Reducing size of Linux Logical volume

[Clive Long]

Anyone,

I'm running Fedora 5, Kernel 2.6 (??) happily (well except X-server seizes, not sure if hardware or X-problem).

Now, Fedora 5 is running off ext3 partitions and Logical Volumes. LVM seems a smart idea (probably implemented elsewhere years, nay decades ago) to hide drive capacity - one just has a slab of disk space. I need to create a partition for WinXP to run Quicken 2004 and Active Sync, before my XP laptop dies. I have used the LV tool under Fedora / Gnome and it doesn't allow me to "slim down" the Linux partition to allow WinXP to create a FAT32/NTFS partition within which to install XP. How do I proceed?

When I boot from the XP install disk I get the "Checking hardware" message, the disk light remains lit and the machine just freezes.

I have tried Wine/Cross-Over (a bit like VMWare), to try to run XP apps from within a Linux window and it won't install Quicken 2004.

I want to end up with a dual boot Linux/Win XP machine where the data is held on an external USB drive (that bit is OK because Linux is reading / writing to a FAT32 formatted drive).

Any ideas? I want to avoid formatting the PC disk installing WinXP then re-installing Fedora Linux.


Thanks

Clive

[pmjd]

Been a while since I've messed about with Linux but I do seem to remember that for a dual boot setup XP always had to be installed first. Something to do with XP not playing nice with any other boot loaders and taking over the master boot record.

I'll see if I can find anything to help but I'm not too hopeful, or that good with Linux.

[Clive Long]

Been a while since I've messed about with Linux but I do seem to remember that for a dual boot setup XP always had to be installed first. Something to do with XP not playing nice with any other boot loaders and taking over the master boot record.

I'll see if I can find anything to help but I'm not too hopeful, or that good with Linux.
I think you are spot on. I have trampled on the MBR a few times in the past - sometimes recovered, sometimes not.

I took a look at VMWare workstation for Linux. Looks like it will do the job. VMWare will install as an app under Linux, no repartitioning of disk required, Win Xp disk usage can grow to phyical limits of disk, no reboots to run XP apps. And all for USD 189. So at current exchange rate a lot cheaper and neater than another machine running Windows. I'll download the 30-day trial tonight.

Clive

[Andreas]

Installing Windows first makes things easier but is not essential. All you need to do if you install it as second OS is re-write the mbr after wards to get your Linux boot loader back. Alternatively, you can also use the Windows boot loader to load Linux.

Anyway, if you don't want to run anything but these tiny applications on Windows then VMWare or Xen is the way to go. Xen can do what you want but takes a bit of an effort to setup. VMWare is easy to use and they have just released v6 beta, which is a major step up from v5. It even supports drag and drop from virtual to real machine. Doing this in reverse does on Windows not appear to work yet but then again, it is beta. What is more important for you, however, is that v6 now has USB2 support. That way you shouldn't have too many problems using an external USB hard disk, assuming that you aren't using Firewire.

[Clive Long]

Downloaded VMWare 5.5.3
Installed the rpm.
Configure fails, something to do with kernel-devel headers.
Fedora 5 not supported by VMWare.
Quick Google has found a couple of sites that claim to have installed VMWare under F5.
Still not configuring.
Emails sent.
Usual Linux argy bargy.
Waiting for a friend to tell me would have been quicker to by a PC from E-Buyer. Won't be defeated that easily.

[Andreas]

lol

Clive, the error regarding the devel headers means that you need to install the required dev packages. With every distro you usually get the stripped down production version of your apps and then dev versions of the package. If one or more of these dev versions are required then it should also tell you which ones. Just install them and you should be away laughing. I never had these issues because I used VMWare on SuSE Linux, which has the packages included. :whistle: :D

[Clive Long]

Andreas,

I found a site that took me through the installation and setup for (formally unsupported) Fedora 5. That's the wonderful and frustrating thing about Linux, someone, somewhere will have solved your Linux problem, if only you can find them.

Win XP Pro is now installed. I have browsed the internet using IE thorough VMWare - my, this is clever stuff.

My next tasks are to try to find how to display the XP VM without all the heavy borders and tabs and icons. I'm sure that's in the User Guide somewhere. Then I need to find out how share files between the XP and Linux environments. Then find out if the XP VM can connect to the USB hard drive (as you suggest, that may be a problem and I need to install the beta 6 VMWare).

Only problem so far is Linux becomes dog slow when running the XP VM. I am guessing memory is ring-fenced for the VM and Linux can now only use 128Mb and is swapping heavily (disk light is on constantly, System monitor only showing 10% CPU). So I will stick another 512MB memory and see if that improves performance.

Clive

[Andreas]

My next tasks are to try to find how to display the XP VM without all the heavy borders and tabs and icons. I'm sure that's in the User Guide somewhere. Then I need to find out how share files between the XP and Linux environments. Then find out if the XP VM can connect to the USB hard drive (as you suggest, that may be a problem and I need to install the beta 6 VMWare).

Only problem so far is Linux becomes dog slow when running the XP VM. I am guessing memory is ring-fenced for the VM and Linux can now only use 128Mb and is swapping heavily (disk light is on constantly, System monitor only showing 10% CPU). So I will stick another 512MB memory and see if that improves performance.

