Linux won't work for me at all
 

Hello people. I'm glad I stumbled across this forum and hope someone here can help me out.

Currently I am running windows XP..and am over it...big time...I had a play with a knoppix cd a few years back, so decided to give linux a go again...but I am having a nightmare of a time.

Heres what I have tried...

Suse linux pro 9.2. Which I got off the front of Linux Magazine. It starts up and runs part way through the install, until it gets to installing the software part. Then it tells me that there is 'no media found' and won;t install any further.

Mandrake 9.2 - which I downloaded and burnt onto CD's from the bigpond site in the files section. I boot off the CD and it doesn't do anything. I end up stuck at a blank black screen with the options to alt+f1 for here and 2 other options which I cant remember, but basically involve going backwards and forwards...

Debian - downloaded the iso files. But that one won't even boot...

Mandrake 10.1 - download the 2gig iso dvd file - can't even get that to burn onto the DVD....grr.

So now....I have download Slackware 10.1....But I only have one partion and although I am happy to learn and can learn things generally quite well, I am totally stuck on the partion bit. I went into fdisk and tried to add a new partion but it won't allow me. I am assuming because the current wondows partion takes up all the space. And I can't work out how to resize it.

Basically...I want to dual boot, so I can keep windows for now until I learn and get linux running well enough for me to be able to totally scrap windows...but it seems that there is some force wanting to keep me away from linux. Or I am just really thick and have missed some totally obvious thing....

My computer is:
pentium 4 2.8 ghz
768 mb ram
128mb nvidia geforce graphics card
40g hard drive

Its pretty new and uptodate..

Any help or advice would be much appreciated....I dont know whether to go and try something else like red hat or another distribution.

And I have done a fair bit of readin and searching for help and answers, but I'm a totally newbie to linux...

thanks
Fiona

Hello Fiona,
Congratulations on taking your first step toward linux. That force that you spoke of trying to keep you away from windows is just fear. Brush it aside ;). Seriously though, the one thing about linux that everybody learns sooner or later, is that its not always easy, at times its challenging, but thats part of the fun. Another fun part, is learning how to help yourself. You'll be amazed how capable a person you are when you focus on what you want, keep your wits about you, and use all the resources at hand. On that note, here are some links that may help you with the difficulties you've had so far.

I searched LQ (this site) for "partition resize windows" and here is one link you may find useful.
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...resize+windows

From the slackware site regarding partitions
http://www.slackware.com/install/partitions.php
regarding dual booting
http://www.slackware.com/book/index....rce=x1776.html

Once you get linux installed, open up a console and type
man man
read all of it
then man apropos or any other commands at the bottom of the man page for man.
And continue to use LQ as your number one backup (following yourself of course).

Thanks for that info there.
I've read the installation help bit on fdisk on the Slackware site and that makes sense... the other dual boot link you posted I have read through, but that hasnt made a lot of sense to me, but I've only read it once so far...

I'm thinking of just scrapping windows altogether, or getting a removable hard drive for linux.

One question though, why do you think I have had so much trouble with the others? Maybe because of my computer hardware? Or could it be something wrong with how I am burning the iso files?

Perhaps it has something to do with how you're burning the ISO files, jsut basing that on the fact that you couldn't get one to boot. A good distro that I've heard a lot of people say works straight out of the box is Ubuntu, maybe try downloading that but they'll also send you out CDs free of charge so if you have trouble burning that one get them to send you the CD :)

Depending on your location, there may be a LUG ( Linux User Group ) near you where you may meet some people help with the installation. check out the LUG section of these forums.

floppy

Grouse.
Thanks guys. I will try Ubuntu and look for a LUG tomorrow...
I am all linux stressed out now...I think I need a good nights sleep and tackle it again tomorrow!
Grr....this linux better be worth it!..hehe..although I know it will be, or I would have given up days ago..

I am new to Linux for just over a year now and tried everything until l discovered SimplyMepis at mepis.org. We also have a forum at mepislovers.org which is great. Mepis is easy.

Also when you burn an iso don't use a speed more then 4x to avoid burn errors.

I also tried Ubuntu and although it is very popular the Gnome desktop isn't as user friendly as KDE for the newbie.

Hope no one is offended but my recommendations come with a newbie in mind. There are a lot of great distros out there including Ubuntu but l just found that after trying about 25 or so that Mepis was the easiest for someone who knows very little about linux.

