Getting Ready to try Linux

[RKC]

I just bought a copy of Mandrake 7.1 Linux Program today a Best Buy and I hope to install it in the next few weeks. I will try to first try a dual boot system with Win95. However, I am going to really study the manuals, keep reading this forum, and looking at other resources before I take the plunge.

I hope I can avoid any unforeseen pitfalls that may crop up. If anyone has any suggestions that you have that I really should know before I do I would really appreciate it, especially if it hasn't been covered here before.

Ron

[Xayd]

Well, before jumping into it, study up on hardware compatibility more than anything.

For instance Winmodems, on board sound/video setups, riser cards, etc. These kinda devices can give ya fits.

My recommendation is put everything on a machine with "standard" components. For example, a hardware controlled ISA modem, major manufacturer video card (Voodoo, ATI, Geforce, etc.), SoundBlaster sound, and hard drive on the mobo's IDE channels (avoid RAID and add on cards until you've got everything working).

I've heard that the new Mandrake installer is very good about detecting and properly configuring devices, but I personally haven't used it, still using Red Hat 6.1 on a dual boot with Win98FE. Even if it is the greatest thing since popcorn, no machine I know of has taken an install of Linux and had every device work properly on the first try with no tinkering.


Xayd

[Statica]

XayD, as a matter of preference, Mundrake 7.1 has some really buggy installation runs, RHat 6.2 works a whole lot smoother. Somehow they havent really gone all out with publicizing the new 6.2! But u are right, nothing beats going thru the documentation, verifying h/w compatibility. Oh yeah, I'd stay away from ChOS http://www.pcmech.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Xayd]

I looked at 6.2, but the only real differences that I could see were a lotta bug fixes that I downloaded already, no biggie there.

The Red Hat graphical installer has only gone kaput on me once, and always worked nicely. But then again I never install "default" stuff, always go custom and test video first, it's always my biggest fight.

Although I am quite pleased with 3dfx support. They don't "officially" support Linux, they have contracted out work on an X Server to run Glide and OpenGL games in Linux on their cards, and support most distributions with at least most of the card features working. Better than the rest at least...

ATI doesn't even have the word "linux" listed anywhere on their site last time I checked.

Xayd

[This message has been edited by Xayd (edited 07-24-2000).]