Re: Linux installation - please help
From: ac (aecnews_at_candt.demon.co.uk)
Date: 07/17/05
- Next message: Joseph: "Understanding iptables FC4"
- Previous message: ÐÿñôMü++: "Re: Is Linux Really That Bad? Yes It IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1"
- In reply to: Neil Hindry: "Linux installation - please help"
- Next in thread: schrodinger's cat: "Re: Linux installation - please help"
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]
Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2005 21:06:34 +0100
Neil Hindry wrote:
> I wonder if you can help me.
>
> I have a Dell Inspiron 8200 laptop with an Intel P4 2.2GHz CPU, 40GB HD
> formatted as NTFS and 512MB RAM.
>
> I wondered if I would be possible to partition my hard drive and setup my
> laptop so that I could boot into Windows XP Pro (which is currently
> installed) or Linux depending on which I wanted to use at the time.
yes
XP is such that it is usually very much easier to install xp first,
preferably into a pre-determined partition, then linux, which will more
easily manage the dual boot. I have done a couple of successful and easy
suse linux installs alongside existing xp, using good practice (and good
backup just in case), relying on the suse installer suggested
re-partitioning. Which worked for me.
There is less risk if you hav edone your partitioning first, if you can.
Th egood parctice was backups, and scandisk and a couple of defrags, I
think mentiodned in this thread by others.
> Is all this possible?
yes
> If I partitioned my HD would I lose any data that is
> currently on the HD?
yes you would loose all of it. everything.
> I was thinking of partitioning the HD into two
> partitions of 20GB each, is that the best way to go about it?
yes not a bad start. I think a suse installer program might suggest a
larger linux partion and smaller xp one. :-) However, it would depend
strongly upon how much available free space you have in an xp (single)
partition which was then aboput to be carved up to make room for (suse)
linux. Linux is happy with a few GB if you don't install or do much.
> How could I
> set it up to enable me to select whether I wanted to boot into Win XP Pro or
> Linux?
a modern installer (such as in suse 9.2) will automaticallyarrange a
dual boot option startup. Suse uses grub as a default. a more
traditional loader uss lilo (li-nux lo-ader).
> I am very much a novice at Linux; in fact I have never used it before, but I
> will want to get a bit more involved once I know what I am doing.
Sounds like I was about a year ago. Welcome to a really worthwhile journey!
Incidentally. I chose suse because it was said to be one of th eeasy
ones to start with. I still think this.
> Which distribution of Linux do you recommend I go for given all the
> information I have supplied?
I can recommend suse....... (surprise surprise) :-)
> I know I can download Live versions of the different distributions, but can
> I download the full versions that get installed on a HD?
yes
> Where can I find
> and download the full version of the Linux distribution you recommend for
> me?
Suse professional 9.3 is curent and comes on 5 cds. Ther eare iso files
for download and direct image burn to cds on ftp mirror sites. Choose
one near you, found from
http://www.novell.com/products/linuxprofessional/downloads/ftp/int_mirrors.html
and a specific example (for UK) would be say
ftp://ftp.iinet.net.au/pub/suse/Suse/i386/9.3/iso/
and get iso1, 2,3,4,5
(note the ftp address example content above, do not get confused with the
'personal iso 9.1' directory which is old and very limited)
enjoy!
> I appreciate all help and information given.
> Thanks!
> Neil
you're welcome
-- alanc
- Next message: Joseph: "Understanding iptables FC4"
- Previous message: ÐÿñôMü++: "Re: Is Linux Really That Bad? Yes It IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1"
- In reply to: Neil Hindry: "Linux installation - please help"
- Next in thread: schrodinger's cat: "Re: Linux installation - please help"
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]
Relevant Pages
|
