Installation guide

The drive letter can then be used to refer to that partition as well as the file system contained on
that partition.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux uses a naming scheme that is more flexible and conveys more information
than the approach used by other operating systems. The naming scheme is file-based, with file
names in the form of /dev/xxyN.
Here is how to decipher the partition naming scheme:
/dev/
This is the name of the directory in which all device files reside. Since partitions reside on
hard disks, and hard disks are devices, the files representing all possible partitions reside
in /dev/.
xx
The first two letters of the partition name indicate the type of device on which the partition
resides, usually either hd (for IDE disks) or sd (for SCSI disks).
y
This letter indicates which device the partition is on. For example, /dev/hda (the first IDE
hard disk) or /dev/sdb (the second SCSI disk).
N
The final number denotes the partition. The first four (primary or extended) partitions are
numbered 1 through 4. Logical partitions start at 5. So, for example, /dev/hda3 is the third
primary or extended partition on the first IDE hard disk, and /dev/sdb6 is the second
logical partition on the second SCSI hard disk.
Note
There is no part of this naming convention that is based on partition type; unlike
DOS/Windows, all partitions can be identified under Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Of course, this
does not mean that Red Hat Enterprise Linux can access data on every type of partition, but in
many cases it is possible to access data on a partition dedicated to another operating system.
Keep this information in mind; it makes things easier to understand when you are setting up the
partitions Red Hat Enterprise Linux requires.
26.1.6. Disk Part it ions and Ot her Operat ing Syst ems
If your Red Hat Enterprise Linux partitions are sharing a hard disk with partitions used by other
operating systems, most of the time you will have no problems. However, there are certain
combinations of Linux and other operating systems that require extra care.
26.1.7. Disk Part it ions and Mount Point s
One area that many people new to Linux find confusing is the matter of how partitions are used and
accessed by the Linux operating system. In DOS/Windows, it is relatively simple: Each partition gets
a "drive letter." You then use the correct drive letter to refer to files and directories on its
corresponding partition.
⁠Chapt er 2 6 . An Int roduct ion t o Disk Part it ions
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