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Home > Archive > Linux/Unix > September 2002 > Knowing Nothing
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| UNCTarheel17 2002-08-29, 9:22 am |
| Ok, I don't know ANYTHING about Linux/Unix. I am debatting wether to run a dual boot between WinXP Pro and Linux...what would you guys say about this. What version would you recommend for a n00b to linux? I would also appreciate any basic info on linux that you can give me...thanks. | |
| Mr. Linux Guy 2002-08-29, 9:43 am |
| Normally I recommend against dual-booting. This is because it is a messy situation and if you have any problems you can always look for help using the other computer. However, it can be done easily enough if you like. I would recommend starting out with Red Hat 7.3; it's the most popular distro of Linux and the most recent offer from Red Hat, reasonably easy to get everything up and running with. Baic info is too much to really be included here, but try getting a basic book on Linux; it is popular enough now to be the focus of many good books and web sites. try "The Red Hat Linux 7.3 Bible" or "Running Linux". | |
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| Boulware5 2002-08-29, 3:01 pm |
| That computerbooksdirect site is selling some good books for only 2 bucks...What's the catch here; do you got to pay a monthly membership fee to buy computer books for $2? | |
| Supertech 2002-08-29, 4:05 pm |
| To get the really good pricing, you have to join the club. You must commit to buy like 2 (I think) books over a period of time. The prices are excellent. The selection is excellent. Service is excellent. I'm a satisfied customer for about 6 years now. | |
| Boulware5 2002-08-29, 5:13 pm |
| So you buy two books at the regular price and then you can get those $2 books huh. Sounds like a good deal. I have always gotten my books at bookpool or ebay. | |
| GilGrabber 2002-08-29, 5:36 pm |
| If u do not mind loosing everything on your PC doual boot is worth a try. I am using dual boot system with W2k advance server, Red Hat 7.3, Solaris 7 workstation on a 6.4Gig HD (u can use LILO or Solaris boot or FDISK to switch between partitions). I did 3 main partitions using FIPS 2.0 utility freely available on the net and fairly easy to use. BUT if I remember correctly, it will only work on FAT32 partition (NO NTFS), if this is the case u will have to re-install your XP once u create new partition on a FAT32 formate, after that u can let XP reformate it back to NTFS (If u already have FAT32 for your XP your in luck, fallow FIPS instructions what to do next). There might be some utilities that parhaps might convert formate, but none that I know of specifically. I just used DOS FORMATDSK utility to create one full FAT32 from which u create 1st partition (it is best to load Windows first since windows ignores boot sector info of other OS's. Next u use FDISK to switch into the second primary partition and use FORMATDSK to formate bootable partition, u can use this for your LINUX or UNIX instalation, if u have more space for others like Solaris 7/8, FreeBSD UNIX, or Mandrake, SuSi, etc..... . Use FIPS again to split the second primary partition into the 3rd partition .... FDISK to make 3rd part active and FORMATDSK to formate it. My Solaris does a excellent job of knowing other partitions and so I leave it's primary partition active and switch to others from it, no need for FDISK switching, LILO will do the same if u use linux only secondary.
Good luck. | |
| ruscorp 2002-08-29, 6:15 pm |
| I dual boot between Windows 2000/XP and RedHat Linux 7.2 without a problem using System Commander. | |
| Boulware5 2002-08-30, 1:27 am |
| Hm, that $1.99 deal is for joining up. You get 3 books for $1.99. They do however make a chunk of it up with shipping. About 15 bucks shipping with those three books, yikes. | |
| Supertech 2002-08-30, 6:55 am |
| You thought they would ship it for free? $60+ worth of books for $15. Still a heck of a deal.
They have great selection. They bill me. Comes right to my door. Works for me. | |
| TW2001 2002-08-31, 5:27 am |
| Running Linux..O Riely...hands down the best for this situation.
http://www.tldp.org/ Very good link
http://linuxquestions.org/
Excellent Linux
Forums...be warned although Linux people are very helpful at least have some idea or read some about your problem before asking a question. Although many forums tolerate people who are to lazy to even use a search engine...anyhow
I started learning Linux right here belive it or not.One of the most challenging things about starting out is that Linux is so different that Windows.Being an NT admin it was hard to get my head the ways to do certain things
My opinion.Immerse Thyself 
I will assume you want to learn how to run a Linux box.
Dedicate a Box to it. I used a DELL P166 32Megs Ebay $50 for this endevour.Quite adeqaute. Pick up Running Linux.Read the first couple of chapters first. Install Linux with no X! (that is the server component that gives you the GUI) One of the best things you can do is learn VI it will make you experience a whole lot more enjoyable. VI is how you edit files(One way).Then think of some things you would like to do with your system.Hang out and ask questions.Mr Linux guy is a pretty heavywieght *nix user..stepped me through plenty of tasks.I knew him in his former incarnation
Good luck! | |
| wildscribe 2002-08-31, 6:33 pm |
| With computers and hardware being so cheap these days, why not build new box just for Linux.
It doesn't have to fancy. I have a 1 Ghz Athlon running Mandrake 8.2 and I recently built a 950 Mhz Duron machine with 128 DDR RAM, 40 Gig EIDE drive, 32 RAM Pine Video card for a friend and it cost less than $250!
I have done some dual-booting with Linux/Windows in the past (in fact, I still have a Toshiba laptop with Win98/Mandrake), but I think it's easier and there is less troubleshooting involved to set up dedicated machines for each OS.
Good Luck!
- Wild | |
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| I would recommend doing a Dual-Boot. My recommendation would for you to use a 2nd HD if you are worried about losing your XP. This setup works quite nicely, and IDE HD(HardDrives) are not that expensive. 20-30 GB Drive are very cheap now. I would agree That Redhat 7.3 is a very good Linux Distro to use and introduce you in the "Nix" world. Mandrake-Linux is another good Distro also. If you Decide to do the 2nd HD, make sure when you install Linux that you create a Boot Disk, Don't install your Boot Loader, ie "LILO" or "GRUB", on your Master Boot Record(MBR). I would start off booting to Linux with this Boot Disk. Later on, you can edit your Windows Boot.ini file so you can boot to either OS without the Floppy Boot Disk. This setup, 2 Os's on 2 HD's is the way I would go. With 2 HardDrives, when you install Linux, it will show 2 HD. HDA(Windows Master Drive) and HDB(Your Slave Drive). Install Linux on HDB. Back everthing up on your Windows drive just in case Murphy's law creaps in!
Good Luck, Theodore
Good Luck, Theodore | |
| hemingri 2002-09-06, 7:56 am |
| Dual boots are always most difficult and you do run a risk of messsing up things to where you may have to re-partition or format. If you have important files on the system then make sure you backup often. If you go to dual boot, make sure you have a third party partitioning software like Partition Magic or Quarterdeck. One exception is Mandrake for Windows. This seems to work well with Windows. It isn't a dual boot in the classic sense but runs from a Windows icon. I don't know if the latest version runs with Win XP.
You would be best to either have a dedicated system and use Red Hat which is the most common version. Caldera works as well but is not as recognized. You might consider freeBSD - not Linux actually but closer to UNIX than Linux.
A good option if you don't want to have a second dedicated option is to use removeable hard disk ATA/100 modules. These are available for around $10-$15 and allows you to change the hard drive from the outside; it essentially allows you use one pc with several different personalities. I like this last method best but perhaps this is because I teach computer classes and often must change between DOS, freeBSD, Linux, Win 98/ME, Win 2000, Win NT, and Win XP yet use only one pc. |
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