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Old 08-30-2005, 06:50 PM   #1
inanevoyage
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Aug 2005
Location: Denver
Distribution: Soon to be FC4
Posts: 5

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Smile FC4, WinXP, Celeron, and a n00b


Hey guys, i'd appreciate it if you could help me out with this little adventure i've put myself up to.

First off, i'll start by saying i've used the search function to go through many old posts and such, but nothing is exactly specific to me to the point where i can understand what i'll need to do. Though, from the posts i've read, i decided i'd like to take my first steps into Linux through FC4.

---

My situation is one that puts me in a risky spot. I run XP Pro on a 40gb HD along with a 120 GB hard drive that is just being used for movies and such i have ripped. The goal is to be able to (dual boot?) Linux or XP Pro, preferring that Linux hosts that second HD.

I need to be very very careful when doing this, because my girlfriend takes online classes and has documents in Windows that we need to keep safe. Which is why im being extra cautious and asking you guys directly for specific help.

---

My questions arise from the very very beginning. What do i need to do to perform this task? I heard about .ISO image files, do i need to dl those and burn them to a disc? Will they fit on one cd-r?

I'd also like to make sure there is plenty of documentation on FC4 when i do have it up and running, but that's me getting ahead of myself.

Do i have to lose information on these HD's to get this new OS installed?

Am i going to have to get all those media files off of my second HD before i can run Linux on it? Will i still be able to access those files from Windows if not?

----

I'd really really appreciate everyone helping me with in depth details on what needs to be done. I've been trying to read steps elsewhere, but it seems like everybody is doing something at least slightly different, and im afraid if i try to adjust this advice to my needs i'll screw something up and leave myself screwed.

----

One last thing, im running an old Celeron(1.2 gh) that i just updated RAM for to prolong buying a new MOBO+CPU......but that day is coming soon.

When i upgrade(preferabbly to Athlon 64), will this have an affect on Linux directly? As in.......the installation?

----

No one person needs to answer all these questions........feel free to pick one and help me out. With lots of details!!

Thank you so much, i'm excited to dwelve into this new area and eventually contribute to this community.
 
Old 08-30-2005, 07:14 PM   #2
mimithebrain
Member
 
Registered: Nov 2003
Location: ~
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Posts: 843
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Re: FC4, WinXP, Celeron, and a n00b

Quote:
Originally posted by inanevoyage
Hey guys, i'd appreciate it if you could help me out with this little adventure i've put myself up to.

First off, i'll start by saying i've used the search function to go through many old posts and such, but nothing is exactly specific to me to the point where i can understand what i'll need to do. Though, from the posts i've read, i decided i'd like to take my first steps into Linux through FC4.
cool


Quote:

My situation is one that puts me in a risky spot. I run XP Pro on a 40gb HD along with a 120 GB hard drive that is just being used for movies and such i have ripped. The goal is to be able to (dual boot?) Linux or XP Pro, preferring that Linux hosts that second HD.

I need to be very very careful when doing this, because my girlfriend takes online classes and has documents in Windows that we need to keep safe. Which is why im being extra cautious and asking you guys directly for specific help.
we can do that.

Quote:

My questions arise from the very very beginning. What do i need to do to perform this task? I heard about .ISO image files, do i need to dl those and burn them to a disc? Will they fit on one cd-r?
you want a DVD ISO or a CD ISO?

DVD = 1
CD = 4

Quote:

I'd also like to make sure there is plenty of documentation on FC4 when i do have it up and running, but that's me getting ahead of myself.

Do i have to lose information on these HD's to get this new OS installed?
yes there are docs, no you won't lose data if you do it right.
Quote:

Am i going to have to get all those media files off of my second HD before i can run Linux on it? Will i still be able to access those files from Windows if not?
no need to transfer them. Use partition magic to shrink the current partition on the second HDD, and create you linux partitions ahead of time: FC's partition maker isn't as wonderful as Partition magic and Mandrake's partition editor.

