[Lvlug] Mandrake progress

[Randy Kramer]

Dann S. Washko wrote:
> I do not have Windows installed on this computer yet.  Is that something
> that should be done?  Do we want to show a dual boot system, or and
> install with a dual boot system?  Does it matter?

I think it should at least be discussed, and some notes / instructions
included on any handout you might make (of installation instructions).  

Maybe Jeff can comment on how many people are likely to have a
reasonably up-to-date second computer (300 MHz. plus, minimum 128 MB
RAM) to dedicate to Mandrake 8.1.  (We all know how much of a hog kde
is, but I would recommend that to a beginner.)

Maybe you should aim for a dual boot install with the Windows partition
already shrunk, then mention some of the ways to shrink a partition and
the ways to deal with a partition that won't shrink because there is
stuff at the end (are there any ahort of deleting Windows?).  Mention
that when the do a defrag that they should not choose the option that is
something like "rearrange to increase speed" because that is one of the
things that puts programs at the end.

I think I'd also mention using fdisk /mbr to restore Windows if the
Linux installation goes seriously awry.  (I have a lot of trouble making
an installation of Mandrake 8.1 on a Matsonic 8308 motherboard.)

Randy Kramer

> 
> If yes, I; do you mean a dual boot starting with Windows taking up the
> whole drive and requiring the partition to be resized?  If so, this may
> take significantly longer to do.  I'm not sure what tools Mandrake comes
> with, but I have used a third party software called ranish in the past for
> partition resizing.  Before using that it was good old fips.  Fips did a
> wonderful job.  Never a problem.