Noob Storm of Questions to get Linux up and running
 

Hello,

I would like to install linux but I am not sure how.

1. Which linux should I download and from where? Should I trust an iso from torrents thats easily burnable?

2. I want to have both windows and linux on my pc. Currently I have 2 Hard disks, one (C) is 80 GB (60GB currently free) and one 250GB. Does an OS have to be installed on C? In view of the limited space, should I get a larger disk if I am to run two OS? How much space does Linux need? Does it get updates and do I get notified for them? How big are the updates and how often? *catching breath* :D

3. Is there anything else I should know or fear about starting to use linux? :D

1. You can go with Ubuntu desktop version (Find here: http://www.ubuntu.com/download). It's completely free.

2. You can do dual partitioning of Windows and Ubuntu (Check this: https://help.ubuntu.com/10.04/switching/C/dualboot.html), but in that case you will be able to work with any one OS at a time. On the other hand, you can first install VMware and then Ubuntu on it. Anyway, its up to your choice.
Note:
A. Before doing any installation (specially if you have no knowledgge of it), take backup of all your important data on some external device.
B. Thoroughly read all related docs/articles before you proceed.

3. No need to be afraid. It is very easy and convinient. I am sure you would love linux :)

One site with a lot of information is distrowatch, the link below which provides information on a variety of Linux distributions and has them rated. Go to the site linked below and scroll down and look on the right of the page for Page Hit Ranking. The various Linux distributions are ranked by distrowatch and there are link to each of them:

http://distrowatch.com/

Another thing you might do is google "linux chooser" which should give you some sites where you answer several questions and they will make a recommendation on a Distribution.


No, in fact that won't work unless you are using something like VirtualBox or doing a wubi type install for Ubuntu. I would suggest you do some reading on Linux drive/partition naming conventions as you won't see anything like "C" on Linux.
The size of a disk/partition for Linux varies. There are hundreds of differnet distributions beginning at 10MB and going up. Most will take 3-5 GB when installed. 10-20GB should be enough for a system partition. A separate partition can and should be created for data. It all depends upon what you are going to use it for.

Updates are available for most all the distributions for varying lengths of time, usually less than 5 years for Desktops.
You could try using the search function here at LQ, the upper right of this page as a lot of questions you will have as a new user will probably already have been answered.

A reply from Lord Shiva himself, thats what I call an auspicious start with linux. :D

Many thanks, I am downloading Ubuntu and its an iso! :) And I am going to have to read that dual partitioning guide in detail to install ubuntu! I used VMware once but my computer is so old and frail it becomes very slow with it. Its an about 8 year old AMD Athlon xp 1.15Ghz with funny IDE cables :D.

Thanks yancek for the information! There is no C in linux? Ah but I would have to know about C to create a partition through windows in order to install linux? I mean when I am going to install linux, will it not ask me on which partition do I want to install it? :S

Some stuff are really technical and I am not familiar with them, like wubi or VirtualBox. To read a manual sometimes I need hours googling each unfamiliar term, which often turns insignificant to my search. Its great that there are people who share their knowledge in forums like these.

Hi! Ompixie,

Nothing really to fear.
The one thing to know is that we are here to help.

Take the time when you can and read all of the documentation on the distribution that you plan to install.
This will be a help to you and you can expect less surprises-

Ubuntu Lucid Linux version 10.04 is only going to be supported until April of 2013 so it's up to you.
I personally would not install it.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1978224

This newer version of Ubuntu (12.04)has the Long Term Support
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...se_Pangolin.29

Many Thanks!!!!! I am downloading 12.10 ubuntu, is that ok or should I go for the 12.04?

Ubuntu 12.10 is ok; think you will like it!;)

*spam alert* I just have to say how excited I am and how grateful to everyones replies! Installing linux is a dream come true.

