[ljbirns]

I burned a CD with Ubuntu today. No problem I followed the instructions and everything worked fine. Tonight I am running Ubuntu from the CD ( as I write this)
Two quick questions. 1) I assume that whatever I download through Ubuntu resides on my HD. 2) Can I install Ubuntu on my HD and run both Windows and Linux ( Not simultneouly ) without any problem ?

I'm not sure what I want to do with Ubuntu, but it seems like a good thing to know about Linux than not to know. (and I have the time right now )

Thanks for any insights

[saikee]

There was a time Ubuntu did an installation CD and also a Live CD. Not too sure what has changed since. Thus running a Live CD doesn't mean Ubuntu has been installed into the hard disk.

If you know your way round (by mounting the WIndows partition inside Ubuntu when Ubuntu doesn't do it automatically for you) then you should be able just about do 90% of the equivalent Windows operations you do with your data in Ubuntu. Changing the OS doesn't change the data. There may be access problem if your personal data is protected by Admin. In such case the data is accessible via the root terminal mainly, as standard Ubuntu login exclude the root user (admin) to GUI.

You can install any number of Linux to run side by side with any number of MS systems including every copy of Dos, Windows and Vista. Linux has the ability to boot all of them.

[fenderfreek]

You can run Linux alongside Windows, or any other OS for that matter. You will have to resize your Windows partition to make room for Ubuntu's, but the installer can help you with that.
I run Windows and Linux on my laptop and both work just fine with each other.

[ljbirns]

Ok Thanks. As of Right now I have just downloaded a live boot CD to try and see what Linux is all about.. Ubuntu boots up fine and I can access my flash drive and with the open office program I can open Excell sheets from the flash drive etc. . Ubuntu does not seem to see my hard drive.
I can access the web ok ( I wrote the first post from Ubuntu ) but in evolution mail I cannot find where to put my password so i can't get or send mail.

How big a partition would I need for Ubuntu to make a meaningful linux
test/experience for me ?

I appreciate the help. I know NOTHING about this.

[fenderfreek]

With the Live CD, you're not going to be able to a whole lot, due to memory limitations and the like. If you want to install it on your hard drive just to test it out, you won't need more than 6-8 Gigs, and that's if you install pretty much every major package that Ubuntu comes with.

As far as the bare minimum, you would probably need at least 512 Mb for swap, and I would recommend at least 3Gb for the main partition, though that doesn't give you a lot of freedom.

There is a way to make Ubuntu's Live CD save it's configuration on a flashdrive, but it's more of an "easter egg" than a real feature, hence it's not widely documented. It's a rather strange process that involves formatting a memory stick with ext3 and giving it the label "casper-cow"

For you, I would recommend installing it alongside Windows, in case you decide you don't like it. You can download packages and play around a bit more freely, not to mention your settings don't go away! It doesn't require a lot of space or resources, so you can even try it out on an old machine if you have one lying around.

With Eudora, I'm not sure exactly how to configure it. Perhaps someone else on here who uses/has used it can help you out there.

[ljbirns]

fenderfreek

You, sir , are a genius and I a moron. I have an old machine collecting dust in my closet. it has 256 ram, 30 Gb HD and windows XP
A perfect solution ( if the BIOS battery has not died ) to let me fool around with Linux without fear .

I will post again once I get it set up.

Thank you !

[fenderfreek]

Why thank you, but I think moron is rather harsh. Maybe inexperienced? Either way, it's great that you have something laying around that you can work with, so I wish you the best of luck, and don't hesitate to ask if you need any help with anything. There are no stupid questions.

[Bartender]

I think installing to an old PC is the best way to get started. Dual-booting can be scary, and people have borked their Windows partitions.

You say you've got XP on the old PC? Perfect candidate for dual-boot! Replace that motherboard battery, get 'er going, uninstall extra applications you don't need in XP, defrag the heck out of the XP installation (people have suggested running defrag several times, and running it in Safe Mode to help nudge everything over to the left), then set the BIOS to boot from CD and try out your LiveCD.
aysiu's guide is very popular.
When you're done you may need some help figuring out how to get Ubuntu to see the NTFS partition. I call it the unofficial Ubuntu initiation rite. aysiu has a guide for that also. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the Linux drive identification. If you have just one hard drive, and it's PATA, /dev/hda1 will be the first partition on the drive. That will be your Windows partition. If you dual-boot you'll create a second and third partition. /dev/hda2 will probly be the main install partition, plus Ubuntu will set up a small swap partition, identified as /dev/hda3. That's if you have one hard drive, and it's PATA. The drives are "sda" instead of "hda" if it's SATA but you don't have to worry about that right now.
Do you have the original XP CD? If things went sideways, you could reload XP, then try again. Or just install Ubuntu across the entire drive.

