Responses below, interleaved with questions. At 10:22 PM 2/21/99 -0800, Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV wrote [portions only]: >So I've read a bit on the howto's regarding multi-boot installations, and >I'm not exactly sure how this information will apply to me. From what I can >gather anyway, I want to set up a Linux partition (or three...file systems >for root, /usr and /home...although I've used Unix shell Internet access If you plan to make only 2 gigs worth of Linux partitions, I suggest you put it all in one big partition. For a system you alone will use, dividing the space up mainly creates more potential bottlenecks, without providing much in the way of added benefits. (It's different on a server, where you may want to separate / and /home to protect system space from getting overcrowded by user files.) >1) Is it easier to load Win95 first, or Linux first? It doesn't matter much. If you load Linux second, you'll only have to set up LILO once. >Or which should go on >the first partition? It doesn't matter. What matters is running lilo to set up the boot loader after you've installed both, so you have a choice over which system loads at boot time. >I read something about anything that is going to be >bootable had better be in the first 524MB of disk space, or else it won't >boot. So does this mean that I have to split things up a bit (I.E. a root >partition with Lilo and stuff on it, then Win95, then the rest of the Linux >file systems, then the rest of my FAT16 drives)? Or am I completely missing >the boat on this one (on which point I wouldn't be surprised)? This is from old docs. Modern PCs don't have the 524 mB limitation. They do have a 1024 track limitation, but LBA translation lets most hard disks work around even that. Depending on how you load Linux, it may (probably will) need to be in a standard, not extended, partition.If you make your Linux root partition #1 and WIn9x #2, or vice versa, you should be fine. I've had no problems with drives up to 8 gigs, but I have no experience with the 12 gig drives. >Further to that, should I even have any swap partition? If so, how large? >I'll probably mostly be running in command-line apps from bash or tcsh...X >might come along later, once I actually start learning a bit more and/or an >X screen reader project that's going gets to a usable form. As you describe your system you are unlikely to need swap. 128 megs is a lot for a one-user desktop system, and frankly I'd be surprised if you ever hit the limit. Do you run swap in Win9x (I think Windows calls it virtual memory ... or am I getting mixed up with MacSpeak?)? If yes, do you ever end up using it? Iguess the only uncertainty is about whatever you use to read the screen to you (or whatever you do). That might be memory intensive -- I just don't know. >I think once I get a handle on these, I might be able to proceed OK. Of >course, I'm probably wrong there, too...but that's OK :) Don't hesitate to ask more questions as you need to. That's what the list ihere for. Slackware really isn't as bad as its biggest detractors say ... just a bit different, with its own advantages and disadvantages, just like all the other distributions. ------------------------------------"Never tell me the odds!"--- Ray Olszewski -- Han Solo 762 Garland Drive Palo Alto, CA 94303-3603 650.321.3561 voice 650.322.1209 fax [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------------------
