LinuxQuestions.org - Debian Install

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Just installed debian,stop!
Lost my other OS; WindowsXP,stop!
Need to retrieve important data,stop!
Is there any hope,stop!
By the way, I'm new to this open source stuff and I know I jumped in over my head but..... Hey! The Knoppix Live CD is saving my a$$
At least I can get on line!
I can't even get into debian to configure a web browser.
Can anyone give me some suggestions? Thanks.

We probably need a little information.

Are you trying to dual boot XP and Debian? My understanding is that you decided to install Debian, but then realized you wanted to keep data off your XP drive?

Did you install Debian already? Did you remember to install Grub to the Master boot record? Did you overwrite your XP partition?

Knoppix may be of great help in saving your system, depending on what exactly you did.

I did overwrite my xp partition and did install grub.
I did want to duel boot ,at least for a while until I learned Debian(sarge)
I just rushed the install and oopps!

Well, if you overwrote your XP partition, your data is gone. Next time be sure to back up your data first! :( Sorry about that...

On to dual booting, your new mission, should you choose to accept it is to find your XP disks. Here is what you want to do:

1) use knoppix Live CD and qtparted (a nice graphical partitioning program) to create the following partitions:

Code:

/dev/hda1  NTFS for windows XP ~10GB

/dev/hda2 ext3 for /boot ~100MB

/dev/hda3 swap 2x your RAM (but don't go over 1GB, you won't need it)

/dev/hda4 ext3 for /home ~5GB

/dev/hda5 ext3 for main linux partition ~10GB

/dev/hda6 fat32 for sharing files between linux and windows (I'd use the rest of the disk depending on what you plan to share -- mp3's, etc)

2) Install XP to the NTFS partition
3) boot into XP and get it working the way you want
4) Install Debian, at boot: type linux26 to get a newer 2.6.8 kernel, DO NOT overwrite the NTFS partition, do manual partition and point /home to /dev/hda4, /boot to /dev/hda2, swap to /dev/hda3 and / to /dev/hda5
5) install Grub to the master boot record

I'll see if I can find a link to help you with the installation walk through...

Hey thanks, but if the data is unretrievable I don't want windows!
I would like to know how to access debian and configure it.
When I boot it I'm promted to login. Ihad a little trouble with password/username when I installed it.
I think I want to go in as root and do this?
Maybe I should just reinstall and start over.
Can I just reinstall over whats there? and start over?

You can. Or if you're interested in fixing it and just need to reset your password, you should be able to fix it from knoppix. First I need to see the output of fdisk -l

Basically, you want to figure out which partition your install is on (my guy feeling is /dev/hda1), then mount the drive, chroot into it, and reset the root password and user password.

Code:

mkdir /mnt/hda1

mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1

chroot /mnt/hda1

passwd root (then type new password at the prompt)

passwd username (type new password at prompt)

exit

exit

Then reboot and you should be able to login again as your user or root.

Sorry, edited my post instead of doing a new one...

Thanks. Ill try it!
Are you gonna be around for a while?

Probably about 45 minutes...

I'm a very newbe and what you just said eludes me.
Do I just put that code in at the prompt?

Yes.

Only I may have made a mistake and change this line:

Code:

mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1

Code:

mount -o rw /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1

to mount the drive read write

Oh, and be sure to change username to your actual username. :) If you can't remember what username you created, try typing ls /home

Thanks a bunch.
See ya later!