Clive
In the VIEW menu you can switch off most of the 'disturbing' panels.
Sharing files is easy through either SMB from the Linux side or from Windows. In Windows just click START and RUN and type in \\10.0.0.1\share (replace by your host IP address). You'll then get an Explorer Window with the shares, potentially with a login prompt, depending on your setup. VMWare 6 will make that a bit easier because it allows drag and drop.

As for Memory, if you can remotely afford it then top up your memory to at least 1.5GB. I am running VMWare 6 on my work computer (Windows XP Pro) and have a virtual machine with Win2k that I can provide 512MB, making everything quite fast. Had two Win2k virtual machines running simultaneously yesterday and that was a bit slow then :D Either way, memory will certainly improve performance substantially.

[ducasi]

I know I'm coming to this late, but as well as VMware, you might want to give Parallels (http://www.parallels.com/) a look... At $50, it could be cheaper than VMware. :)

[frodo]

Andreas,
Then I need to find out how share files between the XP and Linux environments.

Only problem so far is Linux becomes dog slow when running the XP VM. I am guessing memory is ring-fenced for the VM and Linux can now only use 128Mb and is swapping heavily (disk light is on constantly, System monitor only showing 10% CPU). So I will stick another 512MB memory and see if that improves performance.

I've only run VMware on Linux once, but I think there is an option as to whether VMWare reserves all the memory needed for the running machine virtual machines or just part of it and swaps the rest, but good advice to stick in 1.5 Gb in any case.

One other methods of accessing host files are the host shared folders which are nice in not needing a general network connection to be setup - less need to worry about security.

If you don't need host shared folders / USB2 or the multiple snapshot / team / clone facilities VMWare Server is free, and despite the name isn't actually a bad local desktop solution.

It is also should be possible to map an USB disk drive, as one of the fixed disk drives of the virtual machine ( you have to be very careful the host doesn't access it at the same time though ).

[Clive Long]

I know I'm coming to this late, but as well as VMware, you might want to give Parallels (http://www.parallels.com/) a look... At $50, it could be cheaper than VMware. :)

If I have the time I will give Parallels a look.

Apart from USB (*) not working under the XP guest and ActiveSync 4.2 crashing the XP guest - every Win app seems to work no problems

Data is being shared using Samba on the host - works fine

I have ordered 1GB memory - the max I can fit in this machine

Doing this exercise has reminded me that the price of an app (or an IT solution) isn't anything (much) to do with its retail price - it's to do with the cost of implementation and support i.e. how much time did it take to get VMWare and the Guest up and running - and how easy was it to get solutions to the problems I experienced?

Knowledgable , willing friends are a priceless asset.

Thanks

Clive

aha ! - there is a menu option in VMWare to detach the USB device from the host and assign it to the guest. Thank goodness for support forums. I now have a USB camera for Skype calls - what an appalling thought!

[Clive Long]

I have just installed 1GB memory and the disk thrashing has disappeared. I have given the XP guest 256Mb (which is probably excessive for the number of apps I will run on it). Switching between the Linux host and the XP guest takes about a second now - no material difference to moving between windows under X.

Next step will be to install the VMWare 6 Beta. I wonder if I can migrate the XP VM from 5.5.3? I should hope so. The need is for USB 2 under the VM.

All going nicely. Quicken seems stable under the VM.

Only problems are:

Lack of support for CardBus 32-bit PCMCIA cards
Problem getting the MDA connecting via USB onto the XP VM and hence sycnhing using Active Sync 4.2

Thse things are sent to try us.

Thanks to all, especially Andreas (sorry blew your street cred there, A), for the tips that actually paid off.


Clive

[frodo]

Next step will be to install the VMWare 6 Beta. I wonder if I can migrate the XP VM from 5.5.3? I should hope so. The need is for USB 2 under the VM.
Upgrades have been troublesome in past versions, but they advertise changing virtual hardware forward and back this time.

One issue with Windows XP and changing virtual hardware setup, is changes in virtual hardware can matter in terms of Windows XP activation.

[Andreas]

VMWare 6 runs VMs from v5 fine. I haven't converted my v5 Win2k VMs yet to v6. VMWare will recommend you to upgrade them but since it is still in beta I haven't dared in case I need to revert back to v5.

[Clive Long]

VMWare 6 runs VMs from v5 fine. I haven't converted my v5 Win2k VMs yet to v6. VMWare will recommend you to upgrade them but since it is still in beta I haven't dared in case I need to revert back to v5.

A wise strategy. I don't run anything "production" under VMWare so I can be more reckless.

I ran a version 5 VM under VM 6 and it worked fine

I decided to then upgrade the VM from 5 to 6. The converted VM worked fine under VMWare 6 - and the USB2 support seems to work well.

All in all, a pretty painless

Clive

[Andreas]

That is great to hear, Clive.

I just came across a 'new' GPL Virtualisation application.

http://www.virtualbox.org/

The site appears to be unavailable at the moment but one hopes it will be up soon. Not sure how compares to VMWare but I'll try it at some point.

If you feel like practicing your German, here is a review. They ran successfully Vista and SuSE 10.2 in a window. You can usde the app in workstation (GUI) and server (command line) mode. Apparently mostly councils have been using it so far. So it can't be too bad.

http://www.heise.de/open/artikel/83678