Noob linux q's

IRuleYouHard · #1 09-26-2007, 04:23 AM

Ok so I heard the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. My problem is I'm an idiot and have no idea how linux works. So I figure maybe I can partition my hard drive to run it and try and figure this bitch out. I ask a guy in my class and he recommends "free Fedora 9 Linux distribution".
I do a little searching and all I can come up with is Fedora 7. Downloaded it from facebook's mirror.

If my hardrive already has a partition can I add another one? If so how can I make sure none of my XP files will get written over? How can I do this?

How can I install the second one down?
link

Neko · #2 09-26-2007, 09:36 AM

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure you can just create a new partition from within windows. Google will help you out on that.

How fast is your computer? A better option is probably to try Linux in a virtual machine first. I run Ubuntu on my XP desktop using the free VMWare server edition. It works great and doesn't require you to reboot every time you want to switch OS's. http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

I've used a couple of different Linux distro's and by far my favourite is Ubuntu and definitely what I would suggest for someone who just wants to get a small taste of linux. It is the "easiest" linux distribution I've worked with. You should be able to go here www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/ if you want to download it.

Freakin · #3 09-26-2007, 11:36 AM

Why don't you try it out with a Live CD first? Don't start with Fedora, start with something user-friedly like ubuntu.com

Download their live CD and you can boot right off that into linux to play around

ispiked · #4 09-26-2007, 12:12 PM

I'm going to echo the Ubuntu over Fedora sentiment, too. Fedora is sort of a testbed for stuff that's going to be later included into Red Hat, while on the other hand, Ubuntu is much more stable.

AFAIK, the Ubuntu Live CD has a fairly nice installation utility that will allow you to partition correctly should you choose to install it.

Meech · #5 09-26-2007, 12:16 PM

Cardinal rule of partitioning.

- Back your [censored] up before you mess with partitions.

CORed · #6 09-26-2007, 01:50 PM

I've been using SUSE for a few years and I like it. I started with 9.0 and I am currently running 10.0. I've heard mostly good things about Ubuntu but I have no personal experience with it. SUSE's installer will resize partitions and will set up dual booting for you.

Trying a live CD is a good suggestion. There are also two alternatives to dual booting to consider: Virtual machine software, or putting Linux on an old PC networked to your Windows box. Both of these options will allow you to run both Windows and Linux software without rebooting.

I have worked with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (similar to Fedora, but you have to buy a support contract to get it) on a web server at work, and I like SUSE a lot better. The GUI configuration tools in the Red Hat are mostly inferior to those in SUSE. Of course, real linux geeks just edit the config files in vi anyway.

If you got the repartition and dual boot route, be sure to do a complete backup first. If something goes wrong, you will be glad you did.

If you dual boot, create a 1 or 2 GB FAT32 partition. Both Windows and Linux can write to this.

CORed · #7 09-26-2007, 01:55 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure you can just create a new partition from within windows. Google will help you out on that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not without Partition Magic or other third party software, unless you have unallocated space on the drive (usually you don't). The Windows disk manager (in XP anyway) doesn't have the ability to do a non-destructive resize. The installers for a lot of Linux distributions can do the non-destructive resize, though. I don't think Fedora's can, though.

IRuleYouHard · #8 09-26-2007, 06:41 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Why don't you try it out with a Live CD first? Don't start with Fedora, start with something user-friedly like ubuntu.com

Download their live CD and you can boot right off that into linux to play around

[/ QUOTE ]
Ok sounds like ubuntu is the way to go for a noob. Do I need to write the file to a CD and then boot off of it to install?

Freakin · #9 09-26-2007, 07:21 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why don't you try it out with a Live CD first? Don't start with Fedora, start with something user-friedly like ubuntu.com

Download their live CD and you can boot right off that into linux to play around

[/ QUOTE ]
Ok sounds like ubuntu is the way to go for a noob. Do I need to write the file to a CD and then boot off of it to install?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes.

And a LIVE cd means that you'll actually be running linux that you boot off the CD, so you can test it out to get a feel for it before you install.

IRuleYouHard · #10 09-26-2007, 10:36 PM

Thanks for the help guys. I'm going to start the install as soon as I get home. What is the best way to back up my windows OS so if i screw it up I can reinstall without having to pay for it.