[Lvlug] Help Rich install Linux

[rhkramer]

dann,

Thanks for chipping in!  I don't feel comfortable helping Rich too much
-- I feel like the blind leading the blind!

I checked the mailing list subscribers and I don't think he has
subscribed yet, so I will forward this to him.

Aside: Do you have an email address for Pat, who was at our November
meeting?

Thanks!
Randy Kramer



heart legs wrote:  (heart legs??)
> 
> I'm going to throw my 2 cents into the mix.
> 
> I feel everything RK said was right on the money.  I
> will emphasize, before you begin anything, back up
> your files that you cannot restore.  The files you
> created in programs like Word, your photos, mpg's,
> mp3's, and saved games.  Anything you have dl'd from
> the internet and do not feel like dl'ing again, back
> that up too.  The programs you installed from cd and
> even your OS are all recoverable.  It is your own
> documents you want to save.  If you loose the OS, this
> is not a bad thing.  Heck, it could be good since
> Windows should be (in my opinion) wiped out and
> reinstalled on a clean partition on a bi-anual basis.
> Too much garbage builds up.
> 
> If you do not have any free space, get a partition
> resizing programs like Partition magic or ranish.  The
> latter is free.  For an even easier acquisition of a
> partition resizer, use fips, which is on the RH 6.2
> disc and is probably on the SuSE 7.0 disc.  I have
> used fips successfully in the past.  Make sure you
> defrag and scan disk the windows partition you are
> resizing before you run fips.  To be on the safe side,
> make a backup copy of your partition record, which
> fips will do for you, on a floppy.
> 
> I think you will find the Linux install pretty easy,
> once you get going.  Partitioning your drive will be
> the most difficult aspect, but this is made relatively
> easy with RedHat's Disk Druid and SuSE's YAST.
> Partitioning for Linux is a hot debate, but since this
> is your first time, you can easily get away with a
> root partition and a swap partition.  Later, if you
> want to change things, you will have the skills to do
> so.  Size wise, make the swap partition at least 16
> mb's but no more than 128 mb (>128 mb tends to be a
> waste of hd space and at that point you would probably
> do better with another swap partition or swap file).
> Most sources recommend a swap partition 2-3 times the
> amount of RAM you have.
> 
> Since I seem to be the biggest advocate of SuSE on
> this list, I will not waver now.  SuSE is by far one
> of the easiest, most complete, and most accurate Linux
> distros I have every used.  I have never been
> disappointed or left having to reconfigure something
> necessary (I am not counting tweaking better
> performance) after the install.
> 
> Dual booting an OS is not that difficult of a task.
> Unless you specifically tell the partition program too
> wipe out or fiddle with the partition(s) holding your
> other OS data (and you are not using Corel Linux), you
> "should not" have any problems.  Of course, there is
> alway a risk, but this comes with the territory.  I
> recommend not choosing to mount other OS partition
> during the install.
> 
> I have never lost any other OS data when installing
> Linux.  I have restored a Window MBR with ease,
> Win2000 MBR, reinstalled Win and Win2000, all without
> messing up the Linux OS I had on the system, and never
> did Linux mess with these partitions.
> 
> The only caution I have is with using Lilo and the
> location of your /boot partition or directory.  On
> versions of Lilo before 21.1.4, Lilo had problems
> booting OS's with kernels beyond the 1024th cylinder.
> This is a bios issues that has been worked around in
> 21.1.4 and above.  RH 6.2 is not using 21.1.4 and I
> cannot vouch for SuSE 7.0.  Therefore, make a boot
> disk during the install (there is an option) then grab
> the latest lilo form the web or our ftp site.
> 
> Daniel S. Washko
> 
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