[boob]

I have never used a Linux OS before, however I want to install one as a permanent and only OS on my PC. I used Partition Magic to make format my hard drive and is already ready to go as a Linux ext2 partition. However, (like the article in the news forums) I am overwhelmed by all the different distrubutions. I'd like one that has alot of similar features as Windows for personal usage, so I think Suse is comparible, am I right? Also, If I put this on a CD will it boot to the CD and install or is it completely different? How exactly should I go about installing a Linux OS?

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I downloaded the three CD version of Mandrake 10.2 from the usc mirror site, burned it to disks and only about an hour ago finished installing it. All for free, and it works fine so far.

[Tyger]

I downloaded the three CD version of Mandrake 10.2 from the usc mirror site, burned it to disks and only about an hour ago finished installing it. All for free, and it works fine so far.

[boob]

Did it work by putting in the CD and booting to it on a clean harddrive as if you were installing Windows? Or was there a different way of doing it?

[mpfeif101]

Yes, SuSe will fit you fine. See here for more info:
http://www.geekstogo...se_-t38170.html

Also, If I put this on a CD will it boot to the CD and install or is it completely different? How exactly should I go about installing a Linux OS?

SuSe is rather large, so you have to either burn it to a Dual-Layer DVD or 5 CD's. Then just boot from them and it's an extremely easy process.

[boob]

Alright, thank you all very much.

[Mycah]

XD I got my disk out of Linux for Dummies
Fedora, it looks ok.

[boob]

One more question, I was having trouble finding a working link to download SuSE from, so I just downloaded Mandrake instead from here: http://www.linuxiso....o.php?distro=29

I downloaded the first 3 install disks from the i586 section of Mandrake 10.1, however when I tryed to install it to my formatted drive as the only OS, I found that the CD was not bootable. How do I go about installing the CD's?

Thanks for any help.

[mpfeif101]

Go into BIOS and change the boot order to be CDROM then harddrive

[boob]

That's a problem as well, it doesn't give me that option, I'm running an old Compaq. However, I put in Windows Web Server 2003 to see if it would start setting it up and it did, which is why I think that the Linux CD's aren't bootable.

[shard92]

I am by no means a linux expert but I've had a lot of trouble ( and have heard from others who have as well ) getting linux to run correctly on a compaq. Particularly an old one. supposedly there is some setting you have to make to get it to work correctly but I couldn't tell you what that is.

[gerryf]

how did you burn them to a cd?

ISOs are disk images and require a special burn process--you don't simply copy those files to a cd

[boob]

Wow, I feel extremely stupid, guess that's how I shall learn though. They are indeed ISO's. Could you please explain the process or tell me of where I could learn how to make bootable Linux install CD's from the ISO?

Thank you very much for your ongoing help.

Edited by boob, 23 June 2005 - 08:39 PM.

[Tyger]

Wow, I feel extremely stupid, guess that's how I shall learn though. They are indeed ISO's.  Could you please explain the process or tell me of where I could learn how to make bootable Linux install CD's from the ISO?

Thank you very much for your ongoing help.

Well for fifty bucks I bought a six year old computer with a cd-rw, winME which wasn't compatible with the rw software, Nero burning 5.5, plus all the installation software and literature, I put the burner and software in the win98se machne that I use for working on hard drives and doing prelim setups, downloaded the files and burned them.

The machine I use for repair is kind of interesting. It has a Tekram Technology Co., Ltd. P6B40-A4X-i440BX Rev. 1.0
Bus Clock: 66 megahertz
BIOS: Award Software International, Inc. 4.51 PG 10/11/00

motherboard, but the clock is bypassed to 100mhz (an option) and the bios and chipset drivers are upgraded. The mobo is from a HiQ computer, installed in a builders box with four large bays, one has the cd-rw, the other three have server trays so all I have to do is put a drive in a tray and slip it in, no opening the case. The smaller bays have two floppy drives.

The upgrades have made it pretty snappy, and it can see 64gb drives, in fact I'm on it right now, and when I installed the Linux I just slipped in a 40gb drive I had laying around and after about an hour I had Linux. It had no trouble detecting the hardware, except for the sound card. It also went up on the net automatically, it detected the router and configured the internet connection itself.

I notice the Linux is pretty slow, but it seems to get faster as I use it, maybe it's defragging the disk automaticaly, since I don't see any disk maintainence tools.

[Chadduss]

Hey boob, haha sorry funny name; just had to have that laugh, what CD burning program do you use? Generally it's pretty easy to do. In Nero Express it's the bottom option "Disc image or saved project"

[boob]

Hi Chadduss, I'm just using Windows XP Home to burn the CD's, no special program, I'll look around for the option, I didn't even know that much. I have never burnt an image before or anything so I'm a little lost. I'll post back if I figure it out. Thanks for the support guys.

Edited by boob, 24 June 2005 - 03:40 PM.