Hi all, I am new to these forums and I have a few questions. First of all can I install Linux on a machine that has Win2K already installed? Will it trash my Windoze install?
I have downloaded the Mandrake 9 CD's and burned them and even tried to install it on my Mac using Virtual PC but it wouldn't complete. It did however get quite a way into the install, about halfway before it said "there was a problem with...file". I have been downloading RedHat for 2 days now (on broadband even!) and I have Mandrake 8.2 and YellowDog (for one of my older Mac's) already, but haven't installed any of them. I guess I was hoping it would be easier. I would buy a distro' but without any useful apps it is a waste of money to me.
I currently use my 4 computers (2 Mac's and 2 PC's) for work (video and multimedia production) so I don't have the luxury of killing one completely. I have a great interest in Linux because I love Mac OSX's stability (my primary machine) but also like the flexibility of hardware on the other side, I just can't stand Microsoft and Windows is terrible with multiprocessors.
That brings me to my next question, where the heck are the app's? The only thing I use that is available for Linux is Maya (coming soon) and Shake which is now owned by Apple (and very expensive). It is a great program and I would love to run it on my Dual 1Ghz Pentium 3 under Linux. Other than that I can't find any video editing programs or really anything of concequence. (actually, Piranha is a great Linux video editor but it only runs on SGI and cost's about $150,000+).
So how can a "newbie" get his feet wet without breaking the workflow too much?
Thanks in advance!

there are various apps you can try
linux doesnt have as many big name software vendors like Windows does

you'll be surprised at what you can find "out there"
if you go to http://rpmfind.net
and look for "index by category" at the top of the page and follow the link,
you'll come to a page that may help

the other thing to consider is this...
because apps are NOT written to look gorgeous (regardless of functionality) they can take some getting used to (they often presume knowledge in there intended users)

i have come from a couple of years using software such as Sonic Foundry's Acid and Sound Forge and Propellerheads Rebirth and Reason and there ain't NOTHING that even comes close on Linux (that I've found).

You shouldnt have too many problems installing Mandrake next to Win2k, I installed it on my pc alongside XP with no trouble.

(i don't know anything about video production but I have seen links to sites that deal with the Linux end of such things. (again, look for user pages not big glossy company sites)

hope that helps a little

I know what you mean by not being glossy. Shake isn't a pretty application but it is the best at what it does, and supposedly runs like a champ on Linux and Mac OSX (it's what they used on Two Towers and many other films).
I also use Reason on occasion and have it on both Mac and PC. One of the PC's I want to try Linux on is the ShuttlePC (Athlon) and right now I use Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 on that machine and have it hooked to my Roland Fantom so it breaks my heart to hear there isn't anything similar on Linux.
I guess I will give it a try, I just didn't know if there was something I needed to do to keep Linux from destroying my Windoze partition and rendering me helpless and without my music.

thanks for the reply.

there's quite a few posts on the site about installing over/alongside win2k - a quick search should give you a pretty good list of problems people have run into and whatnot. generally tho, it should go pretty painlessly. g'luck!

Cinelerra is a good video editing app I've been told. For most multimedia apps though Linux is not strong (yet).

Thanks mhearn! Great looking software! I downloaded it but have yet to install Linux. I will soon, I'm just a little nervous about mucking my Win2K partition. The whole process seems a little cumbersome but I will give it a try. Any thoughts on which bootloader to use? Grub or Lilo? There isn't really much specific information on the web about all this just a bunch of "I think" and "maybe". It's not extremely comforting for us newbie's who really need to use our machines for work and can't afford downtime. Having said that, I am excited to give it a try because I want to rid my life of Windoze!

Grub and lilo are both OK. Grub is more modern and has more features, but on the other hand it's a bootloader I'd go for grub for now.

To resize an NTFS partition you need a commercial product atm.

if you need a commercial partition prog...
drop me a line

i may be able to help (without infringing ANY laws)