You should also try LinuxMint, latelly very popular among new users. It is based on Ubuntu but comes with lot more apps already set up from the box. you can download it from here -------> http://www.linuxmint.com/

Note. You need to download the ISO file and burn it as image to a CD or DVD, not just copy and paste the file. It needs to be burned as image.

Another thing make sure you know what key or key combination you need to press to boot your computer from the CD or DVD tray.

Both Ubuntu and LinuxMint come with a tool called Gparted that allows you re size partitions in your hard drive to make room for another OS.

You can run these OSs from the CD or DVD on Live mode without having them actually installed in your computer, Try both or more then decided which is the one you want to install in your computer.

Ubuntu and Linux Mint and pretty much all distros do a good job keeping the masses update with the latest software out there

Good luck to you.

Thanks thats very interesting and good advice. Maybe I should burn live cds first *hmm*. Iso is easy to burn as an image on a cd. For some reason my pc has never booted from the cd drive. But it boots from an external cd drive.

If I create a partition through windows (Partition Magic) will linux be able to view it and install itself on it? Maybe the answer is on that dual boot link.. off to read...

Edit: I was not aware of a key combination to boot. I thought the pc boots according to the boot priority you set on bios. And sometimes with ctr+alt+del ? No, thats re-boot :D.

During your Ubuntu installation the Ubuntu installer will walk you through step by step one screen at a time.

Eventually during the install you will see where Linux will show you all of the partitions on your system.
The partition manager will help you.

Thanks :)
But as I said backup is a must! Because you may encounter little problems (obviously they are everywhere), so in order to avoid any data loss, do take backup of your windows data first. You can then go with dual partitioning.
And again I am saying, you would fall in love with Unix just in first sight! :)

The guide says:

"Hence, in a dual system, a FAT32 filesystem is commonly used as a way of sharing files between Linux and Windows. ext3 is a native Linux filesystem"

- Does this mean that the partition of linux has to be formated as ext3? Wonder if there is such an option in Partition Magic.
- Does this mean that I will need tools to access through linux my second internal hard disk which is ntfs?
- Do you guys format your external and internal Hard Disks as FAT32 to have access to them from both systems?

My Data is on a second internal hard disk. That should not be affected by the dual boot thing. And I have the install sources of my programs :). I don't think there is anything to back up! Maybe I should disconnect the second hd entirely to avoid any errors. Who knows...

I can feel that I will love it :)

Yes, the Linux partition should be partitioned as a ext3 journaling file "/"

You said " second internal hard disk. Do you have 2 internal hard drives?

I didn't format my internal Hard Drive.

You will be able to choose which operating system that you want to mount after the installation of Ubuntu is complete. Linux installs a bootloader called GRUB. Here is the full tutorial:
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/grub.html

When you boot up your computer you will see on the screen both operating systems and you will have the opportunity to choose which one you want to interact with. (by using the arrow keys)

Yes I have 2 internal hard drives or disks. One is C (80GB) that has windows on. The second is D (250GB) which has my Data and Files. Both are NTFS as I checked. I guess I will probably disconnect the second drive in any case. So that I can experiment with the one drive as much as I like and it wont matter if something goes wrong.

I am currently on Ubuntu from a DVD! I can't believe how easy it is. Many years ago I used to read magazines on linux and how hard it was to get computers access the internet with linux, or find drivers for cards. Everything seems to be working with the cd instantly. I bet Greek language is also supported. Off to experiment :).

It has to be formatted with one of the Linux filesystems, one of them is ext3. The installer of your distribution will do this for you.
No, Linux can handle NTFS whereas Windows cannot handle the Linux filesystems.
You can use FAT32 for this, but note that FAT32 can't handle file-permissions, every file is writeable from every OS from every user, do you want this? (no problem if you're the only one to use this computer).

