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Next: Initialize a Linux Partition Up: Step-by-Step Installation Previous: Partition a Hard Disk   Contents   Index

Initialize and Activate a Swap Partition

This will be the ``Next'' menu item once you have created one disk partition. You have the choice of initializing and activating a new swap partition, activating a previously-initialized one, or doing without a swap partition.

A swap partition is strongly recommended, but you can do without one if you insist and if your system has more than 4MB RAM. If you wish to do this, select the ``Do Without a Swap Partition'' item from the menu and move on to the next section.

It's always permissible to reinitialize a swap partition, so select ``Initialize and Activate a Swap Partition'' unless you are sure you know what you are doing. This menu choice will first present you with a dialog box reading ``Please select the partition to activate as a swap device.'' The default device presented should be the swap partition you've already set up; if so, just press Enter.

Next you have the option to scan the entire partition for unreadable disk blocks caused by defects on the surface of the hard disk platters. This is useful if you have MFM, RLL, or older SCSI disks, and it never hurts (although it can be time-consuming). Properly working disks in most modern systems don't require this step, because they have their own internal mechanisms for mapping out bad disk blocks.

Finally, there is a confirmation message because initialization will destroy any data previously on the partition. If all is well, select ``Yes.'' The screen will flash as the initialization program runs.

Next: Initialize a Linux Partition Up: Step-by-Step Installation Previous: Partition a Hard Disk   Contents   Index