[AvvY]

ok i understand what ur saying. so i should use pm and create one partiton of 5gb and another for 2gb. these partitons are secondary partitons? and have file format of ext2 or ext3? then i just boot the linux install cds and install into those partitons? do i need to specify that linux goes in driver (D:?) and the swap file goes in (E:?). i guess then i should make another parition just for data (F:?), and im thinking that then both OS can access such data, such as documents, movies, music? what about programs? i know u need to run WINE for linux, but do i need to install the programs on the linux partition or can they be acces by linux from the windows partiton, or should i create another partition for programs to be shared like the data partition?
i appologise for all the questions, i just want to make sure im 100% on everything before i start messing with the comp.

[saikee]

There is no secondary partition. Only

(1) primary partitions (a maximum of 4),
(2) one extended partition, formed by giving up one primary partition, which is just a border marking the all the "remaining" space in the hard drive and
(3) logical partitions, as many as space permits, which are linked from one to another in a continuous chain.

As soon as an extended or logical partition is formed no more primary partition can be allowed. Thus one can have no primary partition in a hard disk or a primary partition is removed its empty space cannot be joinned up with an extended partition.

Linux uses a different naming system for a hard disk. It starts with "hd". The first bootable disk is hda. The second in the cable is hdb. The two hard disks if available in a second IDE cable are called hdc and hdd. SATA disks are call sda, sdb etc.

Thereafter the partition is numbered. Thus your C: drive in Window is likely to be called hda1. Therefore if you are doing it as I suggested your second primary partition will be hda2. As soon as you create a logical partition it will be called hda5 and all the rest of the hard disk space is assigned as an extended partition called hda4 (or hda3 if it hasn't been used), which is a boundary only and not usable.

Generally a good Linux will have most of the programs you need and it is seldom that you need more but you can certainly add extra modules.

Windows can't read any Linux partition. Linux can read all Windows partitions but doesn't write on NTFS partitions but you can use Linux read off files from NTFS partition and write on a FAT partition.

[AvvY]

alright. so ill just create 2 logical partitons for linux hda2 and hda3 both with file system ext2 or ext3. and ill create a 3rd logical partiton for data hda4 with a fat32 file system? does that sound good? and i wont worry about programs as u suggest.

[lynch]

You dont need a 2 GB swap! He's got a GB of ram already. The swap will probably never get touched. I'd make it no bigger than 512MB.
lynch

[AvvY]

so lynch, i just need a 5gb partiton for linux os and a 512mb swap partiton not a 2gb one?

[tsunam]

one could argue that you don't even need the swap area at all but yep 5gb partition and 512 megs of space for the swap.

[saikee]

I am mindful of the fact one day I may add more memory to the box. Some distros do insist on having a swap.

The round unit of Gb has its advantage of making it easier for rebuilding one's partition table because it is easier to remember. I had a disk that was trashed by a couple distros attempting to realign its geometry and I have to rebuild it 3 times. I got the partitions all standardised in 5Gb and it is no problem in deleting the bad ones and re-creating the good paritions. I didn't lose anything in the end.

I think the hard disk is the States are being retailed at 1.5Gb/$. In UK it is 2.5Gb/£.

[AvvY]

ok so now that i think i feel somewhat confident. ill go back up all my data. scan disk and defrag the whole hd. create a logical partiton of about 100gb for my data. a 5gb logical partiton for linux, a 512mb logical partiton for the swap file and leave the rest for windows. sounds good? if so just say this will be fine, otherwise i may get more confused! haha, thanx for all ur help.

[AvvY]

ok well im just gonna go ahead with the plan i suggested above, if i have problems ull be hearin from me again real soon! haha. i think it should work :S. late

[AvvY]

ok well, i have done my back ups, scaned and defreaged and partitoned! are you proud? i have set up a 5gb ext2 partiton, a 512mblinux swap partiton and a 75gb parition for data. now im gonna go ahead with the linux instillation!

[AvvY]

ok now i gots problems. i put cd1 into the drive, rebooted, and told the comp to boot from cd drive. it loads the oppening window for linux instillation, when i press entre to start install, it then throws up a black screen with no sign of pc activity. when i got into the install options from the welcome and try linux install (graphical install) it does the same thing. so i triued it again and tried installing with text only. it goes through lots of lines before it throws up line "vesafbrobe of vesafb0 failed with error -6"
a few more lines go and then it gets to process "Initializing Crptographic Api" 2-3 more lines and then it stops... what iis going on, and how do i fix the *******?

[lynch]

Originally Posted by tsunam

one could argue that you don't even need the swap area at all but yep 5gb partition and 512 megs of space for the swap.

And you would be right but some applications do look for swap so it's a good idea to have it.

[saikee]

bigavvystyle,

Your Mandrake has been trying to fit a display driver for your screen and the operation failed. Thus you may not be able to proceed with the graphic install. Normally you should be able to get away with the text mode install and edit the configuration file to get it to work. Out of the 26 distros I installed I have to do this type of re-configuration for about 5 to 6 of them. Not a big deal but you need to know to use the editor and its commands. The standard one I use is vi, available in all LInux, and you can get instructions from the Internet.

Just install as much Mandrake as you can to see if you get it working in command mode with the kernel successfully installed first.

What is your graphic card manufacturer? The standard generic is "vesa", "nv" and I have used "radeon" too. Genernally one of them will fit, at least get you going. We can tell you how to edit it and which file to edit.

It looks like to be a long haul.

One of the quick way out is to get several distros, especially the Live CDs, and try them out before committing an installation. Knoppix 3.6 is known to be pretty good at kicking start most of the hardware. It will not ask you even one question from start to boot-up to a full system.

For self preservation I wouldn't pull any hair out of my head for one distro if it is misbehaving. There are loads of obedient ones around the corner.

The Mandrake 9 in my box was installed without a hicup but I did have to intervene when I put the version 10 in.

[AvvY]

thanx for ur reply. i have an ati redeon 9800+ video card. ill search about that command line thing. what is a live cd? ok ill go find a copy of Knopix, i gather it is easy to use for a newbie to the linux stuff? i dont care which distro. i just had a friend who showed me around mandrake 10. ill see how we go. thanx again

[AvvY]

wait... i just did a search about the linux editor and comands and all, and thats somewhat fine, but how do i get into the editor to actually use these commands?