Wayne

It could be that you are just copying the iso's onto Cd rather than writing them
heres a quick how-to using Nero
Version 6 (Ultra)

--- Step 1 Launch Nero.

--- Step 2 Select "Copy and Backup" icon near top right of dialog box.

--- Step 3 Choose "Burn Image to Disc"

--- Step 4 Choose "Image Files (x.nrg;x.iso;x.cue)" from the "Files of type:" drop-down list.

--- Step 5 Navigate to the .iso file. Dbl-click on it or select it and choose "Open" button.

--- Step 6 Choose the "Write Speed" and "Number of copies" values on the Image Recording dialog box. Click Next.

--- Step 7 If you don't have a CD in the drive, Nero will ask you for one. Otherwise, Nero begins the burn process.

--- Step 8 Unless there was a problem, you're done. Nero has a couple of more screens.


Version 5.5 or earlier

--- Step 1 Insert a blank CD into the CD writer

--- Step 2 Launch Nero.

--- Step 3 In the File menu, select "Burn CD image".

--- Step 4 Choose as file type: all files (.), since Nero expects files with the NRG suffix.

--- Step 5 Select the ISO image file

--- Step 6 You will see a dialog box asking if you want to supply detailed image parameters.
(for later versions, these are the default values)

Enter the following parameters:

* Type of image: Data Mode 1
* Block size: 2048 bytes per sector
* File precursor and image trailer: 0 length
* No scrambled and no Swapped.

--- Step 7 Click on "burn". If the program complains that there are errors in the image file, click on the button "Ignore" and launch the burning.

hope this helps
floppy

all very true especially the bit about Gnome vs KDE for newbies. There is Kubuntu of course and you could always just add KDE to Ubuntu using synaptic which is fall over easy. But hey, if Mepis works for you then spread the word :D

when you get linux up and running this whole process can be as easy as or maybe even just right-click, select k3b and then burn.

I love they way windows things seem so ludicrously hard after a while on linux :-)

Okay...Well I am burning the iso images properly..although I have been burning them as the fastest speed, so from now on I will go with a slower speed.

Just downloading Ubuntu now. Will try this one, then if that doesnt work, I will give mepis a go...and if that doesn't work then I will just totally reformat and give Windows the boot altogether. As long as I can get it connected to the web then it's not such an issue if I can't use other windows bits and bobs.

One thing I am a bit confised over is partioning. Not so much how to do it, as I have lots of links to that, but whether I need to do it before I install linux or not. From what I can gather, a lot of distributions do it for you when you are installing, although some, like Slackware dont do it and you have to do it first. Am I right in that assumption?

Thanks for your help too! Much appreciated, I now don;t feel the need to throw my computer out the window!...Just want to throw the window out of the computer now....

cs-cam....thanksyou...
I hav just finished installing Ubuntu....and am now posting this message using Ubuntu not windows!!!! first go...no worries....
And I believe Windows is still here, although I havent checked yet....

Whoo hoo.....now the fun of learning how linux works....thankyou for your Ubuntu suggestions...! You saved my sanity

it's giving you the media error because you don't have anywhere suitable to hold linux. you are going to have to clear out a couple of gigs using partition magic. don't format them, just leave them blank. if you don't want to use windows anymore, though, you should be able to delete the partitions in the linux setup when it asks you how you want to cut up your drive.

Sounds like your adventure is on it's way. Pretty neato huh? You could copy your EI/Netscape browser stuff(addresses-saved mail, etc.) to CD and import to Mozilla,Firefox or maybe Opera. Take a peek at Distrowatch.com,,,budgetlinuxCDS.com and don't forget to sleep! Your idea of a removeable drive can will keep Windows to itself before you reformat that drive for more linux. Goodbye Microsoft. mike

Yeah..gotta remember to sleep and go to work..haha...the sleep bit is losing out at the moment though.

Well so far so good. I have just worked out how to install thunderbird, and got all my email set-up..which is the most important thing. I was using thunderbird and firefox on windows anyways, so it should be easy to copy my bookmarks and what not. Or I'll just start them again, no biggy.

Now I am just looking around for security stuff and learning how to install programs. I think I have discovered that you need to use apt-get in the terminal window...

Okay back to reading and learning... I still haven't checked to see if windows is still there! ha ha