Time to Try Linux

[TrippinJedi]

Ok im a newbie about linux, i downloaded the live CD of SuSE 9.1 and i like it, i want to make a linux box, what kinda minimum requirements would that system need to run the latest SuSE or even mandrake, or should i do a dual boot with the XP system that i have right now? Would i need a new Hard drive or could i just install it?

[ZeratulsAvenger]

If you can run XP, you can in most cases run Linux I would say. I am only saying most cases, because I am sure you could make it unbarebly slow, but lets not let that happen

I would recommend either a dual boot or an extra hard drive if you have one or there is not enough space on your main drive. To Dual boot you would need to use a progam like Partition Magic to resize your XP partition and then use linux to use the free space. If you had another drive then you could just install right onto that, which is a much cleaner process then trying to resize a partition. Safer. Alternatively you could reformat the drive and have XP use only x GB and allow the rest for Linux, but then you haev to reinstall programs and backup documents and all that good stuff.

if anything was unclear(im sure I said something horribly, kinda tired ) then I am sure someone will quickly clear it up. Hope your time with linux is fun

[aym]

How is your hard disk partitioned?

[TrippinJedi]

I partitioned it when i set up XP each is 18.6GB in size

[ZeratulsAvenger]

So you have 18.6GB used by XP and 18.6 free? If so, then install Linux on that 18.6 and do a dual boot(assuming you are not having any space troubles in XP). Install LILO/GRUB when installing Linux and then you should be good to go.

Oh ya, and I don't know if I said to clearly before- Linux can run on a box of 400MHz and 64MB RAM if need be. You just have no know what to install what you are doing I would guess. Any machine that can run XP should be more then suitable for Linux though.

[TrippinJedi]

i have 4 partitions of 18.6GB

[mikeL]

I would be leary about resizing a NTFS partition with data on it, especially if you don't have access to partiton magic.

The easiest way would be to use another hard drive, just in case some thing goes awry, but that is entirely up to you, and what you are comfortable with.

Mike

[icallmedan]

Is th eprocess to install Linux harder than WinXP, what is the learnign curve like to be able to install it?

[aym]

TrippinJedi:

The easiest way IMO (if you can't get another hard disk) is to copy data from your last partition to another one, delete it, and create Linux partitions in its space, you can do this from within the setup porgram of Linux and you don't necessarily need Partition Magic.

icallmedan:

Latest versions of SuSE, Mandrake, and Fedora are as easy to install as Windows.

[TrippinJedi]

well i dont have partition magic, now if i install in on a hard drive of its own it will recognize it and give you the choice at startup, similar to if you do a dual boot with two windows versions?

[TrippinJedi]

"Install LILO/GRUB when installing Linux and then you should be good to go."

what are LILI/GRUB?

[aym]

Lilo and Grub are boot managers for Linux, if you install one of them (Grub is usually the default), it will give a menu on startup to select which OS you want to use.

[TrippinJedi]

So By Grub being the default you mean its already part of the OS, or do i have to go out and find a copy of it?

[aym]

It's already on the installation CD.

[TrippinJedi]

now looking at the distros to download i see them labeled as i386, i586, SPARC, PPC which one am i looking for?

[aym]

http://www.linuxiso.org/viewdoc.php/isofaq.html#archs

It depends on your CPU, i386 is for 386 and above, i586 is for pentium and above.

[icallmedan]

So it is just like you pop in a disc, and click the settings you want?

[aym]

Yes, you boot from a CD, select settings using a GUI just like in Windows, and install.

Newcomer friendly distros are SuSE, Fedora, and Mandrake.

[icallmedan]

I might have to give one a try. I need to get some more CDs first though.

[nocturnx]

I have used Fedora and Mandrake. Between the two I prefer the Mandrake 10 that I am currently using. It installs basically just like windows, almost identically once you get past creating the partition. Mandrake 10 uses lilo I believe as the boot loader and it makes it very easy. It automatically installs and when you boot asks if you want to boot to windows xp or to linux, it is seriously that simple. My friend uses Suse 9.1? and likes it, but I prefer the way mandrake 10 was setup, they are very similar tho, I am giving him the mandrake 10 cd's this weekend so he can try it out.

[icallmedan]

Cool, I'll check Mandrake out. How long does it take to isntall? Are there any service packs or anything that you need to download then, and where can I download the ISOs?

**Edit

nevermind I see where to download them.

[nocturnx]

It didnt take all that long to install. Once it starts installing I walked away, came back and it prompted to insert disk 2 and the later disk 3. Probly same or less time than installing windows xp. When you install Mandrake 10 it has a control center icon on the desktop and also auto loads this when you start it up for the first time and this gives you options like to download and install service packs and change boot loader configuration and all that jazz, its all GUI and easy to use.

[icallmedan]

I oculdn't get it to work right for anything. I kept getting an error during the boot up. You can see my post in this forum, if anyone can help me out. I tried installing it about 5 times, I don't know if it formatted the HDD right, but it only took like 2 minutes and it took like 20 with Windows....is Linux that much more efficient, or did it not work right. I tried a whole bunch of custom partition set ups, and finally on the last one I click "auto" it set up a '/' 'swap' and '/home' in that order. I reinstalled it, and still it didnt work. I don't know what the problem could be. I went on the different Linux forums but I couldn't find an answer to my problem that I could understand, as I am new to Linux.

Here is my problem:
http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=103785

[TrippinJedi]

OK, i stole the 2nd hard drive from my wifes system, he he she wont miss it,
anyway, do i have to reformat it or can i keep the way its partitioned and load the linux?

[ZeratulsAvenger]

When you are installing linux you will want to paritition it, seeing as how Linux uses a completely different file system then Windows. If you use one of the more popular beginner distro's(Mandrake, Suse, Fedora) I am pretty sure it should be quite simple to select the 2nd hard drive, format and partition it(remember, that will destroy all of the information on the drive) and then install. I would be completely sure what you are doing before reformating though, since you would NOT want to accidentally destroy your primary Windows Partition.

[TrippinJedi]

now, when i install and it tells me / asks me to reformat, will it show me all the partitions that exist for selection or just the 2 actual hard drives that are on the system?

[ZeratulsAvenger]

It should list the individual partitions. I know with RH 7.3 it worked that way. If you want you can probably delete that partition then make it into the 3+ partitions you want for Linux(/, /swap, etc...)

[TrippinJedi]

OK this isnt going too smooth, i got a copy of mandrake 10.0, loaded it and when it reboots all i get is the letter "L" with a flashing cursor and nothing else, i go and reinstall the windows boot loader and i can get windows back, it doesnt give me any selection on which OS to boot to

what am i missing or doing wrong?

[ZeratulsAvenger]

Ya... Windows really isnt to kind with it's bootloader and I am unsure of if you can really add an option for Linux into the Windows bootloader, although I know there are 3rd party bootloaders which would do what you needed. Not sure of any names though.

No idea about the blinkin L. I have had that happen as well, but I had a boot disk and didn't need to boot Windows(Still dont need to, will have to fix at some time though I guess ) so I have yet to look into what the cause is. Probably some corrupt/bad bootloader installation.

Hope you find an answer

[TrippinJedi]

do i need to go and find Lilo or Grub and load it?