Welcome to the family :)
I too just installed Mandrake two days ago. This is my first
Linux experience. AAMOF, I just figure out how to install
downloaded application today. We do had to browse through
the manual before we install it (it's in the CD). Isn't it
great? An OS that require us to read manual? :)
BTW, searching through the mailing list archive helps too.
That's how I figure out how to read FAT32 partition from Linux.
Beside, it will put less burden to our kind masters here.
Anyway, this is how I installed mine. I wrote this just as an
addition to David Leather answer. Never meant to be complete.
If all goes well, you'll find that Linux installed faster than
Win98.
Create the boot disk, if you didn't had one. If you didn't create
a boot menu in Windows, to start DOS Prompt with CD support, then
you need to copy the \images dir from the Mandrake CD to your hard
disk (say C:\images), and rawrite.exe from \dosutils in the Mandrake
CD (copy it to the same directory as images). Format a floopy, and
run rawrite. You need the write boot.img. Follow the instruction,
and shutdown your PC if you want to replace the hard disk. If you're
familiar with partitioning, you can installed your 1.2 GB HD as
slave to your 5 GB one.
Reboot with the newly created boot disk. When the prompt came up, you
can just press enter to start installation, or if you prefer, you
can type expert and press enter to enable expert install mode. I use
expert for the same reason I use "Custom" in Win setup.
Follow the instruction on screen. First obstacle will be DiskDruid.
I only use DiskDruid to set mountpoint. I use other partition manager
to set up partition. Maybe you can use DOS FDISK to set up partition.
Create one extended partition in your 1.2 GB drive, and create two
logical drive in it. One 127 MB, and one for the rest of the space.
Later, we can use DiskDruid to change partition type to SWAP and EXT2
respectively. The SWAP partition didn't need to be bigger than 127
MB. An Ext2 partition is where Linux will be installed. You can create
more than one Ext2, as David Leather. But, if you choose to had one
Ext2 partitions that will be fine too. You had to named one Ext2 as
"/" (w/o quotes) That will be the root. You can think of root as the
Desktop folder in Windoze. That is, the folder that contain your hard
drive, CD-ROM, printer and My Document. Say that you create only one
Ext2, this is how your harddisk will look like:
- HD1 --- For Windows needs (one primary, and extended)
- HD2 --- Extended (1.2 GB)
+-- 1st Logical (Ext2, 1,1 GB) -- Unvisible in Win98
+-- 2nd Logical (SWAP, 127 MB) -- Unvisible in Win98
The size is only approximation. Exact size will depend on the HD
parameters.
If you choose expert mode, next screen will force you to choose apps
to install. IMO, this is the hardest thing in installation. There are
no descriptions. Unless you choose individual package, and press F1
while editing packages. Luckily, RedHat Package Manager is much better
than Windoze uninstaller. You can easily uninstall application that
you didn't need after installation finished. BTW, it's prefereable to
had pencil and paper handy when you see description.
After several dialog to set up hardware, it will ask for X screen
resolution. There's no need to select several type. Choose one.
You can change it later easily with XConfigurator if you didn't
like it.
Assuming that you run Linux as second OS, opt to install LILO at
"root superblock" (the boot sector of the root drive), not in MBR.
You can boot to Linux using a boot disk. The installation program
will present you with an option to create a boot disk. Create it.
This way, you can run Linux simply by inserting boot disk.
Later, it will ask for Kernel option. Ignore it. But, if you use
LBA mode for hardisk access, select "use linear mode" option. Don't
know why. But that's mentioned in the manual.
When rebooting, insert your boot disk. The Penguin will show up. Enter
root as login name, and enter your password (asked during installation).
You may want to run sndconfig to set up sound card, and mount your
FAT/FAT32 partition (I assume you'll be using Win98 for internet
connection for several time :) Information for mounting FAT partition
is available in mailing list archive. Just search for FAT32. And find
message that mentioned "linuxconf". BTW, create a user account for
your daily use (you can use "linuxconf" to set it up). To run X,
issue the command "startx"
I didn't know much yet, but here's some tips. The cd command works. If
you type a / before the dir name, it will be absolute from root. Else,
it's from the current dir. Linux create anything as file. If you mount
a FAT partition, and create the mountpoint as /dosc, then to access
your C:, you type "cd /dosc". You CD-ROM will be cd /mnt/cdrom. The
/dev stands for device. /dev/hda1 means first primary partition in first
harddisk (your C: ). /dev/hda5 means first logical drive in extended
partition (your D: ). You can change to root from user account with
"su root". To shutdown system use "halt" or Ctrl-Alt-Del, do not use
reset button. The "dir" command also works. Although I still can't
figure out what is the equivalent of "dir /p". BTW, all command are
case sensitive.
Hope this help,
Irsan SPS
At 16:41 30/03/99 -0800, you wrote:
|----- snip for brevity -----
|Hi All,
|
|I just signed up to this list yesterday, and if what I am reading is
|from "newbies", I am in trouble. I don't know what anyone was saying.
|Of course I did just get my Linux disk in yesterday. So far I haven't
|got a clue as to how to install this thing. Is there a site I can go
|to that gives me a 1 - 2 extremely detailed how to on what I need to
|do? I want to install it on a 1.2 gig HD all by it's lonesome. I am
|running Win98 on my 5 gig but I'm just going to disconnect it to setup
|the other one. I got a Mandrake Linux 5.3 CD.
|
|Thanks in advance
|Russ
|
|Boy is this different than DOS
|----- snip for brevity -----
