beginner to linux

[ironzombie99]

I would like to play around with linux, it seems very appealing to me but I dont know where to start or much less what linux package to download, i have heard of red hat, mandrake, SuSe...which is better for a newbie?

I am very experience with windows, i have been with it since the beginning of windows 95 but i feel like i want to learn linux for some reason. Also I really dont want linux on my hd that has windows so should i get a new hd for it. I would like to have a seperate pc for linux and use a KVR switch to switch between towers, but i guess the sperate hd would be more economical.

[ZeratulsAvenger]

You could get a seperate HD and do a dual boot, or try a Live distro(Knoppix, Mepis primarily) which runs from a CD.

Most of the larger distro's(Fedora[=redhat, changed the name], Mandrake[changed that name too, I think... forgot what too though], Suse, etc) are pretty much alike. Bigger, possibly bulkier, all have the standard set of tools... Only way to really see which one you find easiest is to try them. You might also want to look into Ubuntu, it seems to be turning out to be quite good.

The ones that might seem best for a begginer may also just teach you sloppy habits, so just shoot for a well balanced good distro and try it out. If it doesnt work well for you, try another.

[rightcoast]

Hi IronZombie,

I'd also like to second the recommendation of the Ubuntu distro. It is really balanced like ZA says, with an easy package manager (for updates and program installs) called apt-get, and it is a solid Debian based distro. Like he also said a Live CD is a good idea to try it with. That way you pop it, and run it right from the drive, no installing anything. I linked right to the US i386 Live CD below (works on almost every PC) or you can Google Ubuntu if you have a 64 bit processor or an old Apple you want to try it on.

http://us.releases.ubuntu.com/releas...-live-i386.iso

[ironzombie99]

thanks a lot, i am downloading the ubuntu now.

[ironzombie99]

Alright I have a 80GB harddrive with just one partition on it. It is set to NTFS. My question is can i go and create a new partiton for linux with the free space that I have so I dont have to reformat and lose all my information i have? Should I use parition magic?

[Dangermouse1]

Most Linux distos will do the partitioning for you if your hard drive is not full you should get that option, but back up your important data first just in case. I have Ubuntu on a seperate drive ( with windows and Suse on the other drive) and although I have not had much time to play with it yet it looks good and should be fine for someone trying Linux for the first time.

[rightcoast]

If you only have one partition you do need to resize it with partition magic or another utility first. The Linux distro won't do that that part for you.

if you used the link I provided...(I don't know if you did or not), it won't install to the HDD anyway. It is a OS that runs from the CD. If you got an install version through a different link you will need to resize your partition or get a seperate drive. Back up for sure like DM said if you go the resize route, you can lose data.

[idahoduk]

I just downloaded Knoppix and I guess I burned the German .iso so everything including my keyboard was in German. It ran well and auto dected everything even my cable connection. I'm downloading Mepis now hopefully everything is in english. hs anyone tried running a live linux OS on a laptop? Any problems? I know in the past it's been hard to get linux to recognize your hardware.

[rightcoast]

Linux on laptops can be tricky sometimes. If any are going to be hassle free it will be Mepis or Ubuntu. Mepis is a great choice and should go nice and smooth. If it gets up smoothly for you I recommend this book:
http://pointandclicklinux.com/

It is a great getting started with Mepis guide, and will give a good feel for the GUI.

[digitalfreedom64]

I tried to install ubuntu on my laptop and it wouldn't, kept giving errors. Mepis will install fine but the other one won't install at all.

[idahoduk]

Thanks for the help.

[idahoduk]

I just downloaded MandrakeMove and if you use a compatable USB key you can use it as a file system for restoring your settings and saveing documents. This was you could customize your desktop and accually do something besides surf the web without bookmarks.

[vinnyod]

Originally Posted by ZeratulsAvenger You could get a seperate HD and do a dual boot, or try a Live distro(Knoppix, Mepis primarily) which runs from a CD. .......you might also want to look into Ubuntu, it seems to be turning out to be quite good.

Rather than set up a new thread I am another newbie looking to play around with Linux while I have both Knoppix and Ubuntu burned onto CDs when I go to reboot using the CDs THe set up goes straight into windows (as normal ) without asking to boot from CD.....what am I doing wrong any suggestions appreciated

[ZeratulsAvenger]

Change your boot order/sequence in your BIOS.

Enter the BIOS upon booting the computer, pressing F2, del, or F1(most common BIOS setupd triggers that know. It might display a message "To enter bios press ____," if not then try the keys as listed above.) Tap the button, after you press the power button, repeatedly. It should then list the BIOS options. Search through the BIOS and find the option to change the Boot Order or maybe the Boot Sequence. Set the CD-ROM as a higher priority then the Harddrive. Save and Exit. Insert the CD and boot.

If that doesn't work then the CD's might be burned wrongly or they were bad files.

Hope ya figure it out.