algent Well why do i need Linux extended and primary partition?
I am installing on GPT drive, not MBR one. Also as I can see Solus prefers GPT(https://getsol.us/articles/installation/disks/en/)-so from the big disk HDD2 with GParted I have to:
1-Erase it to make emty space
2-Create a 512MB FAT32 partition with flags: boot and esp
3-I will create a root file / which I think to make around 150GB-well my programs will be there and I may play with virtual machines, so it will be a nice to have more space
4-I will create a swap partition(I have 16GB ram) so I will make it only 4-6 GB...also I will search to tweak the setting from 60 to 90-that means swap will be used when I use more than 90% of the available ram
5-I don't think I need /home-I mean from what I searched it's like Documents file for Windows-and I don't use them-there is only some programs data-which I would be happy to be on the main root partition-also neither Solus nor Ubuntu creates such a partition when you use them to automatically do the installation for you. But if there is a HUGE reason to install it-like I am at high risk of damaging the system after update or something I will use it.
6-I will create a NTFS partition with the remaining 1.5+ TB that from what I have read may have compatability issues with Linux??But it's the most modern so I hope it's safe. There I will have downloaded content and potentially some more valuable information.
Am I right or I shouldn't to this way?
Finally I wanna adress something-when using Solus on Virtual machine-I of course had put a simple to remember basic password-despite the problems with alphabetic letters-not switching to English when I was putting a name of the PC, which I later tweaked from the language settings, there are some password issues too!
When I turned the OS on and asked me for password I wrote it and I logged-when clicked to download the updates and asked me for password I used the same and I couldn't log it...neither with empty one...after being unactive Solus locks and wants password-again I can't log in. But I can only log in when turning the system on...I searched for the same problems but it was too complex-it was stated that this was a well known problem that would hopefully be adressed in Solus 4.1

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      • Post #56
      • Edited

      Emperor In my opinion it's correct. It's GPT, not MBR so no need to mess with extended partitions. If you don't make separate /home it will simply reside in root.

      4) is incorrect as far as I know. Smaller swappiness rates will use the swap more sparsely, it's 10 on Solus by default.

      Since you've got space, I'd consider making the root partition even bigger. Especially if you'll store VMs there.

      For the password issue I'd say change your region/language before launching installer and try if it works that way. Check if this helps you https://discuss.getsol.us/d/241-dvorak-support-in-installer-and-at-boot-login

          [deleted] about 4 that was what I wanted to do-swappiness to 10...in Mint and Ubuntu in higher so it needs correction(don't know why they would do that)-happy to see it's 10 by default in Solus.

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              • Post #58

              Emperor Yeah, I just meant that you don't set the value to 90 in that case.

                  [deleted] Yes about the password that is what I've read but didn't understand xD
                  As far as I remember when installing on VM I set the system language to English, but writing to BG, so I have to go fully English before installation? After I am done is it safe to change everything to BG?
                  And to be sure-making the big NTFS partition is safe and will be easily read/write via both W10 and Solus? Also the root and swap partitions would not be visible in W10, but the 1.5TB NTFS will appear ready to go in W10 automatically?

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                      • Post #60

                      Emperor Yeah, I guess performing the installation fully english and changing the stuff to BG after first boot would do. I recall the login screen should have an option to change the keyboard layout too.

                      Yeah, NTFS works in both Windows and Solus. I recall I went full EXT4 though due to NTFS being slower. Root and swap might be visible in W10 as raw or unallocated, but that's fine. Just don't format them if Windows offers you that. The NTFS should appear automatically, if it doesn't you can assign a drive letter to it via Disk Management.

                          [deleted] So after I want to use it both with W10 and Solus-I can't go with Ext4, but only with NTFS.
                          Also wanna know am I safe deleting 2 partitions-one is W10 for backup, but it's useless-I needed it once and it failed-can I delete that partition without W10 bugging or forcing creation of new one? Also can I delete the W10 bootloader after installing Solus? I think Linux bootloader can only check if there is W10 bootloader and use it for opening W10-thus meaning I need 2 bootloaders?

                            [deleted] algent Damn... this installation is insane:
                            Gparted only gives me the ability to make primary partitions in the GPT HDD...I've had enough so I accapted, but there are even more problems-I can't put flags on the bootloader to be...well bootloader. I can't make the Linux partition to be root(by simply putting /)...this options are still available for the HDD 1...
                            Is this thing going to work or it's simply better to install Solus(which seems like can't be installed otherwise) on the whole HDD and then try something to create NTFS?

