Win XP + SuSE Linux

[sohummisra]

Hey wassup.

I recently got the Digit August mag which had SuSE linux 9.1 personal edition on the DVD. now i've been meaning to try out linux for a while, but never really felt like doing it.

so i've finally decided to try it out. hahah. but now i realize that I have no idea what i gotta do. Well I do know that i have to burn the ISO off the CD so I'm gonna do that soon (in like 5 minutes from now).

But I need to partition my hard disk first, and I am not sure that i know how to go about this (although I have done it before). i believe i have to get a partition manager...is this right and if it is, which one do yall recommend? And what do I do after that.

Hhaha well I'm a complete newbie when it comes to linux, I guess, so please do help. Thanks.

the NTFS and FAT32 partitions will not work for the linux.
try reading the magazine. it tells abt how to install the linux

[sohummisra]

maybe you could elaborate.
by the magazine do you mean the "which linux will work for you" because i've read that about 2-3 times and all it gives are broad instructions.
is there any other distro of linux that would work in that case.

thanks

[wORm]

Yeah, if you have allocated all of your disk to FAT/NTFS partitions then it can be quite complicated.

[sohummisra]

okay so it would be better to buy a new hard-drive and just do the install there?

so basically i risk losing data because it is all over the disk. this is what i am understanding. please tell me if i am wrong.

[VD17]

i think fdisk can be used for partitioning...
seondly, i ask this one instead of answering, WTF, SuSe WONT WORK ON NTFS OR FAT32???? what file system am i supposed to have to install Linux?

[sohummisra]

Originally Posted by VD17

seondly, i ask this one instead of answering, WTF, SuSe WONT WORK ON NTFS OR FAT32???? what file system am i supposed to have to install Linux?

wow you couldn't have expressed my thoughts more clearly. haha..

apparently the SuSE installer can rearrange the files so that the partition is possible. this is what i learnt from the SuSE Forums.

late.r

[wORm]

Haven't run SuSe installer, but if it does resize partitions to "free up" space on the disk... I would do it very carefully. Partition resizing can easily cause data loss/corruption.

Besides, SuSe 9.1 personal is not that good, the major pain being hardware detection/compatibility.

[sreevirus]

linux has its own file system - ext3.

hi sohummisra,
if u want to install linux, better install it on a separate partition. u can use a free partition to install (atleast 4 gb) or if u r familiar with fdisk tool in windows 98 startup disk, u can create a partition or u can use partition resizing tools like partition magic. i am not familiar with the SuSE installer, but if asked, manually select the partition that u have created for installing SuSE. the rest will be easy.
Note that this partition cant be accessed normally thru windows. you will have to use some tools like nemo or explore2fs.

u can refer August 2003 issue of digit for instructions.

[sohummisra]

yo thanks for all the help... i just ran a defrag on the disk and i guess i will use a partition manager soon and do it manually. i'm guessing that the installer will at some point ask me on which partition i want to install suse.

wORm: what distro do you recommend i get then, if not suse. i guess i'll have to get cable internet and start downloading some ISOs. can you recommend any that came up in digit in the last few years. (i think there were like 2)

And lastly i have one question. is it easy to uninstall and recover back to the original form (one partition--windows xp) if i do not like the linux system. Thanks!

[pravin4u]

Linux, unlike MS DOS/Windows uses a combination of letters and numbers to refer to disk partitions on your system. MS DOS assigns a drive letter to each partition on the machine.

Red hat linux follows (dont know about suse, might be same)
/dev/xxyN

here

/dev/: the /dev directory is the name of the directory in which all device files reside. the files representing all partitions reside in the /dev/ directory.

xx : this denotes the type of device on which the partition resides. usually this will contain hd (for IDE disks) or sd (for SCSI disks)

y : this letter indicates the device on which the partition is present. eg /dev/hda the 'a' here indicates the first hard disk and 'hd' indicates that it is an IDE hard disk. /dev/sdc the 'c' here indicates the third
hard disk and 'sd' indicates that it is a SCSI hard disk.

N : this denotes the partition number. the first four partitions that is primary or extended partitions are numbered from 1 to 4. logical partitions start from 5

hda2 indicates the second primary or extended partition on first IDE hard disk.

sdb5 indicates the first logical partition on the second SCSI hard disk


i'd suggest u first install Red Hat Linux as procedure is described in aug 2003 digit issue then after u r comfortable and understand environment of lunux u can go for suse or try searching for the help file in SUSE cd for installing it.

