Is it safe to partition with programs running?

Nope
Why don't you tell us more about what you want to do and we can help you better.

• I want to partition my Window Hard drive and install <Linux Distribution Name> in the available space for a dual boot installation.
• I have a blank hard drive and I want to prepare it for a dual boot installation using <Linux Distribution Name>
• I want to install a live image of <Linux Distribution Name> I've been running on my hardware and I do/do not want to preserve the Windows install
• I am sitting here looking at a <Linux Distribution Name> installation DVD and want that OS clicking on my hardware ASAP

The Distribution you're installing (Slackware/Arch/Gentoo/Debian/Ubuntu, etc) is important because each has tools to assist you however they are accessed different ways in each distro.

Hope that helps.

2 members found this post helpful.

It is normally only possible to operate on partitions that aren't mounted - the exception to this is that Windows Disk Manager will let you shrink or grow its own partition "live". So in that specific example, yes it is safe.

With most other other tools, such as those commonly used with linux (ex. GParted), you may only operate on partitions that are not mounted and it is possible to do this while using the system to do something else at the same time. Since the notion of "safe" is a bit of a judgement call, I would not necessarily recommend this, since the partitioning operations are very low-level and any error may lead to a situation where you can no longer boot into your system.

Hope this helps.

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You should have backups of your wanted stuff (apps and OSs can be reinstalled but not your stuff ) first.

I have done it( like Dijetlo said likely not best practice), it won't let you partition some spots unless you log in a live session or some CLI...

1 members found this post helpful.

I would agree with Rickkkk, on this one, linux-man. Make sure it's unmounted first, if you want to change the partition itself/format it.

Which release should I download from http://gparted.org/download.php ?
I have an Intel machine.

Which Debian distro do you recommend for beginner?
What about operating the linux OS from an external hard drive ( after install)?

I would strongly recommend you install Gparted from official repo's for your distro.

Ubuntu is probably your best bet, if you want a debian based distro.

Yes, you can run Linux from an external hard drive.

Is that meant to be done after install of distro or before?
I haven't partitioned the hard drive to make way for the distro yet.

After, your distro's installation program, should take care of partitioning for you.

Is there an option to do it before the installation of distro with a Live GParted disc first?
That's why I asked which one should I download from http://gparted.org/download.php,
because I wanted to make a Live GParted CD partition before distro install.

... Hey linux-man ... I agree with jsbjsb001's responses above. One added detail, if you want to obtain the live ISO version of GParted (per my suggestion), as opposed to adding it to a linux session that you have already installed, go with this:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/gpa...d?source=files

... afterwards, create as bootable CD or USB from this ISO file, as per your preference, and boot the computer from that media.

Cheers and let us know should you require further assistance :-)

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If you can read here after asking questions you can also read the documentation and so on, here's a start: http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/p...es/bones.shtml
https://www.debian.org/doc/
http://www.tldp.org/
&c... RTM have fun!

2 members found this post helpful.

And then format the new partition within windows or GParted?

If your talking about your Windows partition, then, yes, you should use the OS, the partition is for.

The newly created partition is for Linux; format with GParted?