[CouchMaster]

A small footprint Linux distro will make a Pentium1 look like a race horse so there is really no such thing as an old computer any more. That stuff gathering dust out in the garage can really be put to use with Linux!

[ljbirns]

I booted up the old comp and it was fine. i ran check disk and the HD or OS died. When I go to the Phoenix Bios Setup Utility it lists a Maxtor-Athena (PM ) Hard Drive
I was able to bring up Ubuntu ( Linux- Live CD ) on the CD rom drive. The ubuntu does not list a hard drive. When I try to install the Ubuntu ( Linux ) it tells me that the drive is 20 GB,it is empty and asks how I want to partition. I said do it automatically but it errors out.
I have a Windows NT 4.0 install disk. It went thru various install macinations and then said that there was NO HARD DRVE. I am very confused. right now I can run the Ubuntu on the CD but it will not install
I have posted my loss of OS problem under this thread http://forums.techguy.org/windows-nt...ng-system.html

[saikee]

To get any hard disk working

(a) The Bios must report its presence

(b) In Linux, click terminal and type

fdisk -l

If it is an IDE (or Pata) then you should see disk hda reported there. If it is not then the disk may be faulty or unreadable.

(c) If the hard disk has a filing system (that means it has been formatted and used) then you can see it by mounting its partition. If the hard disk is new or zero-filled to destroy the previous data then you need to create partitions with Linux Live CD before it can be used.

The best tool in creating partitions is by a Live CD. Just use the terminal mode's "cfdisk" program.

You need to issue command "cfdisk /dev/hda" and create a 10Gb partition for Linux (automatically partition Type 83) and then a swap say 1Gb (you need to use cfdisk to change it to Type 82). Click "Write" in the cfdisk partition and on a reboot you can instruct any Linux installer to install itself in the 10Gb partition. The installer will find the swap automatically and use it. If you are push with space a 5Gb partition should be enough for Ubuntu, at least that is what it got in the two installed versions in my PC.

[Bartender]

You've got a working PC, right? If it's a Maxtor HDD in the old one I'd use the running PC and download the MaxBlast utility from their website. Burn it to a CD and toss it in the old PC. It ought to be able to run the diagnostic and tell you if the HDD's kaput.
If three different pieces of software all reported no HDD I'd guess the HDD is dead.

Hey, wait a minute. Maybe it's just unplugged or your power supply lost a rail. Can you hear the HDD, or put a finger on it to feel whether it's spinning up or not?
Check the basic stuff first. See if the power cable's connected, check the data cable, try swapping power plugs with the CD drive. If the CD drive stops spinning then you know you've got some sort of power supply issue.

[argh2xxx]

Just a few cents from me, dual boot is easy base on my experience. It's always easier if you have install windows first. Need to make room for you second partition so you can put on your linux. I suggest fefora core 6, because it's nice and bleeding edge (e.g. I like bleeding edge), but you can go with boring stuffs such as stable release.

When install fedora core, it will have an option that ask you to configure your boot loader, it will automatically recognize your windows partition but it will name as "other". It ask you to choose a default partition that will boot up automatically. Don't choose other, because windows will boot straight in and will not give you 3 seconds or so to pick whatever os you want to boot for next start-up. Important: pick the option of fedora core as default boot up for next time your computer reboot.

When finish install Linux, your windows get restart, and then all you have to do is choose the option "other", and your windows will boot, and if you choose fedora, then your fedora will boot.

[fenderfreek]

Brand new releases are great if and ONLY if you know exactly what you're doing, and I haven't been hearing the greatest things about Fedora 6 in the stability and compatibility department. The only experience I've had with it yet was a nasty udev roblem and some driver compatibility issues, so I have a hard time recommending it to anyone, especially a new user. I'd stick to something tried and true like Core 5, or a Debian distro, unless you're prepared to deal with the myriad of problems that can come from using brand new releases with "bleeding edge" software.

For a new user, stability and ease of use is infinitely more important than having the latest and greatest, especially when the latest and greatest blows up and they have no idea what's going on.

As for the hard drive, just follow the suggestions given - check that it's physically okay(cables, etc), run diagnostic software on it, and as a final resort, try it in a different computer.

[ljbirns]

The download I have is Ubuntu 6.06. Is that one good for a beginner ?
I am having a problem with the old PC I wanted to use. Hard drive seemed
to die. I working on resolving that problem. May have to find a new drive.
They are cheap enough. Once i get this up and running I will I am sure need plenty of advice.

Thanks