                                  @[deleted] @algent Hey guys-good news 🙂
                                  With the help of mfleetwo from GParted forum I figure out how to manage this drive, here is a link:
                                  http://gparted-forum.surf4.info/viewtopic.php?id=17824
                                  But now I have yet another problem-now I can't install the bootloader on the HDD, where Solus is...it only gives me the ability to install bootloader on the HDD of W10. I don't think that would be a good idea-for more info please check the link to GParted forum.
                                  Also I saw somewhat a similar problem here on this forum(I can't to install Bootloader in my partition...), but from what I can see by @JoshStrobl it's because either 1-they are on legacy mode(I am sure I am using UEFI, because following the instructions I get an image of Solus logo and then I go into the Live OS, instead of me getting only plain text like in old BIOS) or 2-my HDD is not a GPT but a MBR(well quite the opposite-HDD2 where Solus is is GPT, while HDD1 where W10 is and where Solus wants it's bootloader is an MBR).
                                  I have posted a link to video in the GParted forum if you wanna see the HDD configuration and partitions as well as the installation process of Solus.
                                  Update-even when I remove HDD1 I can't put bootloader on HDD2:

                                  I followed the instructions, creating 768 MB FAT32 partition with boot and esp flags-now when I boot the PC there is a new boot option:UEFI HDD2. Still the installer is asking me for MBR partition?!

                                  MBR old.
                                  GPT new.

                                  GPT must used for EFI.

                                  EFI puts bootloader on a partition
                                  Legacy puts the bootload on the MBR (master boot record) of a drive, not a partition.

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                                    • Post #66

                                    Emperor You do not need other than primary partitions in this case.

                                    You can put flags after committing the changes to disk.

                                        [deleted] I figured it out after long searches xD
                                        It's like people telling you you have engine problem, but don't explain you how to repair the car...
                                        Now I can't get how to deal with that bootloader.

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                                            • Post #68

                                            Emperor Unplug the W10 drive altogether and boot the live usb in UEFI

                                                [deleted] Already tried-now again, but nothing.
                                                Basically it boots on UEFI and is showing me only 1 option-reboot into the firmware-after that I can rearange the boot order-as long as the first one is UEFI USB I can only reboot and enter the firmware-when I choose only USB then it boots, but can't create bootloader, thus can't create an OS-it's showing me only that it can't find a valid bootloader location(MBR disk).

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                                                    • Post #70

                                                    Emperor That's because it's not booting in UEFI.

                                                        [deleted] How to make it boot in UEFI?
                                                        I dissabled all options for legacy boot in BIOS and the USB is only restarting(don't want to work with UEFI), Windows is in Legacy so it won't start either.
                                                        How to make that UEFI work? Is it something in the settings or I installed it on the USB the wrong way? The USB is FAT32 formated. I have GPT HDD and inside it I have FAT32 partition with boot and esp flags. I do not boot with secure boot.

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                                                            • Post #72

                                                            Emperor Another option would be to make the HDD2 MBR.

                                                              @[deleted] @algent Hey guys: we've made it!
                                                              The longest installation of Solus in history xD I'm a little sad this happened on the 71th post and not on 69th, but whatever.
                                                              There were 2 big problems, which I learned how to deal with: the first is that you have to prepare everything with GParted and then try to mount, not via Gparted, but via the installer.
                                                              The secound big problem was that I followed the instructions on the Solus website, which said that I have to create MBR scheme for BIOS or UEFI...when I re-burned the USB with GPT scheme, everything, just worked 🙂 I must admit that I confused the BIOS interface with UEFI when booting Solus.
                                                              So here we have it-from my testing I don't like the file system so much, but I will get used to it. Solus is very very fast 🙂 It's booting is like 3 times faster than W10! It's also very lightweight-I can all the needed programs and some games in less than 10GB!
                                                              Unfortunately Waterfox and Joplin aren't available in the software center, but I will learn how to install from other things like snap.
                                                              All in all everything is fine, exept now I am only booting into Solus xD
                                                              How can I make the bootloader check that there is a Windows and give me choice to boot it?
                                                              Also when I turn it off and then on my swap partition and many others get unmounted?! Only the home(which is part of root) is mounted automatically...how can I deal with that?
                                                              Which is THE virtual machine for Solus(for W10 I consider it to be Oracle VM)
                                                              And most importantly I wanna thank you for the help 🙂
                                                              Still can't belive you wasted 2 days trying to help me :0 :

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                                                                • Post #74

                                                                Emperor Congrats! It for sure has been a ride.

                                                                Waterfox is available from their official site as an archive you can just extract and run. Joplin isn't included apparently due to not having any increased value over boostnote.

                                                                For partitions to mount automatically you need to edit /etc/fstab, or adjust the settings via GNOME Disks.