Yes, you will still be able to read your media files from both OS: they will remain NTFS/FAT partition.

Quote:

I'd really really appreciate everyone helping me with in depth details on what needs to be done. I've been trying to read steps elsewhere, but it seems like everybody is doing something at least slightly different, and im afraid if i try to adjust this advice to my needs i'll screw something up and leave myself screwed.
If you have more inquireries, just post here or private email me.
Quote:

One last thing, im running an old Celeron(1.2 gh) that i just updated RAM for to prolong buying a new MOBO+CPU......but that day is coming soon.

When i upgrade(preferabbly to Athlon 64), will this have an affect on Linux directly? As in.......the installation?
yes it will affect everything about linux... you might as well reinstall it when you do that.
Quote:

No one person needs to answer all these questions........feel free to pick one and help me out. With lots of details!!

Thank you so much, i'm excited to dwelve into this new area and eventually contribute to this community.
I felt compelled to answer questions after all the questions I posted myself recently.
 
Old 08-30-2005, 07:16 PM   #3
bruno buys
Senior Member
 
Registered: Sep 2003
Location: Rio
Distribution: Debian
Posts: 1,511

Rep: Reputation: 46
Re: FC4, WinXP, Celeron, and a n00b

Quote:
Originally posted by inanevoyage
Hey guys, i'd appreciate it if you could help me out with this little adventure i've put myself up to.

First off, i'll start by saying i've used the search function to go through many old posts and such, but nothing is exactly specific to me to the point where i can understand what i'll need to do. Though, from the posts i've read, i decided i'd like to take my first steps into Linux through FC4.
Hi, friend. Be welcome to linux and LQ!


---
Quote:
My situation is one that puts me in a risky spot. I run XP Pro on a 40gb HD along with a 120 GB hard drive that is just being used for movies and such i have ripped. The goal is to be able to (dual boot?) Linux or XP Pro, preferring that Linux hosts that second HD.

I need to be very very careful when doing this, because my girlfriend takes online classes and has documents in Windows that we need to keep safe. Which is why im being extra cautious and asking you guys directly for specific help.
The install process of every modern major linux distro will behave reliably regarding your current computer setup. But backing up important files is always a good thing to do. I don't know the specifics of fedora, but when I used redhat 9, the install was very easy.


---
Quote:
My questions arise from the very very beginning. What do i need to do to perform this task? I heard about .ISO image files, do i need to dl those and burn them to a disc? Will they fit on one cd-r?

I'd also like to make sure there is plenty of documentation on FC4 when i do have it up and running, but that's me getting ahead of myself.
ISO images are a clone bit by bit of the contents of a cd (or a dvd). There's a specific way to burn them to cd so as to have an identical copy of the original cd that raised the iso. These files have come to be one of the main means of distributing linux installers and software. Getting used to it is very important.


Quote:
Do i have to lose information on these HD's to get this new OS installed?
Depends on your current setup. Maybe you need to repartition your harddrive or shrink an existing partition. This part may demand a more detailed knowledge, if you really wanna know whats going on inside your pc. Shortly: it depends.


Quote:
Am i going to have to get all those media files off of my second HD before i can run Linux on it? Will i still be able to access those files from Windows if not?
No and yes! You don't need to erase them, and yes, they will still be visible under win, and also under linux, if you setup your disks in the right way.
With time you will come to realize there's a bunch of excelent media player for linux, like mplayer. They're great software, maybe you wann astick to it, for watching media files.


Quote:
When i upgrade(preferabbly to Athlon 64), will this have an affect on Linux directly? As in.......the installation?
----
You cannot upgrade to amd64 and reuse your existing setup. A reinstall would be necessary.
By the way, reading and asking is a good wat to start.

Don't hesitate to ask any further.

Good luck!
 
