Bug 507285

You chose the "Replace existing Linux system" option (the default)? This option will only remove partitions from the disk that contain filesystems considered to be native to linux. If there are no filesystems, the partitions will not be removed. In this case you should choose "Use entire drive", which will remove all partitions regardless of their contents.

Please reopen this bug, with further details, if I have misunderstood.

I think I chose "Replace existing Linux system" (definitely not "Use entire drive") but the point is that:

1. I bought a new drive, for new computer.
2. Used another machine to partition the drive marking all partitions as Linux partitions, creating layout I wanted. I have not formatted any of the partitions.
3. I expected Anaconda to be able to use the existing partition layout (after me assigning partitions to /, /usr, /tmp, /var, /home, /boot) and format all of them.

Unfortunately Anaconda failed with an error as in the report. I had to take the disk out and format all partitions using the other computer. Only then Anaconda was happy to execute scenario as above.

Summary: if existing partitions were unformatted I couldn't use existing layout. If the partitions have been formatted prior to running Anaconda, I was able to proceed using existing disk layout.

> 2. Used another machine to partition the drive marking all partitions as Linux
> partitions, creating layout I wanted. I have not formatted any of the
> partitions.
> 3. I expected Anaconda to be able to use the existing partition layout (after
> me assigning partitions to /, /usr, /tmp, /var, /home, /boot) and format all of
> them.

Choose "Create custom layout" if this is what you want. You will have to specify which partitions get which filesystem types and mountpoints in the screens that follow.

> Summary: if existing partitions were unformatted I couldn't use existing
> layout. If the partitions have been formatted prior to running Anaconda, I was
> able to proceed using existing disk layout.  

Both "Replace existing Linux system" and "Use entire drive" will remove any partitions containing linux-native filesystems and then set up the default fedora partitioning layout in the new free space.

If you want anaconda to use your partition layout, you must choose "Create custom layout" and assign mountpoints and so on on the screens that follow.

If you want anaconda to create its default layout, you can just leave the disk blank or choose "Use entire drive".

We do not base the decision to remove a partition on the numeric partition type as used by fdisk, but rather by the partition's actual contents.

This should give a better explanation than mine:

http://docs.fedoraproject.org/install-guide/f11/en-US/html/s1-diskpartauto-x86.html

Thanks, Dave. I want to point that I actually installed F11 fine, after formatting the partitions before installation. The issue shows only when you choose not to partition the drive with Anaconda tools but want to to partition it outside of the installer and then install on such partitioned drive where nothing is formatted yet.

My reason for using external partitioning software is that I prefer command line fdisk more than graphical partitioning apps -- I had in the past funny experiences with different partitioning software but I trust fdisk.

I believe that though the issue may still be there (?) it's not a common use case and I have a workaround for my scenario: format all partitions before assigning them in Anaconda. Hence from my point of view this issue isn't of high priority. Dave, I appreciate your effort explaining installation scenarios :-) I'm however familiar with that and still chose more unusual use case. Thanks for caring!