Appendix F An Introduction To Disk Partitions; Hard Disk Basic Concepts - Red Hat ENTERPRISE LINUX AS 2.1 Installation Manual

Section F.1:Hard Disk Basic Concepts 179
F An Introduction to Disk Partitions
Disk partitions are a standard part of the personal computer landscape and have been for quite some
time. However, with many people purchasing computers featuring preinstalled operating systems,
relatively few people understand how partitions work. This chapter attempts to explain the reasons
for and use of disk partitions so your Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS installation will be as simple and
painless as possible.
If you are reasonably comfortable with disk partitions, you could skip ahead to Section F.1.4, Making
Room For Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS, for more information on the process of freeing up disk space
to prepare for a Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS installation. This section also discusses the partition
naming scheme used by Linux systems, sharing disk space with other operating systems, and related
topics.
F.1 Hard Disk Basic Concepts
Hard disks perform a very simple function — they store data and reliably retrieve it on command.
When discussing issues such as disk partitioning, it is important to know a bit about the underlying
hardware. Unfortunately, it is easy to become bogged down in details. Therefore, we will use a simpli-
fied diagram of a disk drive to help explain what is really happening when a disk drive is partitioned.
Figure F–1, An Unused Disk Drive, shows a brand-new, unused disk drive.