First Post—many, many Q's!

[Zeke]

Hi all!

I've had RH Linux 5.2 for a month or more now, but haven't installed yet. ['RHL Unleashed' is not the greatest beginners' guide I've ever used! http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//frown.gif]

I have a spare 1.3Gb partition, created under PQ PartitionMagic and currently set up as D:\ FAT16. I want to install Linux there, but can't get step 1 correct.

First Q:—I suppose I have to set D:\ active in PM. If I do that, can I then use any start-up disk with CD-ROM support to access the Red Hat CD, or do I HAVE TO make a special Linux boot disk first?

2nd Q:—will I be able to continue using IBM's 'Boot Manager' to choose my OSes? If so, should I install LILO, and where should it live? (On D:\? On its own, separate partition? In place of the MBR?)

3rd issue:—will Linux function OK with my hardware, esp; internal LS-120, SBLive! sound, Riva TNT 16Mb video?

Many thanks in advance for any advice/tips—even encouragement!!! http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif

[Geoff]

Forget the unleashed books.... The linux pocketbook was slightly useful (may be more useful if you're a real newbie) but I basically learnt everything by poking and seeing and asking questions when i couldn't figure something out.

Are you having trouble even getting to the install screen? In that case you have two choices: either create a boot disk or boot from the CDROM. The latter is a great way of doing things but it's likely you'll have to change your BIOS to boot from the CDROM before the hard drive. If you can manage that then just stick the CD in, turn it on and you'll get the redhat install screen if you can bear to wait for just a few seconds. From there you're away (just make sure you don't delete your existing partitions in the fdisk/druid section!! http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif)

You can probably use the boot manager to choose but I like LILO. even if I boot into windows it's comforting to know that a linux utility was the first thing on my disk that was run http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//wink.gif

As far as hardware goes, I'm not sure if linux supports the LS-120 (it might since it's been around for a while) but the SB Live and TNT will work fine (although you'll have to update XFree86 for the TNT. That's why you should have bought redhat 6 http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif)

I dunno what is with tonight... this is the second long-winded ramble I've had!

Geoff

[Zeke]

Thanks for the advice, Geoff! I usually use the same approach to learning, looking around, clicking interesting-looking files and trying to see how things work!

I've actually destroyed (and rescued—whew! http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif) my partition information 2-3 times today, just to TRY to get to the install screen. I'm reasonably well-up on DOS6.x, partitioning and drive letter assignments, but my Win98 and DOS(7?)don't have much to say to each other. In Win, I have my CD-ROM set as F:\ (first and last) and it works perfectly, but DOS mode doesn't even acknowledge its existence. [My CONFIG.SYS is only a 2/3-liner].

Do I have to mess with MSCDEX, or should I just download boot files from the 'net?

Anyway, thanks again, and keep up the "rambles". Some of us really appreciate 'em! http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif

[Geoff]

ah. Have you tried setting the BIOS to boot from the CDROM? That's by far the easier way, no stuffing around with boot disks and the like http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif

[Zeke]

Hi, Geoff!

Yeah, I re-read your post and my response and then slapped my head—what a goose I must be. http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//redface.gif

I set up the boot parameters to check CD-ROM first, and I did get to the setup screen, etc. Hurray! Problem was there was some anomaly with my partition info and INSTALL forced me into "expert mode". Now, as a first-time, would-be user...well I backed out! I wanna do this RIGHT!

Problem could have related to the fact that I had two C:\ partitions, hidden from one another, so that I could run Japanese Win95 as well as English Win98. Well, I've now scrubbed the JWin and moved EWin to the 'front'.

Had another go this evening, but have to admit I'm stumped by the "mount point" dialogues. (Not really "intuitive" and, as mentioned before, my paper documentation sucks!) I'm battling on, though, and appreciate your insights. http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif

Cheers!

[Geoff]

hehe... sounds like you've been having fun anyway.

The mount point dialogs, this is in disk druid? Once you've made a linux partition you have to mount it, in the mount point dialog type / (that will make your linux partition the root partition, ie everything will be contained under that partition).

When you get more advanced you can start creating multiple partitions:

/dev/hda7 /
/dev/hda8 /var

that's what I have at the moment, files in /var are generally altered and added and removed and so on which makes fragmentation. So you keep the fragmenting files away from the rest of your data. What that setup above does is store all files under /var in hda8, and all other files in hda7. Nice huh? http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif

I also found a defrag package under debian... plus a few other interesting things... when i get my dialup connection to work I'll be trying some of these funky things out.

[Zeke]

Yes, Sir, that's a nice idea to have several partitions within the basic system. I've read several times how experienced users often like a standard "six-pack" to keep fragmentation down to an absolute minimum. Any more than that sounds like a ton of house-keeping to me!

I eventually found the info I needed to get set up—under "System Administration" in Ch15 of my book. Not really the first place I'd think of looking! Need I add that there was NO cross-reference from Ch3, "Installation", NO entry in the glossary and NO entry in the index? I mean, who writes some of these books?

Anyway, you're right that I'm having fun with it, Geoff! http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif Thanks again for the moral support and the good advice!

[Geoff]

np http://discussions.linuxplanet.com//smile.gif