[linux-help] Re: Free install

[Thomas Wallis <wallis@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 20 Feb 2001, David Wibowo wrote:

> 
> Can somebody tell me how to install Linux dual boot with windows 2000?
> I can't wait till feb 24 to do that.
> 
> ps. step by step please!!
> 
> Thank you
> 
> David Wibowo

        Hello, David:

        I don't know much about Windows 2000, but the important thing
about any dual boot install is to make sure that Windows is installed
first.  If you install LINUX first, I have heard the Windows installer
will think the hard drive is damaged and reformat it :-( 

        If you have Windows up and running, the first thing to do is make
sure you have a backup of all important files and programs.  Sometimes
LINUX installs go bad, and you have to be able to install Windows from
scratch.  This means you need your Windows boot/install floppies and
CDROMs, as well as CDs for anything you would need to reinstall.  

        I have included below something I wrote a while back for WSU CS
students. Note that the hardware stuff is WAY out of date.  Also, I don't
know if FIPS (the disk repartitioning program works with NTFS (Windows NT
file system)).  If FIPS can't handle NTFS and you use NTFS, then you need
something like Partition Magic to resize your Windows partitions. 

                                Hope this helps,

                                T W



  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

LINUX Help#2

How can I run LINUX on the same machine as DOS/Windows/Win95?

Here are some steps you will need to follow. Look on your LINUX CDROM for
definitive information. These steps have worked for me (Tom Wallis) in the
past, but there is NO GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY. MISTAKES OR ERRORS COULD MAKE
YOUR MACHINE UNBOOTABLE!

In general, it is possible to run more than one operating system on your PC,
assuming that you have enough hard disk space to install multiple operating
systems. I (Tom Wallis) have done this on several machines in the CS Dept.,
as well as on my personal PC. However, you must know all about your hardware
and configuration. You must be comfortable with disk drives and
partitioning.

There are several ways to run LINUX on your machine. You could install LINUX
into your DOS partition (look at the documentation sites and your CDROM for
UMSDOS). You can run LINUX directly from a CDROM (look for live filesystems
on CDROM (RedHat has a CD that does this)). You can also perform a
traditional LINUX installation. This will give you maximum performance.

Here are some of the steps you will need to use to run multiple operating
systems (DUAL-BOOT) your PC. This section deals with a traditional LINUX
installation next to a DOS/Windows/Win95 installation.

   * Have good backups. Installing LINUX on an existing hard disk with good
     data on it is tricky, so you should have good backups of important data
     (CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, your applications including Windows, etc.).
     You should have a bootable DOS floppy available as well.

   * Have several formatted floppies available. You will need them later.

   * Make sure your disk is defragmented (there is a DOS utility for this).
     All your DOS/Win/Win95 data should be at the beginning of the drive.

   * If you use Stacker or Doublespace or similar disk compression software
     , forget about using this disk for LINUX.

   * Make boot and root floppies from the CDROM (see the documentation).
     Choose the images well to match your hardware.

   * Investigate a program called FIPS. FIPS allows you to shrink your DOS
     partition to any size you want (assuming at least enough to hold your
     DOS data). FIPS will mark the rest of the drive as unallocated. You
     will want to run FIPS after booting from a bootable DOS floppy. FIPS is
     a DOS program that comes on your LINUX CDROM. Use great care with FIPS.
     Misuse can damage your data.

   * Boot from the LINUX floppies and CAREFULLY repartition your hard disk
     (using LINUX fdisk). Don't touch your DOS partition. Add at least one
     LINUX filesystem partition and one LINUX swap partition (the swap
     partition should be at least twice the RAM size of the machine, if
     possible). Don't use DOS FDISK (it is not up to the task).

   * You are now ready to install LINUX. Carefully choose the LINUX parts
     you want (a complete install is 300M+).

   * You will be given the chance to install LILO (the LINUX boot manager).
     If everything goes well, you will be able to use LILO to boot either
     DOS/Windows/Win95 or LINUX. The PC will ask you which to boot when you
     turn it on. You can also make a LINUX boot floppy for your PC, and not
     use LILO. LILO can be a pest if not properly installed . You need to
     have boot floppies for DOS available in case the LILO install doesn't
     work (it usually does). If you are running IDE hard disks, make sure
     that your DOS partition and the first LINUX partition are within the
     first 500M of the hard disk. You can usually delete LILO from your hard
     disk by booting from your DOS floppy and using FDISK/MBR .

   * I personally use boot floppies for my dual-boot machines. If I have the
     floppy IN, it boots LINUX. If I have the floppy OUT, it boots DOS. Then
     I don't have LILO problems.

   * READ, READ, READ! The key to a successful LINUX install is READING THE
     DOCUMENTATION!

   * You will have trouble with strange hardware mixes (Enhanced IDE drives
     on regular IDE controllers are a trouble spot I have run into several
     times).

   * LINUX runs best with 16M of RAM or better. (I have LINUX running on an
     8M 386/25. Xwindows is slow, but things do run. Even 8M machines have
     very useful tasks that they can do running LINUX. ). Memory is fairly
     cheap , so 32M or 64M is even better. My desktop machine at WSU was
     until recently a 32M Pentium 133 running LINUX (it has 64M now).

   * Proper configuration of Xwindows is beyond the scope of this document,
     but I can give you a few hints:

     For Xwindows, you will need to know all about your video card and
     monitor (chipset information). Sometimes the Windows 95 control panel
     can tell you some of this information (other times it lies or doesn't
     tell what it knows) . Most monitors come with a manual describing their
     characteristics, which you will need to know. If you know all about
     your video card and monitor, you can usually get Xwindows running,
     unless the card isn't supported under XFree86 (the LINUX Xwindows
     system). In that case, you have three choices:

     1. purchase a commercial Xwindows system such as Metro-X for LINUX

     2. wait until the next release of XFree86 (they add new video card
     support all the time)

     3. get a different video card. There are many good video cards that
     work very well under LINUX. Stay away from the brand-newest cards. The
     new "Super Great 4000+" may work fine under Windows, but LINUX drivers
     usually lag behind by at least six months. Check any potential card
     against the XFree86 website www.xfree86.org .


Disclaimer: If you decide to use LINUX, please note that the Computer
Science Department and this author (Tom Wallis) make NO WARRANTY about LINUX
or any other software. If you need help with LINUX, we suggest the Air
Capital Linux Users Group , a free club of LINUX users from the Wichita
area.



 > ----Original Message Follows----
>  > -----Original Message-----
>  > From: linux-help-bounce@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:linux-help-bounce@xxxxxxxxx]On
>  > Behalf Of Cavgalar, Murat A (Alex)
>  > Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2001 10:08 AM
>  > To: 'linux-help@xxxxxxxxx'
>  > Subject: [linux-help] Free install
>  > Importance: High
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  > I noticed that the free linux install class on february 17th was
>  > postponed.
>  > Does anybody know when it will be held?
> 
> We thought we'd have it on the 24th of March, but that seems to be the end
> of Spring Break, and WSU will be closed.  So the next available date is the
> 31st of March. We'll send out an annoucement in March when the date is set
> for sure.
> 
> --dwh
> 
> ---
> Dale W Hodge - dwh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Secretary & Website Maintainer - info@xxxxxxxxx
> Air Capital Linux User's Group  (ACLUG)
> ---
> 
> 
> 
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Disclaimer: All opinions expressed here are my own and not those of WSU.

EMAIL address:  wallis@xxxxxxxxxxx    wallis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  

   




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