Deleting windows NTFS, FAT32 partitions to make more room for ubuntu in dual boot system

The best way to do this is booting from a LiveCD and using gparted to delete Windows partitions. After removing Windows partitions you have three options: either create a new partition, either extend existing one, either use Windows partition to store files.
Extending existing one might take several hours to complete. Needless to say it's quite risky operation, and any error may result in serious data loss.
Creating a new one is quick and more reliable, but it won't give you more room available for installing software etc. unless you move some files to the new partition. The best filesystem for a new partition is Ext4.
If you don't want to mess with all that live booting and partition editing, you may simply remove all files from existing windows partition and store some files there. That's the quickiest and safest option of all.
Long GRUB menus shouldn't be a problem of any kind. If you want to remove Windows items from GRUB menu, run 'sudo update-grub' on your installed system.

first go to gparted this is partition manager and do the formatting of the selected partitions of hdd whether ntfs or fat32
another thing you can reduce swap file size to 500 Mb.....you will gain extra 1 GB....
Remove all unwanted files/ program from Windows XP like MS Office, Nero these take lot of space about 2 GB for both of them....and keep minimum windows packages...do not simply remove to Windows OS let it be lying till you gain full confidence in Linux.... you can move all your files to new location even on fat32 and ntfs file systems/ partitions so even formatting can be avoided.

I have now decided to delete all windows partition and linux and make it as one unallocated free space.

All data has been saved on my portable external HDD.
All installed softwared on linux and package updates are on aptoncd.iso.

Then I will fresh reinstall Ubuntu. which version should I use? karmic or latest version 10 beta which I have not downloaded yet.

and then my HDD of laptop i am gonna install is 120GB.
so how should I format or allocate which partitions to how much space.
basically i do manually create partition and / =much space with ext3 or 4 and swap =1GB. I never created other partitions like /var or /tmp or /usr or others.

could you please tell me how many partitions should I create and how to format them with which file systems.

thanks
Real

A;right in that case you do not have to do anything ...simply run installation disk on boot up....and when partitioner asks you for making partitions etc just select the first option ie format drive it will format whole drive and make file system as ext4 (latest) or ext3 ( this one is bit old) choice is yours and swap of 1 GB is more than enough,,,most likely it will create automatically whatever it deems fit then your main ext3 partition should be declared as root / so all the system files are available here ie under /....you don;t have to create any folder
my advice make at least 3 partitions to keep your data from getting mixed up and smaller partitions are easily manageable....
Make 40 GB for Ubuntu ext4 and 1 GB swap then rest all 20-30 GB logical drives and rename them suitably.
Don't try ubuntu 10.04 as it is still in development stage....let its stable version come out ...it is due by end of next month.
Hope I have given a long answer which should help you.
Thanks
Rajinder Sandhu

if i deleted all drives, I will get 120 GB partitions. U first said leaving 1GB for swap and the rest will be /. and install over it.

In the last sentences, u said make 40GB for ext4 and 1GB swap and the rest 20-30GB logical drives and rename them suitably. What do u mean?

Out of 120 GB, If I give 1GB or swap and the others for /, what are the rest?

I really dont know where is logical drives you were saying. how to rename them suitably?

So for confusion or may be I dont really understand quite well.

hoping ur reply
thanks
Real

You have a hdd of 120 GB so you can make partitions as 40+35+35 when you
create an 40 GB Partition...let file system be ext 4 and define it as / ie
root so that all the folders pertaining to linux are available here, then
you need to create a folder with swap file system, after this what ever left
over space is there cab be created in two partitions of say 35 GB with file
system either ext4 or ext 3 or ntfs choice is yours....these operations are
available with partition manager...called gparted, it is fairly simple
procedure when you start doing it .
or otherwise you can make full hdd as planned for linux let OS install all
the folders with default location we can create partitions afterwards
also....
Thanks
Rajinder

On Fri, Mar 26, 2010 at 8:09 AM, Tommy <<email address hidden>
> wrote:

> Question #105390 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/105390
>
> Status: Answered => Open
>
> Tommy is still having a problem:
> if i deleted all drives, I will get 120 GB partitions. U first said
> leaving 1GB for swap and the rest will be /. and install over it.
>
> In the last sentences, u said make 40GB for ext4 and 1GB swap and the
> rest 20-30GB logical drives and rename them suitably. What do u mean?
>
> Out of 120 GB, If I give 1GB or swap and the others for /, what are the
> rest?
>
> I really dont know where is logical drives you were saying. how to
> rename them suitably?
>
> So for confusion or may be I dont really understand quite well.
>
> hoping ur reply
> thanks
> Real
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

--
Warm regards,

Rajinder Sandhu
Bangalore
India