how to install mandrake

[THE TV MAN]

thanks to the help from reboot and statica i think i finally got the right files downloaded for mandrake 8.0.i was just wandering do i burn them as iso files and then boot from cd or do i need to extract them somehow and then burn them.very new to linux but really want to learn it.thanks in advance.

[HAL9000]

You should be able to use your CD recording software to create a CD from an ISO image. When you create the CD from the ISO image, it should be bootable, so when you go to install, set your boot sequence to CD-Rom, C, A then boot from your newly created CD.

[THE TV MAN]

thanks hal9000

[reboot]

It's easier that way, but a little more confusing, if you're not sure how to burn it right. You'll need the boot image file to burn as well.
The easy way is:
Look in the "dosutils" folder. Double click on the file called "rawritewin.exe"
Browse to the "images" folder. Click the "cdrom.img" file, and then the "write" button. All with a new floppy in the drive of course.
This creates a bootable floppy that will load CD-ROM drivers, and search for the correct files on the CD-ROM. Away you go.
Alternatively, you don't have to install from CD, so you don't even need to burn the disks, just install from the hard drive.
Follow the steps above, but select the "hd.img" file instead.
Boot to the floppy you made, and just specify the hard drive, partition, and folder you have the whole download in. Even in .iso format, it will uncompress and install automatically.
Remember, in Linux, hard drives are numbered different than DOS.
Primary hard drive, partition 1 (your C: drive) is HDA1
Second partition is HDA2, etc.
Your primary slave is HDB.
Secondary master is HDC.
Secondary slave is HDD.
CD-ROMs and RW's are slightly different, and you'll see the appropriate letters on the screen, just above the prompt.

[HAL9000]

Why do you need to go through all of that Jim? I just burned a copy of Mandrake 8 a couple weeks ago and just created the CD from the ISO image and it was fully bootable already.

[reboot]

OK, I wasn't sure if the .iso made it bootable or not, some older .iso's I burned had to have the boot.img file included in the burn...
I'm burning a couple of copies of MDK8 right now, so I'll check to see if they're bootable or not.