Couldn't get linux up and running...

[beebster83]

I tried installing Mandrake Linux on a partition of my non windows hard drive... It would boot in and load and I'd accept the license agreement or whatever and then it would scan for hard drives (the scsi/raid/ide part) and immediately freeze... happened no matter how I did it. Is there something dumb I'm doing, lol? I have no knowledge of linux at all, so I imagine I'm just forgetting something stupid.

[denkc]

I'm pretty sure mandrake will make partitions of its own, but when I installed it, it was on a FAT32 drive. Considering you're probably using XP (from what you were saying about how great it was) and it uses NTFS, you might have to use partition magic to do it.

Just let partition magic resize the main partition, you should only need 4 GB max for mandrake. It'll partition it as linux and all.

I have no idea what your problem is otherwise, but I'll do my best if you need more help. Maybe it's downloaded badly? Did you test it on another computer?

[beebster83]

Lol, I made a 17 gig partition in NTFS on my nonwindows hard drive for other OSs, but Linux just froze during the first part of the install... I hadn't even selected a partition or a hard drive for it yet, it just froze will reading for hard disks... it also said it was looking at some IEEE stuff, but why would it scan firewire for it? Or am I just seeing it wrong? Lol, I dunno, I have no confidence in myself when it comes to linux... Mac I can kinda do, XP I can definitely do, DOS I can do, but Linux I've never done. :-) Thanks for the help friend :-)

[denkc]

Hmm...when I was installing Mandrake, you'd have to make sure you chose expert setup. Don't scan for SCSI drives...uhh...I don't remember any other complications. Mandrake was probably the easiest install; for Debian I got confused as I am not so computer savvy myself.

It shouldn't be in NTFS, i'm pretty sure. Just resize the main partition and leave the rest empty. If it froze BEFORE that, it must be a different problem. Did you download the copy?

I'll be sure to get Mandrake and give it a shot at installing again before I give any more advice.

[denkc]

apparently, many others have the same problem:

http://www.powernotebooks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31

[skot]

Don't format the partition you are going to install linux on. Just leave it empty and unformatted. It should install smoothly :)

[laclasse]

Well it looks pretty evident from the posts i could read. Off course formatting the partition as NTFS ( NT File System ) is NOT gonna please linux ;)

There is a lot of information on how to do this. Check www.google.com/linux to get answers.

When installing any other NON-MS Oses, just erase the partition, it should be blank, as non formattted, no Fat32, no NTFS. With Mandrake, in the very nice partitionner of the installer remove the Second NTFS/Fat32 partition, and choose ext2 filesystem ( native linux ), ext3 filesystem ( Journalized File System) or Reiserfs or xfs. I recommend keeping the default ext3 for first install/testing. Hope it works now ;)

*nix RoXs....

[Icefluxx]

all of my installs ran smoothasbutta, but its the triple boot thats kickin my buttocks, laclasse is helpin me some with that, but as far as running the 0s, i have totally no probs, and that kde desktop...yums...