Can I install Linux on a logical partition?

[lehuyducanh]

Can I install Linux on a logical partition?
I have a MBR disk, but I've had 3 primary partition for my work, now I wanna install linux on logical partition. Can linux be installed on logical partition?

 

[captain-sensible]

yes but at the end of the day, from memory "logical" primary etc is a hack to do with way mbr works and system knowing whats where. So the crunch question is you have a hd ; you divide it up using primary and logical but is there enough room left for linux. screenshot of gparted would help of your hd

 

[sp331yi]

+1 @captain-sensible -- let me add that for at least one distro I can think of, to do so rquires a primary /boot partition for the "system knowing whats where."

If windows os, I maybe recall some way to make one partition a directory in another? It's been so long since having to use that OS I cannot be sure.

 

[LorenDB]

If windows os, I maybe recall some way to make one partition a directory in another?

That sounds correct; however, I never personally tried it out (only saw screenshots of the process).

 

[neskepi]

Can I install Linux on a logical partition?
I have a MBR disk, but I've had 3 primary partition for my work, now I wanna install linux on logical partition. Can linux be installed on logical partition?

Last time I checked, no. At least the /boot partition must be on primary.

What you can do is, resize your other OS primary partition and make a third partition to use as /boot.

 

[LorenDB]

Last time I checked, no. At least the /boot partition must be on primary.

What you can do is, resize your other OS primary partition and make a third partition to use as /boot.

I successfully installed Debian 9 on an older computer a year or two ago. I installed on a logical partition and installed my bootloader (grub4dos) on my primary boot partition and it worked fine.

 

[gvisoc]

Sorry for jumping late! @LorenDB's installation was possible because that installation schema was valid and quite common in BIOS computers, and drives with a MBR and not a GPT. I installed a few systems in logical partitions, both / and swap, ans the grub in the MBR. In systems with UEFI and GPT, the boot partition must be primary (and I think FAT32!). @lehuyducanh what kind of computer do you have? If you have a BIOS (not EFI) you may be able to, as you already have the other piece of the puzzle --the MBRpartition table in the drive.

 

[wizardfromoz]

As @LorenDB has alluded, the answer is eminently

YES

On MBR-based computers, you can have a "minimum maximum" of 15 -16 partitions as Logical, with only 3 of them being Primary.

By "minimum maximum" I mean that that is at the least - in some cases you can have more, but I have not explored how many, myself.

I have had 7 Linux installed in Logical partitions, but not for a few years now, as I predominantly am UEFI-GPT based.

Best practice is to have Partitions 1, 2, and 3 as Primary, and make Partition 4 an Extended Partition, under which the Logical Partitions can be created. 11 - 12 of them, space permitting.

Duc Anh's basic specs are found at his other Thread, here

https://linux.org/threads/whats-the-best-linux-distro-for-me.30353/

and I believe he may have a 500 GB HDD. Is that so, Duc Anh?

There need be no separate Boot partition created, he can simply have the Installer load the bootloader to /dev/sda (no number).

I have to go for my evening in Australia shortly, but I can be back with more tomorrow.

Cheers

Wizard