Why won't linux install

[MARTINN]

Hello. I am using Windows, but I would like to be able to use Linux as well.
I got Mandrake 7.1 on a windows cd. I tried installing alongside Windows. But it wouldn't work. This is about six months ago or more.
My operating system is Windows 98.
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The guy I bought my computer from said that It was unlikely that I would be able to run Linux on my computer. Can anyone out there tell me why.

[Wallex]

why? why not?
Most machines are supported by Linux, it must be a very very very new (or ancient) machine for it to not be supported by Linux. Perhaps you should tell more details about the hardware it has. Secondly.. why can't you install? The cd you got is most likely a boot-cd meaning you should boot your pc with it (during the Linux install, you aren't even going to be running windows), if you aren't booting from the cd, perhaps you need to check your BIOS settings. Only have you have booted from the cd is that you'll find out if you can or cannot have Linux in your machine, until then, don't give up trying.

[godot]

If you're trying to install mandrake within windows I have to recommend against it. I've never gotta that to work. I suggest you repartition your hard drive and give Mandrake about 3 gigabytes of space. Then boot off the mandrake CD and install it to that partition. I believe that version of Mandrake will detect windows and tell LILO (the linux boot prompt) how to boot into windows. You're probably going to need a tool like partition magic to repartition without having to reinstall windows.

[mingshun]

Originally posted by MARTINN
Hello. I am using Windows, but I would like to be able to use Linux as well.
I got Mandrake 7.1 on a windows cd. I tried installing alongside Windows. But it wouldn't work. This is about six months ago or more.
My operating system is Windows 98.
CyrixInstead Cyrix MediaGXtm MMXtm Enhanced
The guy I bought my computer from said that It was unlikely that I would be able to run Linux on my computer. Can anyone out there tell me why.

What errors did you get? Kernel-panick or what?
Yah, I find it very true that some distributions doesn't work on
some hardware.

i.e:
My Toshiba 2520 CDT laptop never get succeeded in installing
newer versions of Mandrake and Redhat. It always get
"kernel-panick" at some point of installation.

Mandrake 7.1 is old. Why not get Mandrake 7.2? I feel that
Mandrake 7.2 is the best distribution that I've used so far.
Everything works for me and it isn't that bloated as compared
to new versions of Redhat and Mandrake.

[MARTINN]

First of all, I would like to thank everybody who took the trouble to reply to me. It's much appreciated.
I would have a go at installing a later version of Mandrake if I had one.
When I say I got it on a windows cd; what I meant was it came free with a computer magazine. It was actually pc plus 0ctober 200.
The machine is about three years old. Here is some more information about it.
Microsoft Windows 98 4.10.2222 A
Upgrade using Full OEM CD /SrcDir=E:\WIN98 /IQ /U:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
IE 5 5.00.2919.6307
Uptime: 0:01:34:30
Normal mode
On "NONE" as "User"

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157MB RAM
36% system resources free
Windows-managed swap file on drive C (9974MB free)
Available space on drive C: 9974MB of 15518MB (FAT32)
Available space on drive D: 3869MB of 3993MB (FAT32)
If anyone needs any more specific information, please let me know.
As you can see my drive is partioned into c and d. This was not done by me. If possible I would prefer to avoid partioning. I'd be afraid to make a mess of it. Actually something just occurred to me. Could I use the D drive for Installing Linux. There are no system files there.

Yes. It was a Kernel Panick message I got.

I did try booting the computer with the cd in it. But it just went into Windows. I also rebooted into dos, but the computer couldn't find the Cd drive. This is E in my computer.