Markus

You won't see "C" or "D" when you are using Linux. The easiest way to find information on drives/partitions with Linux is to use this command from a terminal: sudo fdisk -l(Lower case Letter L in the command)

Drives are numbered as 'sda' (first drive), 'sdb' (second drive). The first partition on the first drive would be sda1, the second partition on the second drive would be sdb2. If you open a terminal in Ubuntu (you can do this by holding down the Ctrl+Alt+t keys simultaneously) and run the command above you should see the output from the Linux naming convention. Windows partitions will be filesystem type ntfs. Ubuntu 12.10 default filesystem is ext4. Installing Ubuntu on a drive formatted with the ntfs filesystem is not a good idea and probably won't work.

You should run the fdisk command so you see which partition you have available so as not to overwrite the windows data you indicate you have on the second disk.

If you disconnect your windows system drive as a precaution during the install so you do not overwrite it, you will need to ensure you install the Ubuntu Grub bootloader to the mbr of the second disk, have that disk set to first boot priority and after the installation completes, boot the newly installed Ubuntu and run: sudo update-grub. Otherwise, you will not be able to boot windows as the bootloader will have no information on windows as it was not connected during the installation. You would obviously need to have your windows drive connected at this point.

O.k so what is what you want to achieve? are you planning on split the 80GB HD so the two Operating system ran from there? or are you trying to install Ubuntu in the secondary hard drive?.

Are you set in installing Ubuntu? The default graphical interface in Ubuntu is known as Unity and requires a good chunk of resources, as minimun you should have 1 GB of RAM and a decent video controller. If you have less than that let say you have 500MB of RAM I would suggest you to install Lubuntu instead, the L in Lubuntu stands for Light Weight, so the graphical interface uses less memory and stuff. In Gnu-Linux base operating systems you have the freedom to choose among different desktop managers (Graphical interfaces).

It is suggested to run a live session before installation just to make sure all your hardware is detected by the new Operating System.

If everything is detected then run Gparted and resize your partitions to make run for the new OS. The partition doesnt have to be formated at this time, because the installer will format it during installation.

After you have resized your partitions reboot back in Windows just to make sure everything still works and that you havent damaged anything so far.

During installation the installer program will ask you where do you want to install the new software then is your chance to navigate and point out the installer to that partition you created eralier.

If your intention is to install it on the secundary hard drive then dont create a partition in the 80GB hd, just point out the installer to the secondary hard drive during installation.

Good luck to you.

A word of advice: I don't think that you should resize your partitions with Gparted. I did that once and had to reinstall windows on my hard drive. Thankfully, my computer was a new computer so I didn't have much to loose. I would use your second hard drive to put linux on while you run windows from the 80GB hard drive. To go back and forth between the two you can use the boot menu that comes with your computer.(That's how I've dual booted my PC.) To avoid a mix up during the Linux install you can unplug the windows hard drive. All success!

I've never had a problem with gparted-live on cd or usb, in fact I'm in the process of resizing & moving partitions to make room in /.

But being that the OP has a data drive, I would use the windows disk management & resize (shrink from right) the data partition & install linux to the end of the drive.
If the data partition is extended partition you only shrink the logical & put linux in the unallocated space

Guys I already run Ubuntu from a live cd and it works. Sounds work, although I could not download flash player for youtube (probably because it cannot save and install stuff on the cd?). Everything looks with a good resolution as far as graphic card is concerned. The mouse pointer only trembles when I go over the panel on the left. I had a look around and could access the C drive (which is ntfs). Its name was 80GB on the panel on the left :D. I could also access the second drive (also ntfs) and its files. I could open images but could not open mp3.

The plan is not to install linux on the data drive. So either I partition the current C or sd1 !! :D Or I get a new bigger hd. Not sure yet.

My system is Amd Athlon xp 1.15Gz 2GB Ram. I so dislike the idea of installing a "lite linux", I want the real thing.. :D :D but if necessary I will... A few more tests with live cds Ubuntu and MATE linux and then I will decide which one to install.

You are all extremely helpful here! Thanks.

