Hello, Penguin People. I'm looking forward to returning to the Land of Linux. However, I have forgotten just about everything I used to know about Linux.

I assure you - I have checked both on here at LQ and also Googled for answers, but no luck. So I have a few questions to pose to the community. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

1. I remember something about the Windows PC BIOS needing to be on LBA or LDA setting (see, I really can't remember) or the PC will be shot. I tried to drill into the BIOS menu, but after not having a PC for 5 years, I don't want to ruin it since I don't have any computer savvy any more. Help would rule.

2. I used to run SUSE Linux. I want to run it again (please, no distro arguments here, I only seek some basic help). Again, I did Google it, but I couldn't find stores that sell it. Yes, I know you can download distros for free, but I believe that if people put out a quality product, they should be paid for it (and when you buy it, it comes with a user manual for dumb noobs like me). So if anyone can tell me of a brick-and-mortar store that sells the latest openSUSE, again, greatly appreciated.

OK, enough from me. I just hope to be able to run Linux again in the near future and rejoin an awesome community - even though you have a penguin as a logo.
GO FLYERS!
peace

As long as you're installing Linux after Windows, there aren't any settings you need to change for Windows, as far as I know. I used to dual-boot and never had a single issue.

I'm not aware of any stores that stock SUSE. If there are any, they're mostly all going to be local operations. And if you buy from a physical store you aren't directly supporting the developers, because the store has already paid them their share. Your purchase is just for the store to recoup their costs. However I did saw Ubuntu at a Best buy once, so maybe you can have them special order openSUSE for you.
But if you must pay for it and you want the physical bits, I suggest going straight to the source - Buy openSUSE.

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Thanks to a true genius of Linux (Bruce C), I managed to dl SUSE (since no stores seem to sell it).
However, when I try to install it, I get a stupid Winblows prompt that says it can't run it. Any help, please?

If you want help, you'll need to learn to be specific.
If you downloaded openSUSE say so - SUSE may be taken to mean SLES (the Enterprise/Corporate version).

How did you burn the iso (and to what - USB or CD/DVD) ?.
How are you trying to install ?.
Detailed messages - post a screen capture/digital photo in need.

Dammit, it's been five years since I had a computer and I don't remember JACK! I hit the prt scr button and nothing.
Here's the deal: I actually called that dude Bruce (since years ago he actually mailed me some Red Hat) to ask him where can I buy some SUSE?
He told me to go to the site and click on Network. It was a 155MB dl, but with the FIOS that was easy.
However, when I try to open and run it, Windows says to pick either a web program that will run it or to browse in my PC for something.
Neither option works.

155 Meg doesn't sound right. Show us the link so we can start to see what you're up to.

If you downloaded a file ending in .iso, it needs to be burnt to a CD then you boot it to get to the installer. But like I said, 155 Meg doesn't sound like a full installer for something like openSUSE.

Okayyyy - I think I'm finally with you Kurt.

I'm guessing your mate sent you to the openSUSE download site, and as you said "click on Network". The 32-bit download is 155 Meg as an iso. This is a "network install", so is smaller to start with, but pulls down what you need as it is installing. No problem if you have a fast link.
If you have a look on the right hand side of that site, it has "Getting Help" in a table. Spend some time there. Have a look at "Burn CD/DVD image(s)" - this (briefly) explains what we mean by burning the CD. That iso file is not meant to be looked at (i.e. clicked) on Windoze, but burnt as a complete image onto a CD. Then you boot that - make sure your BIOS has the CD drive listed before the hard-disk so it boots the CD if there is one in the drive.
Also have a look at the "installation guide" link in getting help.

1 members found this post helpful.

Kurt. Before we get too far along maybe we ought to know how old or how new your computer is. Ram and processor may be important news.

A dual boot is kind of advanced maybe. If you have a newish system you may consider a free virtual machine to run both at the same time.

Thanks, Aussie (don't know if you're a mate or a sheila, so Aussie has to do for now). I read the help on openSUSE.org and now I've managed to d/l and burn a legit SUSE ISO disc. Cheers!
However, when I boot from the CD, I can't find anything on the help menu that tells me how to dual boot. I went back to the SUSE site and checked out the screenshots they have for the installation process, but again, no dice.
Will there be a prompt somewhere during the partitioning or loading of GRUB to instruct me?

jefro, I have no idea how old my PC is (I got it used) but it runs XP 2002. My CPU is a Pentium 4 2.40 GHz, broken down as 2.39 GHZ, 0.99 GB of RAM. That should be cool according to the SUSE website.

Mate will do nicely ...

If you look at the Network install doco, it sends you to the DVD_installation doco, as once you start they are the same.

Yast (the installer SUSE use) has some "smarts" built in - most of the time it's handy, sometimes it gets in the way. It'll find your XP, shrink it to give you some room for openSUSE, and install it. All automagically.

Just check the screens it tosses up - especially make sure it has selected to install grub to the MBR. It should by default - that way you'll get your dual-boot built automagically.

Well, thanks for all your advice, but I doubt you'll be seeing me around here any time soon.
I booted with the openSUSE disc and ran the check to verify it. No errors found - good, right?
However, once I clicked on Installation, I never made it to YaST. I got bogged down in somewhere or another and couldn't find the repositories. Hence, I can't install SUSE, and now my Windows is fried. The dreaded black screen with "Error loading operating system_". Posting this on one of my guitarist's PC, late jams tonight. Don't know when I'll be back online, but thanks again for your efforts to help me.

Told you I was a stinking n00b.

Never mind the details, it's a long story - but I'm running SUSE now. No dual boot, Linux all the way.
So I'll be checking out the site and posting when I need some help.

KurtBleach:

I came across your post today and was surprised that you could not find Suse Linux/Opensuse for sale. Did some googling and couldn't find anything other than the site below which as far as I could understand, sells a boxed version with a manual and installation DVD in a German version only.

My first experience with Linux was similar to yours, Suse Linux. I bought a boxed version and was surprised when it arrived with two installation DVDs plus 5 installation CDs (for those w/o a DVD player) and a 600 page manual that explained how to do most everything a Desktop user would ever want to do.
I'm surprised I couldn't find something like a boxed version. It would seem there would be a demand for it. My recollection was the Suse boxed set cost about one third of a windows purchase at the time.

Well, glad you got it running and good luck with it!

Thanks for the good luck wishes!
I ran into that same German release too. Sorry, nothing against German people (I think I have some blood on my mom's side), but I can't read German.
It's a crime that you can't just go buy SUSE (or any other distro) in the mainstream computer stores. Hell, you can't even buy Mac in the chains near me - Staples and BestBuy. You know Gates has those places well bought off.
Anyway, I'll be checking out "Linux-Newbie" and the tutorials right away. I know I have a LOT to learn about Linux, but I'm determined to not ever need Windows again.
Linux people, so far in my experience, are always friendly and eager to help. YaST makes upgrading your OS very easy.
Windows only wants to make things difficult and make you pay for upgrades.
I hope to be able to stay with Linux.