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Linux Newbie, wanting to get Mandrake running on Sager 8790

post #1 of 3
10/21/05 at 11:54am
Thread Starter 
Hey, first off im very new to linux, I really only have used it a few times, and I basicly have no idea what I am doing. I was wondering if i could install linux on my notebook without screwing up my windows installation. Is there a way to do this? Maybe i could install it on my external USB harddriver and boot form there? I really dont know, but I was hoping you guys could give me some pointers. Also I am going to put linux on a new desktop I am building, its not a top of the line desktop, but i just couldnt stand forking out another 150 bucks for XP pro. It really irks me every time i have to dso this, which is why i really want to get to know linux. Any assistance would be great.

Just so you know though, I am very computer smart, I build my own desktops and notebooks, am going to college for my BS in Computer Science, and know damn near everything about windows, and I use to know a lot about Dos, so dont take me as a complete newbie, just a linux newbie.
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post #2 of 3
10/21/05 at 1:25pm
I'd experiment with the desktop machine before you go messing with the laptop. In the beginning, you don't want to be completely dependent on your linux system because you will probably break it. It's just a fact of life.

When you do setup the laptop do a reformat and install windows on it's own partition. Remember that linux cannot write to that partition, just read it.

Then install linux on the other partition and let grub or lilo hande the boot process.

I would not install to a usb drive. You'll be upset when everything runs really slow. I'm not even sure if it'll work. You'd be better off using a live linux disc than running off a usb2 drive.
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post #3 of 3
10/21/05 at 4:46pm
bigtrouble got the basics of it, but i'll clear a few things. up.

First of all, i totally agree with him, try it on the desktop before you go laptop. Tradionally linux has better support for desktop components than laptop.

Mandrake might, or might not be the best distro to go with. I'd look around some more and consider the following:
Libranet, Ubuntu, Mepis, VLOS1.2.1 , and maybe even PC-BSD, not a linux, but pretty damn good from my tests (on desktops, sucks on lappy).

Also, if you are building the desktop, do yourself a favor and put an nVidia card into it, ATi could be big trouble.

That said, this is how to install linux w/o bothering your windows.This is for all distros because not all distros let you repartition and resize without erasing stuff.

1 - Boot up a live cd (anything with gparted or qtparted works)
2 - Go to G/QTparted as root
3 - Resize your NTFS (windows) as /dev/hda1 at some size (say about 50%)
4 - Create SWAP partition between 512mb and 1gb
5 - create a raiserfs partition to take up the rest of the drive.
6 - Write changes to disk.
7 - Reboot with your distro's installer disk in the drive
8 - Install
9 - during the install, it will ask you to install a boot loader, install it in MBR
10 - finish install and restart

thats it, you're done you have windows and linux running side by side
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