Help Installing Fedora 3 & removing SuSE 9.1 on XP dual boot

[//siddhartha//]

Hi Everyone,
plz help me..
>> I have some a 40 GB hard disk with WINDOWS XP SP2 installed.
>> Some 4 GB out of it is currently used by SuSE 9.1 and the computer is dual boot. So, when I start my PC, it asks for LINUX or WINDOWS.
>> MY friend gave me his Fedora Core 3 DVD.Now, I want to remove SUSE and install Fedora COre 3 on my PC. Hw do I remove SuSE? Can it be done by deleting the hard disk partition used by it from Windows XP? And what about dual boot? Will deleting the partition rremove the dual boot fuction since I think it is installed on C: while SUSE is on F: (not F: but hard drive after E: )
>> Lastly, I have not seen Fedora Setup. How does one go thorugh the setup? And is 4 GB enough for the Fedora DVD??
Plz help me quickly as I have to return the DVD in a few days..
--Siddhartha

[ujjwal]

Uninstalling a linux distro has been an oft asked question here, anyway, just boot into your Windows XP cd (assuming that is your other OS), select recovery console, and type "fixmbr" to erase the linux loader and put the windows boot loader instead.

You can after that format your partitions using any good tool.

But actually, in your case, you do not need to do all this, simple start the fedora install, and choose to install fedora on the partition(s) used by suse. After that, fedora will install its own boot loader, replacing that used by suse.

[tuxfan]

Actually, Fedora will let you install it in place of an existing linux partition. Just boot from the DVD and follow the onscreen instructions.

[//siddhartha//]

OK, I will try it just now and then report after some time.. THANX for the info..

[//siddhartha//]

Well, installation done! ;-)
But a few questions:
:?: How do I change between KDE and Gnome ??
:?: I cannot see my Windows Partitions (C:, D:, E: ) any where in Fedora. How do I mount them in Fedora permanently (I don't want to start my PC and then mount drives everytime)
:?: How is Fedora compared to other LINUXes ??

[ujjwal]

From what I remember from earlier experience with Redhat distro's, there was an option to choose between KDE & Gnome (if both were installed), in the graphical login screen.

About your second query, check the fedora faq in this section, it has the answer.

How is Fedora compared to other LINUXes ??

Well you are using it, so tell us :) different people have different views, I personally did not like fedora much, but I know many who like it a lot. If it works for you, thats all that matters.

[pradeep_chauhan]

switchdesk

[//siddhartha//]

OK, Thanx for the info. But I will try an explore more options by myself. Does Fedora COre 3 by itself have support from its creators?
And my graphics card supports 1024x768 resolution. But Fedora shows maximum upto 800x600. My graphics card is: NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 Model 64/64 Pro.
My HCL monitor is not listed in its display settings. How can I set the resolution to 1024x768?

[//siddhartha//]

Oh! Yes, I went to the FEDORA FAQ in the Open Source forum, and tried all the tips given there.
But had the following problem:
I can mount my hard drives, no problem! But, for mounting the hard drives every time, I tried to edit the:
/etc/fstab file
add the following 2 lines at the end and save the file:

/dev/hda1 /home/C defaults 0 0
/dev/hda5 /home/D defaults 0 0

But, the file opened in the Emacs text editor and only as read only. So, I could only view the file and not edit it..
Similarly, to change the default login to KDE from GNOME, I tried to edit
/etc/sysconfig/desktop
and change

DESKTOP="GNOME"

to:

DESKTOP="KDE"

But here too, the files opened as read only and I could not make any changes. How can I change the file contents??

[GNUrag]

prettly commonsense man, to edit system files you need to have administrative privilages. You must login from shell/gdm as root user or use su or sudo utilities to edit files in /etc/

And you dont have to use Emacs, rather you can use gedit or something.

[//siddhartha//]

I can log on as administrator in the terminal by su and entering the password, but how to log on as root?? and how to use gedit?
Sorry, if all these questions sound senseless to you but I am a complte newbie.. Although, I have tried exploring a lot of things and then posting on the forum..

[GNUrag]

I can log on as administrator in the terminal by su and entering the password, but how to log on as root??
su command, without any parameters gives you access to root's shell. Or if you know the root's password then you can provide that instead while logging in. You can tell you are root if your shell prompt has a # symbol in the end.

and how to use gedit?
Have you used Notepad before?

[//siddhartha//]

So, when I start Fedora, it asks me for my username and password. Now, I should give my normal username and root password and then log on??
Moreover, when I start the files discussed above they open in Emacs directly.. So, I should try to start them through gedit.. OK. lets try it..

[GNUrag]

Your password is associated with your username. If you enter your username then you have to enter your password. Similarly, if you enter "root" as the username then you are supposed to enter "root's" password only. Hope i am clear, ain't i?

