installation problems in mandrake linux 8.2

[ssk_the_gr8]

i am new to linux irecently got this linux cd from a friend
during install it asks about partation
should i use the windows partation or create a new one?
which is better?i dont want to format my disc when i have to unistall linux
as my friend had to

how can i uninstall linux from my system ?
ive heard of some fdisk command
what is it?
will i be able to reclaim the new partation if i have un installed linux 8.2
my old pc has
192 mb ram(133 mhz)
400 mhz celeron
20 gb harddisk(3 gb free only)


is it good enough to run linux 8.2(mandrake)
and could u'll recommend some good programs i can download for linux such as office antivirus etc

need help
thankx in advance

 

[mehulved]

Well firstly, you can easily run linux on your computer. Though I guess it will be a bit slow since it uses KDE which is a big resource hog. To run it nice and smoothly, you may have to use some windows managers. They are a unknown concept to users of MS Windows and a bit tricky to use in the beginning, once you get used to it, your PC will feel lot faster than it would feel under windows. You can't install LInux and Windows in same partition. You will have to give separate partitions. Don't worry about formatting part. Just leave empty partition on your computer to install linux. If you do decide to remove linux in future you will again have to format the disk to use it for Windows,
Don't bother with fdisk command, unless the data on your PC isn't too important to you. Incorrectly done fdisk can lead to data loss. Leave the partitioning part for Disk Drake (i guess) used by mandrake.
You can do almost everything on linux that you can on windows thorough linux versions of the softwares eg. firefox for linux which is the same as windows, or some alternative softwares like NVu for web designing instead of Dreamweaver. One place that linux sadly lacks is gaming. But, I don't think that you'd be interested in gaming on that computer which the specs it has. You have absolutely no need for anti-virus in linux.
You can search google linux for any query on linux. Or you can always post here.
Have a look at this thread for your software needs *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15797

 

[ssk_the_gr8]

tech ur future thanx for the info
i would like to add some more
my hard disk has 2 partations 10 gb each i have windows in c drive cant i install linux in d drive
i do have some important files on my comp and i dont have a cd writer so i cant format
and why doesnt linux need antivirus (u said so)is it so secure??
waitin for ur reply thanx in advance

 

[ssk_the_gr8]

tech ur future thanx for the info
i would like to add some more
my hard disk has 2 partations 10 gb each i have windows in c drive cant i install linux in d drive
i do have some important files on my comp and i dont have a cd writer so i cant format
and why doesnt linux need antivirus (u said so)is it so secure??
waitin for ur reply thanx in advance

 

[ssk_the_gr8]

tech ur future thanx for the info
i would like to add some more
my hard disk has 2 partations 10 gb each i have windows in c drive cant i install linux in d drive
i do have some important files on my comp and i dont have a cd writer so i cant format
and why doesnt linux need antivirus (u said so)is it so secure??
waitin for ur reply thanx in advance

 

[desertwind]

If you have accidetally submitted three times, there is always a delete button on the top right corner of the post. No, dont try to do that now. No use. Try next time.

OK, back to your query, The prime reason for not having an antivirus is that GNU/Linux is usually a very secure box, and a little virus exist for the same.

Regarding install, you have to format a drive for installing gnu/linux. So back up your data on D drive to say, C, as you have no burner, and allocate D drive [/dev/hdx5 in gnu/linux terminology - where x can be a,b,c or d] for gnu/linux.

 

[Satissh S]

@Riyaz: I'am a bit confised abt this partition naming Plz clear this one up for me.
Lets say, he has 2 partitions in the same hd. (as he said) Then wudn't his second partition be /dev/hda2 and (hd0,1) in bootloader lingo?? and first be /dev/hda1 and (hd0,0).

 

[desertwind]

Satish, In windows, You create only one primary partition and one extended partition. Everything else will be partitions under Extended. But in linux you can have upto 4 PP or 3PP + 1EP. hdx1-4 is for primary partitions. from 5 its for partitions under extended partition. So most probably he will have his C drive as PP and D drive as only partition under EP, so 5.

 

[mehulved]

I don't think he needs to worry much about the partition letters and stuff? Doesn't diskdruid make it easy to just select the partition to format. Anyway, I got Mandriva's latest edition from LFY will check out how disk druid works and hope its similar for 8.2 version too.
@ssk429 As desertwind already replied to you, why you don't need an anti-virus. Also, another practise you have to learn in linux is not to use root account at all. Root in linux is equivalent to admionistrative account in windows. Whenever you need to use root account use 'sudo' command and as a last resort 'su' command. You may not understand this now but you will once you start using linux and this is a very important security policy to follow. And you will hardly ever need to worry about a compromised security on your machine.
BTW, why would you need cd writer to format.
And please don't forget to back up your important data somehow in case anything goes wrong. Always be safe than sorry.

 

[startmenu]

Guys, first of all pardon me , I am a novice in linux , its my 3rd post and I somewhat don't agree with ur solutions for ssk429. I mean, it seems he is very new to linux funda. So why don't we tell him to just delete a partition and create some free space shown in green. The easiest way to do so is by going to computer management>disk management.

Then install ur linux flavour in the free space by choosing automatic partition.

Let me know if I am wrong or hurt ne one.

 

[mehulved]

See startmenu it doesn't make much of a sense to do that as disk management will not format the drive in filesystem needed by linux. Anyway disk partitioning in linux is a lot more powerful than one in windows. In mandrake it will be easier to know about which paritition is which so no problem there. I don't have any idea on what the defualt parititioning policy of Mandrake 8.2 is, to install on empt y space or to install on whole drive so I am not suggesting him to do automatic partitioning.