Is the 60Gigs unallocated space if not the live cd should have gparted on it so you can resize sda1
can you post output of

Light weight doest mean its not the real thing. Hoever resize your partition by moving the windows volume to the left allow 30 gb to unallocate space for ubuntu that will be good .
In the future you can aquire a larger hard drive. Remember to install codecs during installation if you are planing on playing mp3s and do youtube.
Good luck to you

just fdisk -l ?

It does not return anything.

Does Ctr-c work on linux?

Here is output of sudo fdisk -l:


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ fdisk -l
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 82.0 GB, 81964302336 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9964 cylinders, total 160086528 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x14ac14ab

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 160071659 80035798+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

Disk /dev/sdb: 203.9 GB, 203928109056 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24792 cylinders, total 398297088 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x5655e2bd

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 63 398283479 199141708+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

Open a terminal and type that commad there. If it doesnt work try sudo fdisk -l
To open a terminal press the alt key and type terminal on the search bar, click on the icon

I posted the output on my previous post :).


Funny how the windows controls (minimize-maximize-close) are on the left side of the windows!

Wonder if anyone can share some thoughts on choosing a distro that will
-be easy to install and to use (I am no programmer)
-look simple and stupid (I don't like fancy 3d desktops)
-be secure (thats the main reason I am switching to linux)
-be fast (old pc)
-give a taste of real linux and gradually open horizons to learn more on unix for novices
-have a friendly community for support

Expected functions to perform: online shopping, gmail, youtube, facebook.
Optional1: safer surfing (without fear for viruses).


It just dawned on me that Ubuntu looks very modern and heavy compared to my minimalistic XP configuration (classic view, no backgrounds etc).

that's Slackware, the packages are compiled for i486 and will therefore run very well on an old PC. We have a very helpful and knowledgeable community here: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/

that's what I do with Slackware.

You can adapt Slackware to your needs, with background or without. It comes with several Windowmanagers, Fluxbox, XFCE, Blackbox, FVWM and so on.

Just give it a try, it's very easy to install.

Markus

I had already mentioned to you Lubuntu. Check it out.----------> http://lubuntu.net/

By the way no need to download a whole new ISO the ubuntu you already have will be fine for installing. After you are done with the installation open up a terminal and type on it
hit enter, type your password and let it do its thing.
next time you boot in Linux select to loging using the Lubuntu graphical interphace.

LinuxMint will fit the bill too.

Good luck to you!

I myself have been able to run debian on most machines that I have (atleast squeeze), the only problem I've had with wheezy was graphics on older machines, but most of them that affect me have been in firmware-linux-nonfree. Also my hardware requirements were not met & still ran

Hello guys, I am marking this thread as solved before it turns into a monster size thread :D.

I don't know how to thank everyone for their input. You got me running many different distros from cds and becoming more comfortable with linux!! So far I tried Ubuntu, Bodhi and Mint 14 (Nadia, Mate). Some distros really need to change name... Slackware? Software for slackers?? .... Sorry Slackware fans...

So far:
- Ubuntu is amazing, but I couldn't play music with it and the controls of the windows on the left are confusing.
- Bodhi (desktop) has an amazing design, minimalistic and elegant. Easy controls. But so many problems! Midori was crashing all the time, I could not access the other drives from it.
- Mint 14, Nadia, Mate (so many codenames...) is the best so far! Everything works!

There is still one final challenge Mint against Ubuntu light. The winner takes my hard drive :D.

Ompixie::)

Glad your happy!

And it was good to have helped you!

Enjoy your distro!:hattip:

Have a good holiday!

Ubuntu also plays music but the codecs are not included in the live CD. During installation it will ask you if you would like to include the codes in which you have to answer yes. It will also ask you if you want to install all the updates available at that point. And you will have to answer yes there too.

Ubuntu light comes with Audacios music manager by default and GnomePlayer for videos. Lot of people like these program, I prefer Rhytmbox and VLC which you can install in any distro.

I am glad you are finding your way around different distros, that is what Open Source Software is all about.

Good luck to you!