from linux.debian.user

changing the type of the partition

I have up and running two versions of Debian.
like this main OS AMD64

AMD64_Debian_Etch_4.0_dev_sda1

Full scale Image

http://666kb.com/i/appx8zyc7y0uwlkd5.png

With swap partition.

AMD64_Debian_Etch_4.0_dev_sda5

Full scale Image
http://666kb.com/i/appxavb8nhi5q8swp.png

Then after one version was up and running I
decided or I had planned to append another version.

second OS as 32 bit

i386_Debian_Etch_4.0_dev_sda3

Full scale Image
http://666kb.com/i/appxbx8zcfzaxcs49.png

With swap partition.
# is this necessary, I use GRUB Boot manager and the OS are selected
during boot.
# Why can't I simply use only one single swap partition assigned to both
OS versions, please?

i386_Debian_Etch_4.0_dev_sda4

Full scale Image

http://666kb.com/i/appxclggdnfhk2v6h.png

Here is my problem,

Free_space_not_partitioned

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http://666kb.com/i/appxdhnannw04kz15.png

I'd like to append 32 bit fedora, solaris 10 64 bit, Win XP 32 bit.

Why is that impossible?

What can I do to change it?

I had no success with knoppix, I have downloaded
gparted-livecd-0.3.4-8.iso

The manual said it is better to use gparted from within a running OS,

gparted is according to my understanding meant to _resize_ a partition
or _copy_ data from one partition to another.

To put it clear, that is not what I want.

Both versions of debian etch 4.0 runs perfectly.

I think simply changing the type of the partition
could permit more OS to be installed in the existing
unusable free space.

Here are some of the details.

http://pastebin.ca/600147

Why could this disaster happen?

best regards

Lordbyte Whitfield

some URLs

http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/partitions/partition_types.html

http://multiboot.solaris-x86.org/

http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html

http://www.debiananwenderhandbuch.de/

http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/522