Linux

[tjll11a]

I haven't played with it that much but wanna start. Could someone please suggest a good linux distro to start out with....

I wanna dual boot windows 2000 and linux....

What i wanna do is install linux on another hard drive in a computer but boot of a zip or floppy, that way i won't play with the master boot record... And if i ever have a problem with linux or just wanna install another distro i just have to worry about the hard drive and nothing else.


The pc i wanna install it on is

Epox 8kta3 w/ duron 800 (useing onboard sound)
128 mb mushkin rev2
promise ata 100tx2 controler card with maxtor ata 100 7200rpm
30gig 2 partions with windows 200 (Going to add 30 gig maxtor or western digital for linux on ide2)
plextor burner 12x10x32\
Aopen dvd slot /On the ide on motherboard
linksys 10/100 pci hooked to a caymen router with dsl
ati rage fury pro 32meg vivo

well thanks for all your help
Jason

 

[fow99]

I don't really think all the distros are that different. But sticking with the big ones
such as RedHat or Mandrake is a good idea. Wheras, I had some problem installing RH 6.2
on to a Duron based machine, so try the latest one. They have the bug fixed.

As for Linux messing with the mbr, I think that is totally safe. And I don't know how you
can install a Linux that boot only from flopy either. Yes, you can do that. But not from the
start. You can install Linux, then Win98. Then have a floppy boot from Linux by 'linux root=\\\\.'.

 

[kovert]

No you can can have linux only boot from a floppy on the install. I would recommend Mandrake 8.0 since the install is pretty easy. Basically you have to select either custom or expert install and when it asks about install lilo, don't have it put it on the MBR or anything. Just use the use the boot floppy..

Got to IRC channel #linuxpeople on DalNet....They are great and will help you out.

-kovert

 

[Shudder]

I'll add to the opinion that Mandrake is great to start with.

And I also never mess with the MBR and always boot from a floppy with Linux. Most of the time because I change/delete it, but I just don't want to mess with it later on.

 

[Zach]

Don't worryn about the MBR, Linux plays nice. Booting your Win2K CD will let you fix it anyway.

As for what distro, I'd use either Redhat or Mandrake. Mandrake is the most friendly, Redhat the most 'supported' (as Linux goes).

As for "No you can can have linux only boot from a floppy on the install", what do you mean kovert? You can boot Linux just from a disk very easily, have it make a boot disk during install! Kernel upgrades are a bit tricky, but for home use they aren't important anyway. If you mean you can only install by booting from floppy, then sorry but both Redhat and Mandrake boot from thier CD's (the first CD's).

Alse, 30 gigs is a lot of storage.. I've always beenn able to keep my Linux isntalls in less than 3 gigs. Unless you plan on archieving data or using the extra space as a windows partition, don't worry about such a big drive for it.

 

[kovert]

Not to sound cocky but read the statement....

"No, you can have linux boot only from a floppy during the install."

This was in reference to the statement by fow99

"And I don't know how you can install a Linux that boot only from flopy either. Yes, you can do that. But not from the start."

All I was saying is that is it possible to setup LILO to *NOT* write to the MBR and have linux boot only from a floppy as an option during initial install.

I know because that is how I set mine up. I had a spare HD in my box that was MDK 8.0 and I could only access it by booting from my floppy boot disk. Kept the GF from screwing things up.



That's it

-kovert

 

[jhu]

why do you want to boot from floppy? it's kinda slow. i have win2k and linux setup nicely on one hard drive. if you don't want to have lilo write to the mbr, you can have win2k's boot manager boot linux for you also.

 

[SUOrangeman]

You you don't know what you are doing, you may not want to let Linux or any other OS to just take over your MBR. Taking a few extra seconds to load the kernel from a floppy is nothing in comparison to peace of mind.

Now, any truth to the following statement: "You'd have to do a custom/expert install of Mandrake to not write on the MBR"

I've only beeing doing custom/expert installs for a year or more now, so I am not sure about the default installation procedures.

-SUO

 

[Shudder]

With 6 and 7 I did a standard/recommended install and when it did the section for lilo I could still do it to a floppy, so I don't think you need to have it be during the expert one to do it.

 

[fivepesos]

even if mandrake writes to the mbr u can still boot windows 2000. ive just done it with mandrake 8.

 

[cparker]

I'm writing this on my win2k/linux (rh7.1) box. I installed rh7.1 so that it boots only from a floppy. You can specify that during the installation. It has no effect on the win2K installation. works without any problems. I don't know about the other distros, but any of the recent redhats will have that option.

 

[userpete]

My only experience is I bought the SuSE 7.1 cd's and it was so easy and i was worried also about this and that. I just free'd up some free blank space the self booting cd did the rest, partition, format and all......easiest D** thing i ever saw.
Maybe they all do the same thing.....i have no idea...but getting SuSE linux up and running was a snap.

CU8er
Pete

 

[tjll11a]

Wow thanks everyone, just wanna say i'll use mandrake and i won't write the mbr and it should run nicely....