Chapter 9. Disk Partitioning
Fedora creates and uses several partitions on the available hard drives. You may customize both the partitions, and how the drives on your system are managed. Section 9.2, “General Information on Partitions” explains drive partitions in more detail.
![[Note]](./stylesheet-images/note.png) | Changing Your Mind |
|---|---|
The installation process makes no changes to your system until package installation begins. You may use to return to previous screens and change your selections at any time. |
The on-screen dialog lists the available drives. By default, the installation process may affect all of the drives on your computer. To prevent the installation program from repartitioning specific drives, clear the check box next to those drives on this list.
The installation process erases any existing Linux partitions on the selected drives, and replaces them with the default set of partitions for Fedora. All other types of partitions remain unchanged. For example, partitions used by Microsoft Windows, and system recovery partitions created by the computer manufacturer, are both left intact. You may choose an alternative from the drop-down list:
- Remove all partitions on selected drives and create default layout
If the selected hard disks are brand new, or if you want to destroy all data currently on the selected drives, use this option. This option removes all partitions on all selected drives, even those used by non-Linux operating systems.
![[Warning]](./stylesheet-images/warning.png)
This Option Destroys All Data Once you have selected all installation options and proceed, all data on the selected drives will be destroyed. Use this option with caution.
- Remove linux partitions on selected drives and create default layout
If the selected drives have any Linux partitions, this option removes them and installs Fedora into the resulting free space. This option does not modify partitions assigned to other non-Linux operating systems. It does not discriminate, however, between partitions assigned to different Linux distributions, and will remove all of them.
- Use free space on selected drives and create default layout
If the selected drives have free space that has not been assigned to a partition, this option installs Fedora into the free space. This option ensures that no existing partition is modified by the installation process.
- Create custom layout
You manually specify the partitioning on the selected drives. The next screen enables you to configure the drives and partitions for your computer. If you choose this option, Fedora creates no partitions by default.
Select Review and modify partitioning layout to customize the set of partitions that Fedora creates, to configure your system to use drives in RAID arrays, or to modify the boot options for your computer. If you choose one of the alternative partitioning options, this is automatically selected.
Use the Advanced storage options option if:
You want to install Fedora to a drive connected through the iSCSI protocol. Select Advanced storage options, then select Add iSCSI target, then select Add drive. Provide an IP address and the iSCSI initiator name, and select Add drive.
You want to disable a dmraid device that was detected at boot time.
Choose a partitioning option, and select to proceed.
| The Next Screen |
|---|---|
The next screen is Network Devices, explained Chapter 11, Network Configuration, unless you select an option to customize the partition layout. If you choose to either Create custom layout, or Review and modify partitioning layout, proceed to Section 9.2, “General Information on Partitions”. |
9.1. RAID and Other Disk Devices
9.1.1. Hardware RAID
RAID, or Redundant Array of Independent Disks, allows a group, or array, of drives to act as a single device. Configure any RAID functions provided by the mainboard of your computer, or attached controller cards, before you begin the installation process. Each active RAID array appears as one drive within Fedora.
On systems with more than one hard drive you may configure Fedora to operate several of the drives as a Linux RAID array without requiring any additional hardware.
9.1.2. Software RAID
You can use the Fedora installation program to create Linux software RAID arrays, where RAID functions are controlled by the operating system rather than dedicated hardware. These functions are explained in detail in Section 9.5, “Disk Druid”.
9.1.3. FireWire and USB Disks
Some FireWire and USB hard disks may not be recognized by the Fedora installation system. If configuration of these disks at installation time is not vital, disconnect them to avoid any confusion.
![[Tip]](./stylesheet-images/tip.png) | Post-installation Usage |
|---|---|
You can connect and configure external FireWire and USB hard disks after installation. Most such devices are recognized by the kernel and available for use at that time. |