Moving to Linux

[josh]

Within the next month I will be buying a new HD, to go with my 80GB on ethat is currently in my PC. When I do this I want to install linux on the new HD ( and still have room on it for windows programs and keep my windows on the C drive).

My c Drive already has a partitoin (it is an HP computer) labeled as the D drive that contains system recovery info.

I wanted to know which distro you recomend to try first, preferably one that is simple to install and one that will not rewrite my windows install.

Also how big of a partitoin would I need on the new drive to to run linux and all the linux apps (a linux only partitoin)

thanx

[Martin]

As for simple to install: go with SUSE, Mandrake, Fedora, Ubuntu or Knoppix.
Just because they are easy to install doesn't make them 'bad' versions of linux.

If you are in for a bit of a challenge, a debian install can be very satisfying.

I've personally used Mandrake, Knoppix and Fedora. One problem you will have with Fedora is that, by default, you have no mp3 support (but this can be added relatively easily).

Right now, I am using a 64 bit version of Gentoo.

[josh]

I just finished looking at your instructions for installing the kantoxi linux. It looks good, but how would you install it so it is a dual boot system?

[Martin]

I dual boot Windows XP Pro and Gentoo 2004.3

Here's what I did:
1. Install Linux, leaving however much space you want for your windows install.
2. Make a bootable Linux CD (for gentoo, I just used my install CD)
3. Install Windows, making sure you install it on the correct partition.
4. Boot back into Linux, and reinstall grub/lilo.
5. Edit the grub.conf so it boots to both Linux (usually hda3) and Windows (usually hda4)

[josh]

is there a way to o it so that I don't have to unistall my windows already (if I am installing linux as the first thing on a brand new HD)

[Martin]

You see, linux is very different from Windows. First off, it doesn't use the lettered drives system: instead, / is the base of your system. Usually, a linux install requires 3 partitions: your boot partition, which is under 100mb and tells the computer to load the OS, your swap partition: this is where your swap file is, and should be equal in size to twice the ammount of ram that you have. Why windows doesn't use it's own partition for the swap file is anybody's guess, and finally your root partition, which is where everything goes. I have my 60 gig drive set as follows:
100mb boot
1024mb swap
41gb root
17gb windows.

[Martin]

If you're installing it to a brand new hard drive, you shouldn't have any problem getting it to work. You'll boot to your linux hard drive, and then it'll tell it to boot to either the Windows HD or the Linux one. Seperate hard drives is the easiest way to do it.

Just be careful that you don't overwrite your Windows partitions.

[Mazer]

Just curious, what goes on in the boot partition that requires 100mb?

[Martin]

Your bootloader, I would imagine.

[Mazer]

That would've been my first guess, but I couldn't see how it would take up so much space. I'll just classify that as "black magic" and stop worrying.

[Martin]

It doesn't take 100mb, I just have no idea how much it actually takes, so I figure that 100mb will be more than enough.

[Mazer]

Oh. I thought I'd just let the installer decide. But I guess now I'll have to look into that (thinking Debian for my next distro).

[md]

Quote:

is there a way to o it so that I don't have to unistall my windows already (if I am installing linux as the first thing on a brand new HD)

You probably have to resize your windows partition (partition magic is awsome) so that you can create a boot partition on your first drive, but other than that it's failr strait forward.

1. resize windows
2. install linux
3. setup grub/lilo to boot both

The gentoo instalation manual is very strait forward and gives lots of help (if you decide to use gentoo...)

Quote:

Just curious, what goes on in the boot partition that requires 100mb?

The boot partition really doesn't need to be 100mb, but it's nice to have ti big enough to store a few different kernels, say one that will boot no matter what, one optimized for your current config, and maybe a dev kernel that's too unstable for reguar use.

[Martin]

Not that you'd know though, seeing as you use windows excusively :p

[josh]

well I have a PC in my bvasement that is ap iece of **** and my dad said that if I wanted I could install linux on that, one. it is running windows 98. I think I will test it out on that one just in case I end up messing it up.

When I do it on my PC, how do I change it to boot from D??? In the BIos I am guessing right, but do I do it before or after I install the linux distro.