Are you able to start GUI? In that case you can login as "root" user and start GEdit. Then you can say "File >> Open" to open the file you want. Emacs won't bother you then :-)

[//siddhartha//]

THANX a lot GNUrag, your explaination is very clear. I will try this and report to you..
Thanks again, ;-)

[//siddhartha//]

Well, everything has worked properly.. But, I have a few questions for display:
I have NIVIDIA RIVA TNT2 64 display card. Fedora does recognize my display card as RIVA TNT2. But my monitor has max. capacity of showing 1024x768 (@ 60Hz) (HCL Monitor). BUt it shows highest only of about 800x600/. So, in KDE, when I tried to change the KDE taskbar options, the dialog boxcovers most space and the "Apply", "Cancel" etc. button appear much below the KDE taskbar ansd so I am unable to clcik on Apply etc. How do I get my resolution to 1024x768?

[ujjwal]

Run xorgconfig as root in a terminal, this will allow you to configure your display hardware. One of the sections will have an option for the resolutions you want to use, be sure to select all the ones you want (and which are supported).

Else, post the contents of the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf

BTW, to run xorgconfig, open a terminal (xterm/konsole etc)


$ su - root
<give root password>
# xorgconfig

[//siddhartha//]

As said by you, I logged on as root in Konsole and tried to run the "xorgconfig" command but it said "no command found." I tried "#xorgconfig", but it brought me back to the prompt without doing any thing.
Then I logged in to Fedora as root and opened the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file in GEdit. I configured the resolutions where "800x600" "640x480" as written in two lines, I added "1024x768" before the both the lines, saved the file.
Then, I rebooted my PC and logged in as a user(in KDE). Then I right clicked on the Desktop and clicked on "Configure Desktop.." and then in the DIsplay tab, I saw all the resolutions upto 800x600 but no 1024x768 ?? What should I do?
>> Two more questions:
1) How to mount an NTFS partition in FC3? The tutorial given in the "Fedora Core FAQ" thread is confusing?
2) How to configure my Smart Link 56K dial up modem? In SUSE, during installation, when I clicked for the list of applications to be installed, I saw the Smart Link modem driver present. But in Fedora, it neither detects my modem (internal) nor were there any drivers during installation.. What should I do?

[ujjwal]

Hmm it seems fedora either has an alternate name for xorgconfig, or uses its own tools instead. system-config-display is one thing you should try.

Did you add "1024x768" to the beginning of each display section? There would be different sections for different colour depths. If it still doesn't work, Fedora is perhaps doing things differently here, someone more familiar with it will be able to help you out a lot better.

[sba]

//siddhartha//
1) If you are getting xorgconfig as command not found, then first do a "whereis xorgconfig" (without quotes). then type the full path to the command. To be able to use "1024x768" your vbios needs to actually support it.
2) To mount NTFS partitions in Linux we first need to know your kernel version. Give a command "uname -r" (without quotes) on a console window and tell us the output.
3) As for your modem. Check out http://www.linmodems.org/

[//siddhartha//]

Well, i tried doing everything you all suggested. I wrote "whereis xorgconfig", then in the next line, it said xorgconfig: in the next line and nothing else.

You see i am going through aproblem. I can copy files from my C: and D: on to Fedora but cannot copy or save any file from Fedora to my C: and D: (FAT32). So, i am not able to post the contents of /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.

Also, i wrote "uname -r" and it gave me the no.: 2.6.9-1.667

i am currently going through www.linmodems.org and will post contents regarding modem later.

[sba]

Ok. Guess Fedora doesn't have xorgconfig but there is an equivalent, namely system-config-display. Launch it as root and see wat all r in there.

To solve your file system problem you need to give us the contents of your /etc/fstab. You can paste files on D: drive as root. Later on we will tell you how to edit it, so that u can hv write support as normal user.

[//siddhartha//]

Well, I am in more trouble now. My monitor supports 1024x768 at 60 Hz. So, I started system-config-display and configured my display card NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 (which my card is) and chose a Monitor ~1024 from the CRT monitors list since my HCL HCM560M monitor was not listed.
I logged out and then logged in again. I again went to system-config-display and chose 1024x768 and when I logged out the screen went black and the green LED of my monitor turned orange. I understood now I won't be able to start Fedora. WHAT DO I DO??????????????????

[e-freak]

Login to Fedora as init 3 (console mode)....do the necessary changes and then start the X server by startx.

Also, download the official drivers for ur graphix card from the nvidia site. You will have to install it from the console prolly. I dunno bout Fedora but u need to have kernel sources installed in suse for this.

[//siddhartha//]

Sorry, but I don't understand what to do? After the GRUB loader, I select "Fedora Core". Further,
it shows something like this:
[I don't remember exact contents "..." shows more text]
------------------------------------------------------
Loading Linux Kernel...
audit(xxxxxxxx.xxx)
.....
Welcome to Fedora Core
Press 'I' to enter interactive startup
....
Probing hardware.. storage network audio done [OK}
Starting interactive startup...
------------------------------------------
And then the screen goes blank. So, what do I do? How do I log on in CONSOLE mode??