Old 08-30-2005, 07:19 PM   #4
mimithebrain
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Registered: Nov 2003
Location: ~
Distribution: Ubuntu 10.04
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Rep: Reputation: 30
I'm happy to see my answer didn't differ much

To add to the previous post
You need to burn the ISO *AS* Image files to the disk, not as a file...
If you burn as a file, you will end up having your iso as a single file on the disk.
If you burn as a ISO, you will end up with the right output...
 
Old 08-30-2005, 07:19 PM   #5
bosewicht
Senior Member
 
Registered: Aug 2003
Location: Houston, TX
Distribution: Arch
Posts: 1,381

Rep: Reputation: 47
To the best of my knowledge though, there is still limited write support for a NTFS partition. I would personally back up ur files and format the shared "media" partition fat
 
Old 08-30-2005, 07:42 PM   #6
inanevoyage
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Aug 2005
Location: Denver
Distribution: Soon to be FC4
Posts: 5

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 0
Thanks for the quick replies!

I found some more helpful tips specific for Fedora at a forum dedicated to just that. I still have a few questions though.

---

You're saying it's wise to get and run Partition Magic before i begin my installation? And recommending that i shrink the partition size on the second drive to an amount below what i already have in use for it?

---

I do have plenty of time to do more reading, considering this dl is going to take forever. However, i use Nero for my dvd burning and i was wondering if you could tell me exactly how to burn this DVD .iso as an image, when the time comes. Is it just an option when saying "burn to disc", or is it more complicated?

--

Also, just for a little background, i'm studying for an A+ certification right now. I'm not a complete n00b to everything PC, but it's definitely unchartered territory for me for some of this. Im 19 years old, and just trying to soak up as much information as i can.

The linux adventure im going on, is to me going to be a good way to keep learning while getting away from some of the Hardware side of things for once. (needless to mention anything about windows........ )

I realize i come across as completely clueless in my posts, but i feel that makes it easier for you guys to address and answer specific questions i have.

Anyways, thanks a bunch for your help so far and hopefully this will all go according to plan.

 
Old 08-30-2005, 09:22 PM   #7
bruno buys
Senior Member
 
Registered: Sep 2003
Location: Rio
Distribution: Debian
Posts: 1,511

Rep: Reputation: 46
********
You're saying it's wise to get and run Partition Magic before i begin my installation? And recommending that i shrink the partition size on the second drive to an amount below what i already have in use for it?
********


You have to open up space for the linux installation. Linux will take its own partition(s). The minimal is a root (/) and a swap partition. Depending on the way the drive is currently set, you have to shrink the existing partitions. If you used win defaults, most likely it grabbed the entire disk with only one partition. If so, partition magic can shrink this one and open space for you to build two more for linux.

Last edited by bruno buys; 08-30-2005 at 09:23 PM.
 
Old 08-31-2005, 12:10 PM   #8
mimithebrain
Member
 
Registered: Nov 2003
Location: ~
Distribution: Ubuntu 10.04
Posts: 843
Blog Entries: 1

Rep: Reputation: 30
***
You're saying it's wise to get and run Partition Magic before i begin my installation? And recommending that i shrink the partition size on the second drive to an amount below what i already have in use for it?
***
Partition magic has been doing the trick for me. Bruno Buys know what he's talking about

I have posted a small how-to partition under linux for the world to see at the following URL:
http://mimi.bcdynamic.com/LQ/partitionning.txt

***I do have plenty of time to do more reading, considering this dl is going to take forever. However, i use Nero for my dvd burning and i was wondering if you could tell me exactly how to burn this DVD .iso as an image, when the time comes. Is it just an option when saying "burn to disc", or is it more complicated?***

I don't have nero, but you absolutely don't want to burn the file as a "file" but "burn ISO". If you burn it has an image to a disk, then you will be successfull...

A How-to is hosted at linuxiso.org
http://linuxiso.org/viewdoc.php/neroburning.html

enjoy !
 
  


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