help me install linux....

[mario_pant]

ummm...... so....
i wanted to install linux just to get the flavour of it cause when i tried knopix... it didn't satisfy me because it didn't detect my modem........
anyways.....
now i have two options.. plz suggest..... shud i install Fedora Core or SuSE 9.2? which one has a better and neet interface and which one is more user friendly... and which one can run windowz modems........

now.. i have 16GiG free on my single hard-disk....
i run an x86 (intel brookdale chipset)machine with windowsXP home installed on one HUGE partition and have my paging file on another partition of 1 GiG.... i have 512 MB SD RAM.... P4..1.6Ghz.......

so now please tell me step by step how to install linux...ie. all the info like disk format, partition size any precautions and stuff..... Please help me install LInux... i suppose that both of those linux versions are available on the Digit DVDs.... isn't it?

QUERY 2: is linux a form of UNIX?

Query 3: wut the hell is SoHo??

 

[sreevirus]

well, if i'm correct, u seem to be a beginner to linux, so if u wanna install linux on ur hdd, u can start off with SuSe 9.2, coz its more user friendly than FC. for installing SuSE, u need a separate partition.... the minimum requirement for a basic installation is about 700 mb (i think), but for an optimum installation, create a partition of about 4 GB. another partition as swap partition(just like u did for the windows paging file) is also good (not compulsory tho, coz 512 MB ram that u have should be enough).

for installation of suse, refer these pages:
*www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=1751&page=2
*www.antionline.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=258790

note this that by default, SuSE 9.2 has ReiserFS as the filesystem, although there r various other options too to choose from (u'll see them while installing).

unfortunately, i dont think there is any driver that will run a win modem for linux...although u can try ur luck with linuxant.


A2> Linux is derived from unix afaik...wait for the experts to answer this.

A3> SOHO = Small Office, Home Office

 

[GNUrag]

A2> Linux is derived from unix afaik...wait for the experts to answer this.

Linux is a clone of the operating system Unix, It aims towards POSIX and Single UNIX Specification compliance. It is NOT Unix itself and is not derived from any UNIX sources. Linux was derived from a lesser known Kernel called Minix written by Andrew S Tennebaum,

 

[ujjwal]

Some good choices you can consider are Mandrake, Suse, Fedora or Ubuntu. Personally I favour mandrake among these, but then again, opinions vary.

If your modem does not support linux, and no unofficial drivers have been written for it, it won't work for sure under linux. But have a dekko at www.linmodems.org , www.linuxant.com and your modem company's site. If unsuccesful, try mailing the company with a request to make drivers for non-windows platforms.

For installing linux, as sreevirus said you will need a seperate partition, if there is no unpartitioned space left on the disk, use a tool like Ranish Partition Manager or the commercial tools like Paragon partition manager etc to resise your existing partition. Some distributions (like SUSE?) can automatically resize your partitons for you.

Step by step instructions vary from distributions, so check their official site for info

 

[mario_pant]

goof up?

$hit!! something went wrong....
i made a partition in NTFS format of 9GB with partition magic 8 and put the partition in the end... then when i installed SuSE it changed the partition settiog and told that it cud erase that 9GB partition.... when i did so... it gave me some error.. so i had to select a 4.4MB diff partition listed at no. 5 in the list (the 9GB partition was no. 4) then all the installation when pretty nice and everything went well.... but now when i try to open windows... it tells me that "invalid file format
chainloader: +1"

and one string b4 that also......

but when i open SuSE all the files of my primary dirve are there..... how can i fix this???

 

[GNUrag]

$hit, why does this windows create so many problems?

 

[ujjwal]

Could you post the contents of the file /boot/grub/menu.lst in suse? Also, if possible, post the current partition layout of your hard disk, you can get it by typing "fdisk /dev/hda" (hda for first hard disk, replace with hdb, hdc and so on if it is the second, third ...) and then typing "p".

 

[mario_pant]

i have only one hard disk....

i think this is the partition layout for "hda"
Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 77545 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 55160 27800451 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2 55160 77536 11277630 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 55160 60834 2859538+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/hda6 60834 62970 1076323+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda7 62970 65017 1032160+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda8 65018 77535 6309040+ 83 Linux
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

linux:/boot/grub # cat menu.lst
# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Mon Jul 4 18:26:36 2005


color white/blue black/light-gray
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,7)/boot/message

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title Linux
kernel (hd0,7)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda8 vga=0x317 splash=silent desktop r esume=/dev/hda7 showopts
initrd (hd0,7)/boot/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
root (fd0)
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe
kernel (hd0,7)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda8 showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=o ff vga=normal noresume nosmp noapic maxcpus=0 3
initrd (hd0,7)/boot/initrd

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
my windows is on i think hda1 ......


.... hey.... has grub set the wrong boot path for my windows?? cause i see exactly the same thing as it is written under the windows part ie;

title Windows
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

HEY HOW DO I CHANGE THAT??

 

[mario_pant]

hey.... PLEASE HELP!!!!!

 

[ujjwal]

Ok maybe the problem comes because of two primary windows partitions, you can try changing the lines under "title Windows" to -

unhide (hd0,0)
hide (hd0,1)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
makeactive

See this link for more info on grub Windows to run from GRUB.

*www.linuxselfhelp.com/gnu/grub/html_chapter/grub_4.html#SEC21

 

[mario_pant]

ok so now i tried writing that stuff under the windows part....i also put the boot command as told at that link.....
but when i select windows it just show me

unhide (hd0,0)
hide (hd0,1)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
makeactive
boot

then the little thingy starts blinking below this and thats it.... nothing happens after this.....


hey can i uninstall linux and recover my windows back...?? cause this is just killing me....... and isn't there any sort of boot loader that can load SuSE also and winXP as well.....??

PLease reply soon!

 

[banned2wise]

Best option is to request somebody from ur local LUG, to help out through phone,or in person

You should not get dejected , for not configuring, dual boot. You need a strong determination, because linux is about problems. You have to ask questions and get the answers. Don't give up .

 

[ujjwal]

You didn't need to add "boot", that is only necessary if you are starting the OS from the grub prompt, and not from a predefined set of lines.

One thing you can try, is to first get your windows XP boot loader back (NTLDR), by booting into the XP CD, going to recovery console, and typing "fixmbr". Later on, you can make the NT loader boot linux (see the tips and tricks section for details).

 

[mario_pant]

hey.... god saved me.... and u 2oo.......

i just gave up hope and tried a search at google "uninstalling linux suse 9.1"
then there was something at
*portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2004/05/fhassel_windows_not_booting91.html

and voilla this was EXACTLY my problem so i just did an update..... and then reverted the text under the windows in menu.lst as it was b4 and voilla everything is back again..up and running......

actually when now i signed in to reply from my winXP i just saw that fixmbr trick... i'll save that for the future then... i think.... anyways thanks.....