 

[desertwind]

I don't think he needs to worry much about the partition letters and stuff? Doesn't diskdruid make it easy to just select the partition to format. Anyway, I got Mandriva's latest edition from LFY will check out how disk druid works and hope its similar for 8.2 version too.

Hmm... havent gone through Mandrake installation for a long time. Today i tried Mandriva Linux 2006, It has a pretty nice partition manager.

So Click on the last partition you have, verify that its Dos Drive Name is D, delete it, then create a / and swap partions thats all. Oh I forgot to select Custom Partitioning in the screen before.

@tech_your_future: Its always good to have a knowledge on hd naming in gnu/linux. It will prove handy on various occassions.

 

[mehulved]

@tech_your_future: Its always good to have a knowledge on hd naming in gnu/linux. It will prove handy on various occassions.

I agree but what I felt was that he wants to get his work done for the moment. He can learn with experience. Well that was just my way. If he can learn that its great.

 

[praka123]

I prefer different partitions @tleast a 90MB /boot partition and "/" root and swap.

 

[Satissh S]

Well, lets consider different setups,
For Desktop / Workstation:-
For a 38162mb hdd, (conventional 40 GB's)

=> 100 Mb ext2 /boot (What if say, we boot several kernels aftr a new compilation??)

=> 1024 Mb <SWAP> (Just a general allocation taking 512Mb as RAM)

=> 10240 Mb ReiserFS / ( /home for user files, music and others)

[Extended partition]
=> 20480Mb Ext3 FS /usr ( For several Packages)

=> 6318Mb Ext2 FS /tmp (For Cd/DVD burning and iso Images as well as Downloaded internet files)

(Fedora and debian users should consider allocating a /var seperately or in-place of /tmp cause yum and apt store their stuff in /var)

+ves :-

+ ReiserFS System is capable of handling small files such as user files very fast.

+ using a /boot ext2 partition before a reiserfs or ext3 partition is said to enhance performance. Also the journal of ext3 as well as ReiserFs takes much of diskspace that's why you should never use journalised filesystems for small partitions.

+ Allocating 20GB to /usr is certainly a good idea considering that a GNU\Linux user may need a lot of software requirements. (arbitrary..! )
A few may also allocate a /usr/local seperately!

+ I prefer having a seperate download location for packages and to unpack their sources. Also /tmp is also used for creating cd or dvd images. So consider having it big.

-ves :-

- Of-Course your stuff is set-up without the flexibility of a single / .

- I'am not sure whether un-mounting and resizing partitions with parted or fips would cause a kernel-panic.. Use it at your own risk.

Servers always have a lot of /var.

 

[GNUrag]

+ ReiserFS System is capable of handling small files such as user files very fast.

ReiserFS isnt as reliable as XFS or ext3. Avoid it at all costs, and use it only if you must. Harddisks are always fast and boost of few mbps wonldnt be noticed. And you'd be storing MP3 files in home among others then there no point in ReiserFS.

If your area as frequent Power Cuts then reiserfs is a big NO.

 

[ssk_the_gr8]

thanx for all ur solutions but cant i like make a new partation of 5 gb(suppose) for linux my d: drive which is of 10 gb i could use 5 gb from it and make a 'e:' drive i suppose
my dvd rom drive is e drive so wouldnt there be any problems with change in drive letters ?
will i be able to access the new partation through my windows ?
my windows version is 98 se will it give me any problems if i install another OS(linux)

and guys could u all plz give me a solution to my problem without using any command lines and formatting and other complexities like these
waitin for ur replys

ps tech ur future guessed it right i want a quick solution

 

[Satissh S]

@gnurag: Is there any special cases where we need to use reiserfs? What's the prob wid powercuts? Checking and re-playing the journal takes a lot of time? :roll:

 

[desertwind]

thanx for all ur solutions but cant i like make a new partation of 5 gb(suppose) for linux my d: drive which is of 10 gb i could use 5 gb from it and make a 'e:' drive i suppose

Yes, its possible. While installing Madrake, Create a [your ram size] x 2 MB swap partition[type - swap], 5 GB root partition [type ext2, mount point - /] and a 5 GB windows partition[type - fat32, mount point - /mnt/windows].

my dvd rom drive is e drive so wouldnt there be any problems with change in drive letters ?

I think windows is able to handle Drive Letter by itself. You need not to worry on that issue much.

will i be able to access the new partation through my windows ?

You can't access any of your linux partitions from windows, without the help of some third party tools. You can access your win partitions from linux tough.

my windows version is 98 se will it give me any problems if i install another OS(linux)

Nope.

and guys could u all plz give me a solution to my problem without using any command lines and formatting and other complexities like these

If you have decided to use linux for a long time, you can't avoid facing a terminal one day or other. Dont be afraid of commands. try to learn it. It gives you more info on what are you doing with your os, than using a gui.

 

[mehulved]

Partitioning using diskdrake is very easy. I did it yesterday night in Mandriva 2006 and hope its same in mandrake 8.2.
You have to select custom partitioning. In that you will see a white part in a rectangle represtenting your hard disk. Click on that white part, and select how much space you want to use (in mb). So, in your case it should be ~5000 mb or whatever you feel like. format it to ext3 or whichever filesystem. Format the remaining partition as fat32 so that it can be used with both windows and linux. BTW, you can't keep linux system files on FAT32 partition. Windows will automatically use that fat32 partition and assign it a drive letter.