If I have a boot partition, a main WinXP partition, a Linux partition, and a Linux swap partition, then that makes 4 partitions. Is that the maximum (meaning I couldn't add a second WinXP partition)? 

If I make a second logical partition for WinXP, does it have to be NTFS? I heard that it could also be FAT or FAT32, and that way any OS could access it?

(5) I would like to be able to see DOS files from FreeBSD. Is there anything I have to do at partition time to make this possible?

(6) I'm confused about the whole "MaxCapacity = (sector size) x (sectors per track) x (cylinders) x (heads)" thing. Do I need to set sector size, sectors per track, cylinders and heads when I make a new partition? (I don't even seen much mention of cylinders, heads and sectors in PartitionMagic.)

(7) (Off-topic:) I heard that FreeBSD is not compatible with ACPI power management. When and how do I disable this?

Thanks for any help!

Stefan Scott

		
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