NotebookForums.com › Forums › General Notebook Discussions › Linux & Other OS's › Setting up Laptop for future linux install
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Setting up Laptop for future linux install

post #1 of 7
11/5/04 at 7:16am
Thread Starter 
Okay, I've used Linux before but never installed or configured anything, so I'm pretty sure that makes me quite a noob. With that in mind, I'm getting a new laptop soon, and wanna start to use Linux alongside Windows to get some experience and knowledge. I just wanna know how best to set up my comp, like partitions, etc. I was thinking of splitting my 40 gigger to 10 for linux, 10 for XP, and 20 for files and stuff.
A ways back my bro was getting into linux and he had trouble with choosing which OS to boot to when he installed windows first, then linux (cuz lilo didn't work, or something of the sort). Is that still a problem nowadays? Should I install XP on the second 10 gig partition or the first? Does it matter? Thanks for any help or any quick guide you could point me to.
BTW I will start with using the knoppix CD first to get some Linux experience without installing or configuring problems (hopefully)...
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 7
11/5/04 at 1:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Saa|3
Okay, I've used Linux before but never installed or configured anything, so I'm pretty sure that makes me quite a noob. With that in mind, I'm getting a new laptop soon, and wanna start to use Linux alongside Windows to get some experience and knowledge. I just wanna know how best to set up my comp, like partitions, etc. I was thinking of splitting my 40 gigger to 10 for linux, 10 for XP, and 20 for files and stuff.
A ways back my bro was getting into linux and he had trouble with choosing which OS to boot to when he installed windows first, then linux (cuz lilo didn't work, or something of the sort). Is that still a problem nowadays? Should I install XP on the second 10 gig partition or the first? Does it matter? Thanks for any help or any quick guide you could point me to.
BTW I will start with using the knoppix CD first to get some Linux experience without installing or configuring problems (hopefully)...
I cant speak for Knoppix but I can tell you you want to install Windows FIRST thing, though on which partition I dont think is imporant, but since you are doing a dual boot I have always preferred one of the first two primary partitions for that purpose, though I have no precise reasoning for it.

I havent ever had a problem with Lilo and booting windows unless I installed windows after linux in which case windows would overwrite Lilo and I would lose access to the Linux paritions.

Hope that helps ya at least a little, I will let others more familiar with the knoppix distro help you after that.

Seablade
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 7
11/5/04 at 5:30pm
Two things to do-
Leave at least an open partition minimum 6 gb for linux and associated; I usually partition with a primary windows partition, a primary fat32 files partition, and a few different logical partitions for linux and associated partitions (/, swap, /home, /boot).

When you do install linux, make sure you install winxp before linux, because windows is very greedy with the mbr. You can boot windows with the linux bootloader, but you sure can't boot linux with the windows bootloader!
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 7
11/6/04 at 12:02am
I beg to differ. You can quite easily boot linux with windows boot loader. I do it every day. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=10588 check that out.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 7
11/6/04 at 1:14am
=p Ok fine, I knew about that... but still, which one is easier? root(hd0,0); chainloader +1, or that weird thing involving dd and making images?
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 7
11/6/04 at 4:43am
depends on your situation. I actualy use my laptop for work which mandates I use windows. I then got enough cash for a second drive and wrather than fight the reload of XP I went that route. I leave the windows drive in all the time. I can pull the secondary drive and put my floppy back in as needed. To each their own. That's the beauty of our preferred OS.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 7
11/6/04 at 6:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bsmith
depends on your situation. I actualy use my laptop for work which mandates I use windows. I then got enough cash for a second drive and wrather than fight the reload of XP I went that route. I leave the windows drive in all the time. I can pull the secondary drive and put my floppy back in as needed. To each their own. That's the beauty of our preferred OS.
If I was gonna psend money on the HD I would just install one OS on one and the other on the other and swap em as I needed Much easier.

But honestly I have installed linux on existing HD installations of windows with no problem as long as you do the basic things like clear it up and defrag it before you do so.

Cant say the same for the other way around. As a matter of fact it adds so many more layers of complexity I find it not worth it. Windows installers just arent that smart.

Seablade and Seablaede
The Ashrim
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Linux & Other OS's
NotebookForums.com › Forums › General Notebook Discussions › Linux & Other OS's › Setting up Laptop for future linux install