Re: New Computer Install

Jeannie Goforth wrote:
I am getting a new computer and will be installing Linux in the future. I
may wait until SuSE 10.2 comes out.

Is it better to have a seperate hard drive for linux? Is it possible to
boot from a floppy in modern versions such as SuSE 10.0 or will the boot
information need to come from the (a) hard drive?

The installers I have seen, including suse and ubuntu and others all
handle single or multiple drives well with no problem.

There is a slight advantage I suppose in having two hard drives in
that you have more chances of keeping data in two places in case one
drive fails - and they do sometimes. The main thing would be to get a
large drive/s, they are fairly cheap. I tend not to buy anything less
than 250GB now.

Intuitively it will seem safer to have two drives. It is easiest to
have windows on the pc first, then, to install linux. The windows
partition should be in good order - fstab cleanup run, and defrag I
would say.

The linux installer will offer to change the windows partition (note
1) or partition the second drive. (note 2)

Linux will make more than one partition for itself. Unlike windows
with a swap file, linux uses a custom swap partition, and suse now
uses a data (home) partition too.

Suse and ubuntu (and other distros) use a boot loader - Grub - and
this takes over the boot sector of whichever hard drive is controlling
bootup. It worried me to start with, loosing control. But it did the
opposite It gave me control where I had no control except from windows
anyway before. Grub is well proven and well behaved.

For dual boot, a screen menu is offered for a period of time (10
seconds? adjustable) and you make a choice - windows or linux1, or
linux2, or whatever. If you make no keystroke, the default setting
continues - into linux if it is your setting.

This boot sector will be used regardless of you having a single hard
drive or two or more.

It is most usual now to use CDs for booting if necessary because
diskette drives are going out of fashion fast. I think yes you can
arrange to boot one or other OS from booting initially with a CD or
diskette, but it would be hard work in my estimation. Grub is no problem.

Distros such as Ubuntu. Kubuntu, etc, are live CDs now, so you can
initially have a full os from cd, with no install. If a little slow
via the CD drive.

If in the future I decide to run one of those programs that allow more than
one operating system to run at the same time, how much memory should I have
on the new computer?

such as vmware(?) Probably a lot, and a fast processor too.

Linux uses ram memory to the full in an effeicient way. It is usually
advised to have at least 256 MB I have 1000MB on this (P IV) machine
and (PIII), (PII) 380MB, (PIII) 500MB, (P IV) 750MB on other machines.
More memory is more useful that processor speed.

Regardless of vmware etc, on a new machine, consider filling it up
with ram - 2GB? at least consider you might later fill it up, and dont
get a PC with half full memory with all its memory slots full - you
will have to throw them away to upgrade!

What is the wireless card best supported by Linux?

Difficult questions last eh? Linux is catching up with many wireless
chip manufacturers (many have not noticed linux yet) so many cards
will be ok, some easier than others, some very difficult (note 3).
Ubuntu is said to be pretty good for hardware issues, suse is good
too. The wireless scene is improving fast, but you may not be able to
predict much in advance - a live CD would be useful for initial tests
(In the shop???, before you pay money!) The easiest is a wired
internet though. Search with google including groups will be
invaluable of this of course.

note 1: backup data first, things can, not often, go wrong
note 2: if a partition or a drive is unformatted then it is seen as
free space and the installer will consider that favorably.
note 3: find out about your local linux user group (LUG) for local
advice maybe help too

Good luck
--
ac
.

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