Installing Linux (1 Viewer)

[benno22]

im new to linux and want to install it on my computer so i can use it for uni, im going to use debian linux as they use it in my labs. Im just wondering if its possible to install linux on a spare partition while windows is on teh other partition and be able to run either operation system when i feel like it. How would i install it onto teh spare partition and when its installed, what would happen when i boot up? would it go into windows or linux or would it give me a menu where i could choose which one i want to use?

 

[MedNez]

You have to make a partition on your drive (Not sure which program to use as there are differeing opinions), then yes, you can Install linux on it. You can then create a boot menu, or always load windows unless you hold shift or a preset key which will load linux. So yes, it is indeed possible, I'm just not sure on which program is best to partition your hard drive.

If you do a search of this forum you should find a topic where it was discussed not too long ago.

 

[JimmyK]

I would *strongly* suggest installing it on a seperate system, I tried a dual boot system, and used partition magic - it stuffed my MBR to the point where the computer wouldnt boot with the hdd as the primary drive. I've since installed linux on several different, seperate, systems and it works a breeze.
What I would suggest, is investing in a KVM switch which allows you to have 2 (or more) system boxes connected to one keyboard, monitor and mouse. You are then able to switch between the two boxes. KVM switches arent expensive, and usually come with the cables that allow you to hook up multiple systems.

 

[benno22]

fuck partition magic, i can just use fdisk or something. my drive is already partitioned i just need to clear the partition i wanna install linux on

 

[sunny]

fuck partition magic, i can just use fdisk or something. my drive is already partitioned i just need to clear the partition i wanna install linux on

fdisk cannot resize partitions without destorying the data on the original partition. The idea of using Partition Magic is to make your existing Windows partition smaller without destorying the data, leaving free space for linux to install. If you already have a partition you want to get rid of, then fdisk is good for the job.

JimmyK I would *strongly* suggest installing it on a seperate system, I tried a dual boot system, and used partition magic - it stuffed my MBR to the point where the computer wouldnt boot with the hdd as the primary drive.

On the contrary, I would strongly recommend Partition Magic. It sounded like you either violated the boot boundary or set more than one active partition which could cause some issues with Windows.

I've always:

1. Installed Windows
2. Used Partition Magic to make Windows partition smaller
3. Installed linux in free space
4. Let linux install GRUB for my boot manager

 

[smallcattle]

just use VMware or VPC... much easier and convenient..

 

[sunny]

just use VMware or VPC... much easier and convenient..

Quite an expensive solution for someone that just wants to try linux...

 

[JimmyK]

keep in mind also, that linux will run alright on say an 800mhz machine with more than 256mb of RAM - so if you have old bits and peices lying arround, try building your own machine! its fun, you can learn alot, and then you have a machine to try linux on!!
My linux server is made out of a 400mhz PIII, 386mb of RAM, and a 10Gb hdd (with some obvious extras) and it works fairly well. It was built from scraps - so if you have an interest in learning how to build your own computer this may be an option. Sometimes you can approach your local computer store (not harvey norman etc) they will give you old parts for cheap, or free!

 

[doe]

ive always been a big fan of removeable harddrives.

i would suggest back your shit up and just give dual booting a go. once you get it working, blow it away and do it again so you get it down sweet.

grub is a bootloader that is pretty good, it displays a menu just like you describe. the nt bootloader will do the same too. i have used both, and they are both fine.

vmware would be the easiest way, bochs is a free alternative to vmware, definately usable, but not as swish. http://bochs.sourceforge.net/

 

[ogmzergrush]

Slightly off-topic, but if you do decide to use Partition Magic to resize the partition, it's a REALLY good idea to run chkdsk and scandisk on the drive before doing so to ensure that there are no errors in any of your data.

Last time I used it it got half way through resizing the partition, came across a crosslinked file and decided it'd had enough, stopping part-way through the process. This rendered the MBR unreadable, leaving me to recover 40gb of raw data with a bootable floppy. Also, if it asks you to make a recovery disk, it's probably not a bad idea to do so. This was some time ago, so newer versions might be a little more safe in regard to things like that, but either way, be careful.

 

[Adrian.]

I've always:

1. Installed Windows
2. Used Partition Magic to make Windows partition smaller
3. Installed linux in free space
4. Let linux install GRUB for my boot manager

That seems a damn fiddly way to do it. I do it like this.

1) Install Windows (making the partition 1/2 the size of the hard drive)
2) Install Linux on free space (format with fdisk or cfdisk or whatever distro I'm using uses)
3) Install LILO to be the boot manager

This meanss no resizing (I'm not too sure on how safe resizing is) and no commercial software needed (apart from Windows).

 

[JimmyK]

I just remembered - if you wanna read more about Linux, theres an article in the Jan/Feb edition of Computer Choice. Just explains abit Linux and compares a few different distroubtions with Mac OSX and WindowsXP Home Edition/SP2.
Talks about Live CDs (such as Knoppix mentioned above) but dosnt talk about Debian - but you may still find it interesting.

 

[poloktim]

I agree with Adrian. Sunny you've got a very daring way of installing Linux.

Install Windows (my windows partition uses 10GB of an 80GB drive) in a partition, not on the whole drive.
Install Linux in the free space (remembering to leave room for swap).
Use LILO/GRUB as the boot manager. Don't tell people what you're using, some linux fatties are quite the GNU zealots, while others don't give a rats. You get a zealot going and they're hard to stop.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=224547 <--- There's a nice place to go if you're having trouble with Debian post install (It's really useful). If Linux is going to be accessing the Internet, then ensure you have iptables set up. Guarddog is a nice config program for iptables, and it's graphical.

Also, if you want to share common space, you could install a FAT32 partition, as both Linux and Windows accesses FAT32. You COULD use NTFS (since write support is enabled, but it's not the most stable, and from kernel to kernel YMMV), though I suggest FAT32. Maybe a later kernel will have nicer access.

No offence to sunny, but don't listen to how he installs Linux. It's more work than necessary. Since you're installing Debian (great choice by the way, in my opinion one of the better distros), follow the three steps that Adrian put in (of course the free space needs a small logical partition for swap). Go to http://www.debian.org and read the install guide before you make any decisions. Debian isn't a hard distro (forget what elitist fatties say, it's not hard), but you do need to know about your comptuer. Read the guide (well, skim it), and read a Linux guide.

You might decide that Linux is a piece of crap and it's easier to do uni work on Cygwin. Or you might decide that you Like linux and end up using it for everything, like I do.

 

[sunny]

I have the Partition Magic step in because I'm assuming Windows was already installed on the machine, taking up the entire drive before linux comes in. This tends to be the case when I get asked to install it for someone when they already have Windows.

 

[jm1234567890]

easiest way is to go to linux installfest, like the one that is gonna happen in UOW soon.

i'm sure other unis have it too.

 

[poloktim]

I have the Partition Magic step in because I'm assuming Windows was already installed on the machine, taking up the entire drive before linux comes in. This tends to be the case when I get asked to install it for someone when they already have Windows.

Sorry, you weren't clear enough, so I misunderstood. I assumed they were the steps you took to install Linux regardless, which is silly. =\

 

[ogmzergrush]

easiest way is to go to linux installfest, like the one that is gonna happen in UOW soon.

i'm sure other unis have it too.

Only problem there is that you've got to put clothes on to attend

 

[JimmyK]

Once again, you can try Knoppix as another alternative. A few of the main stream distros that install to the hdd also have a live disc avaliable - I think mandrake is one of those, but it has several in Computer Choice.