[sohummisra]

i might do that then (install red hat linux). i tried looking for a help file on the suse cd (burned from the iso in the digit dvd this month) but the only file i found told me to look at the README in the docu folder. the docu folder, strangely, had no readme file.

This is what caused me great confusion!

[wORm]

Yup, get Red Hat, much more user-friendly.

[cooljeba]

It would be cool if you create Ext3 partition of around 2.5 bg on your HDD and swap for around 700 mb. (I recommend partition magic )Then just boot from your CD and suse will automatically dectet it and wooooooooooooosssssssss.......... u have a suse linux on your system
..:: peace ::..
Jeba

[VD17]

damn... i have to make another partition? my HD usage is pretty scattered.... C: has 98 AND 2k, D has XP and E has invaluabl;e stuff... my MUSIC...
anyway, thanks for the help guys (thanks Sohum for starting the thread )

[nelsonlobo]

use partition magic. it works like magic to partition disks and it has a friendly graphical interface. i have a copy of it.
lobonanc@sancharnet.in

Originally Posted by sohummisra

Hey wassup.

I recently got the Digit August mag which had SuSE linux 9.1 personal edition on the DVD. now i've been meaning to try out linux for a while, but never really felt like doing it.

so i've finally decided to try it out. hahah. but now i realize that I have no idea what i gotta do. Well I do know that i have to burn the ISO off the CD so I'm gonna do that soon (in like 5 minutes from now).

But I need to partition my hard disk first, and I am not sure that i know how to go about this (although I have done it before). i believe i have to get a partition manager...is this right and if it is, which one do yall recommend? And what do I do after that.

Hhaha well I'm a complete newbie when it comes to linux, I guess, so please do help. Thanks.

[suyash_123]

guys i have a hard disk of 20 gb with free space of 3 gb in c:\ & 6gb kin d:\

i have 2 os 1> win xp (on c 2> win 98 on (d
can i install suse (linux)on win 98

[nelsonlobo]

yes you can install it on d:

Originally Posted by suyash_123

guys i have a hard disk of 20 gb with free space of 3 gb in c:\ & 6gb kin d:\

i have 2 os 1> win xp (on c 2> win 98 on (d
can i install suse (linux)on win 98

[pravin4u]

yes delete the D drive using fdisk, and install linux on it, your deleted D drive will be shown as free space while installing linux then you select that free space make root pattion and dont forget to create swap partion

[GNUrag]

Originally Posted by pravin4u

Red hat linux follows (dont know about suse, might be same)
/dev/xxyN

The device naming convention is related to the linux kernel. so it is same everywhere regardless of the distribution

[sohummisra]

hey i finally got down to installing it. just wanna make sure about something:

i created a primary partition after the windows xp partition of size 4.7 gb (ext3) but i didn't create a swap because i was unsure what it was . (using partitionmagic, of course).

now. in the yast menu it suggests the following in terms of partition:

delete partition /dev/hda2 4.7 GB linux native
create swap partition 244.1 mb on /dev/hda2
create root partition 4.4 GB (/dev/hda3 with reiser)
Set mount point of /dev/hda1 to /windows/C

I want to be absolutely sure that all of this will not affect the primary partition that has windows xp and not erase any data. thanks in advancee!!

[pr@k@sh]

Dear Swap Partation is work just like a RAM But it is very slow campare to

our real real RAM..!!

Becoz if u have a 128 MB ram and if u open 130 MB file then what happen

At that time SWAP partation is in picture..!!

BUT as far as I know SWAP Partation is AT list 2*RAM so double of ur RAM size...!!

if u create more than that then it's OK no Problem...!!

[sohummisra]

thanks dude......i've started the installation. its midway through as of this moment and i hope nothing happens to my [sacred] windows partition

[busyanuj]

Originally Posted by pr@k@sh

Dear Swap Partation is work just like a RAM But it is very slow campare to

our real real RAM..!!

Becoz if u have a 128 MB ram and if u open 130 MB file then what happen

At that time SWAP partation is in picture..!!

BUT as far as I know SWAP Partation is AT list 2*RAM so double of ur RAM size...!!

if u create more than that then it's OK no Problem...!!

having a swap considerably larger than 2 x RAM slows down the machine.
it is recommended to keep the swap partition around 2 times the RAM in the machine.

[silly_kash]

too late to post now!!


anyways i got the red hat linux free with digit "software for a lifetime offer"

and mandrake linux 8.2 with the 2nd anniersary editon of digit!!

btw the partition manager of mandrake 8.2 just rocks with easy to use gui interface but the mandrake 8.2 dosen't rocks!!lol

also,ironically i use the madrake partition manager to install reinstall
my windows xp!! lol!!