i tried to install dream linux 3 times already and have failed. i will be installing on a unpartitioned drive. i didn't know what to set my mounting points as or file system, etc. i don't have much ram so i know i need to create a swap. problem is that i really don't know much about this sort of thing. all the o.s.'s that i install had a auto partition and format mode on them. can some one please help? thanks.

I installed Dream Linux MultiMedia Edition the other day (the latest one out) and it wouldn't boot. Seems there is a misplaced file somewhere that screws up the boot cycle and the forum isn't really for those speaking English so it wasn't much help to me . Now if you have the edition before that one it installs just fine but is outdated. I suggest you ditch Dream for PC Linux, or one of the Buntu family - Mint would be really good...I'm running PCLos right now on a 700mhz Athlon computer and it really flies!

You'll need to provide more info on this, such as details on what you selected as your disk partitioning options, and how you know the install has failed.

At some point in the install procedure, you set up your disk partitions. I've no experience with Dream Linux, but with other distros I have installed, I usually erase all disk partitions, then create the following partitions (in the indicated order):
/boot - 100Mb, type ext3
swap partition - twice the physical memory size, following the usual rule of thumb, type swap
/ - remaining disk space, type ext3.

If you don't have a partition named /, the install won't proceed.

i zeroed my hd so i can do a clean install. my hd is 60GB and i know the install has failed because the window that said installing was on my screen for a couple of hours. as far as partitioning option it gives several file formats to use. here is their home page:
http://www.dreamlinux.com.br/english/index.html

oh,why not try it on vmware or any other virtual software before you
do a really instation!

ok, quick thought for you...
when you install, if this is for a bit of experience, then just partition simply

swap partition should be the same as your ram size, ie 92 meg, then add 92 meg of swap...swap has its own filesystem so once you select swap thats it..
next partiton set mount point as / and make it ext3 or rieser...

this is not what you would settle on for a permament system but it will give you some where to start and allow ou to play with it...
formatting ext3 or rieser, should take about 5 minutes, and a complete install about 20 minutes...
i have several distros on my laptop and my desktop and none took longer than 30 minutes, start to finish....
one thing to remember is make sure you test your graphics during installation, if that option is given to you, and if it is a live boot disc, then test it by live booting first, some distro's don't work on every pc...
good luck and welcome to linux....

still no luck installing. i have an atx motherboard, 60 GB hd, dvd+r, dvd-rom, nvidia graphics card. i have a choice of different file systems which include:jfs ,reisf(?),xfc, ext2, ext3 and mntpt(mountingpoint) options are:/, /home/,usr/,/boot, and don't remember the rest.

the only file systems to use at first are either rieser or ext3, until you get a little more involved with journalising and so forth, as for the mount points, "/" is the root mount point "/home" or "/usr", "/boot" and so forth are sub directories and can be mounted as seperate partitions, this is different to windows...
as a first install, just make two partitions, one swap and one "/", all the rest, dont worry, just read about, this will make life easier for now, if you start worrying too much and not have a system up you will find it all too much and give up...that, us linux users, dont want as it is more stable and better fun than win...

ok. now my Q is, how do i partition and format using the install option on Dreamlinux?

i know i need two partitions, one "/" and a swap. do i make them both ext3 filesystem? and also, when i'm partitioning, when i partition the first partition it asked if i wanted to create another partition at "beginning" or "end" . also, do i flag it for boot, and if i flag it boot; do i flag swap boot also? thanks

swap is flagged as swap, so should have no options highlighted once you have selected swap, "no boot option"...."no ext3 option"...swap will be formatted and flagged as swap....

"/" format as ext3(if you wish, thats easiest) and flag as bootable, and you can make it partition at the end of swap or at the beginning, i usually go for swap at the beginning but either will do for you at the moment(a few milliseconds wont mean much now), as later when you start tweeking for performance, you can reset it up differently...at this stage a working linux distro is a good start, then start tweeking it once you have got a good grounding in what it can do....

i finally got it installed. i downloaded dreamlinux again and burned it with ultra iso. i partitioned "/" and flagged boot. then partitioned swap and left it swap. on the DL installer it will format for you. i selected my mntpnt for "/" on the main partition, and the filesystem i chose ext3, then checked format. for the swap partition i selected swap for the mntpnt, and selected swap for the filesystem, then selected format. then hit the install button. it installed in about 15-20 minutes. i think that the DL iso i had before was corrupt. thanks for the help.

well done, now enjoy...

when you get more confident, then you can try seperating the file structure so you have a /home partition and set the /boot partition at the start of the drive, in a cylinder below 1024, and allocate about 6 - 10 gb for / and the rest for /home...
Boot needs about 100mg, but can give it 150mg...


for now, have a good play and enjoy it, plus ensure every thing works the way you wish, and configure it to your preferences....

again, have fun...
BFN....

was wondering, now that i'm getting more familiar, what size(in gigabytes)do you make the boot partition?

/boot should be no more than 150 megabytes(100 meg is enough), not gigabytes..

this will only contain a kernel and a few files, but you should place it in a partition below 1024 cylinders, on the hard drive...i know i have installed it well above this but its advisable to keep it below there....