Re: dual Boot installation of Linare with Windows XP.

I've reviewed the Linare Distro's website and forum feedback and the GUI looks very nice. The resemblence to Windows XP is strong, but does not take away from the unique identity and user friendly function of this distro. So that is why I downloaded this distro and am ready to install it alongside Windows XP.

Current system configuration
P4 1.2Mgz.
512Mb RAM
Windows XP and Mandrake 10 (currently installed)
4 partitions
1- Windows Operating system
2- Data storage (i.e. texts, PIM files, software, music, scans, etc.)
3- Mandrake 10
4- Movie and system backups
This system has a standard video and sound card
Epson Stylus CX6400 Multi function printer (some configuration was required to get it to work on Mandrake 10).

I plan to use the Mandrake 10 partition to install the Linare and try it out.
Other questions...

1- will Linare provide a start up dual boot menu that will be in my Master boot sector (if yes...good)?
2- Will linare take over my system and wipe out my Windows XP?
3- will it configure the printer correctly or have there been problems with this?
4- Is there an image of the dual boot start-up menu used by Linare and can someone direct me to it or provide it on this thread?

Thanks in advance to everyone who contributes to this thread and answers my questions.

I downloaded Linare and the installer gives you the option to partition or wipe out hd and have just Linare.

My question is this.

All I have is a root account. How do I make a user account?

Looked around and couldn't find anything, can anybody help this semi-noob out?

Thanks.

[*Edit*]

This is a friend of mine in Flordia asking this question in my account=noprob also this friend has purchased - PAID $ for the linare cd for $40.00 twice ,why I have no clue since I myself am very happy with vector and navynos which the latter is giving me problems on installing.

Anyway since I have seen user linareuser post here I thought mayhaps you could help out my friend in Florida as to why your company has no clue to the where abouts of both Postal M.O.'s sent with no idea of who my friend is even after speaking to him on the phone & e-mail correspondence.

My friend has just recently put a trace on both M.O.'s
Any help to rectify this transaction would be much appreciated.
My appologies if this is not the correct avenue to approach.
Thank You in advance.

noprob.

thanks for the input
regarding the new user... If the setup is anything like Mandrake, Red Hat or Windows XP, I'd say look in the control panel or the section that deals with system configuration. This operating system uses kde and you should have a configuration option to create a new user. I've never seen a trial version that did not have that option.

I'll look into this when I install this distro.

Explore -> System Settings -> Users and Groups

Then just click Add User and fill in the appropriate information.

1. Yes, Linare Linux will provide a start up dual boot menu that will be in master boot sector .
2. Use manual partition during installation and then select the partition where you need to install Linare Linux.
3. It should work with most of the printer models

I tried installing Linare and yup!!! it removed my MBR and during install something went bad and I could not get into either Mandrake 10.1 or Windows XP. I purchased a partition recovery program and recovered my data partition. Then re installed Windows along with all (that is a lot) of the programs that were previously on my system. I just stumbled upon instructions that layout how to get out of such a mess and recover the LILO boot menu. Below are the intstructions compliments of Ladislav Bodnar
:

Get back your boot loader - a mini HOWTO

This is an all too common scenario after installing a new Linux distribution, as expressed by a reader in last week's forums:
"Please be advised that Linare Linux automatically installs the boot loader into the Master Boot Record (MBR). Most other distros (MEPIS, SUSE, Libranet, Vector to name a few I've tried) give you a choice of MBR or root partition, but not Linare. It screwed me up real bad because I run V-Com's System Commander for OS selection, and I had to reinstall all my OSs over again from scratch. Really irritating!"

I don't know much about System Commander, but surely, reading up on the LILO or GRUB documentation should take a lot less time than reinstalling several operatins systems!

Since this situation happens frequently when you install new distributions, what follows is a step-by-step mini HOWTO to solve the problem and to restore your Master Boot Record to what it was before that give-no-choice distribution lovingly took it over. I have used LILO for years and it serves me perfectly well, but nowadays many distributions (and users) seem to prefer GRUB. Whatever your choice, both are perfectly capable of restoring your MBR.

This is the scenario: you have a Windows installation on /dev/hda1, a data partition on /dev/hda2, then your primary Linux distribution on /dev/hda5 (with your main LILO or GRUB boot loader installed in the Master Boot Record). Then you decide to install Linare and it will go to /dev/hda6. Linare has overwritten your Master Boot Record giving no choice of booting your other two operating systems. If you use LILO, follow these steps:
1. Boot into Linare and log in as 'root'.
2. Fire up a terminal, such as "Konsole".
3. Create a temporary directory, for example "mkdir /mnt/tmp". It doesn't matter where you create it - even somewhere within your home directory is fine.
4. Mount your primary Linux partition like this: "mount /dev/hda5 /mnt/tmp".
5. Chroot (change root) into your newly mounted partition with this command: "chroot /mnt/tmp".
6. Type "lilo". This will restore your Master Boot Record to its original condition.
7. Of course, you probably want to add your newly installed Linare to the boot loader, in which case you need to open /etc/lilo.conf in your favourite text editor and add the following two lines to the end of the file:
other=/dev/hda6
label=Linare
8. Save the changes and execute "lilo" on the command line. Press Ctrl+D to get out of the chroot-ed partition. Now, next time you boot, you will be able to choose between three operating systems.
For those who prefer the GRUB boot loader, things are slightly different:
1. Boot into Linare and log in as 'root'.
2. Fire up a terminal, such as "Konsole".
3. Create a temporary directory, for example "mkdir /mnt/tmp". It doesn't matter where you create it - even somewhere within your home directory is fine.
4. Mount your primary Linux partition like this: "mount /dev/hda5 /mnt/tmp".
5. Chroot (change root) into your newly mounted partition with this command: "chroot /mnt/tmp".
6. Type "grub". You will enter GRUB's interactive mode to perform further actions.
7. Type "root (hd0,4)".
8. Type "setup (hd0)". This should restore your Master Boot Record to its original condition.
9. Type "quit".
10. To add Linare to the boot menu, you will need to modify /boot/grub/menu.lst by adding a few lines to it - your best action is to copy them from Linare's own /boot/grub/menu.lst and paste them into your main Linux distribution's menu.lst.
11. Save the changes, then press Ctrl+D to get out from the chroot-ed partition. That's it, next time you boot, you will see your usual GRUB menu inclusive of the newly added Linare option.
In case you are unable to perform the above steps from your newly installed distribution, you will need to boot from a good live CD, such as Knoppix. The steps are exactly the same as above. If you get stuck, there are plenty of tutorials on both LILO and GRUB on the Internet - one of the best GRUB tutorials I've seen is Getting to know GRUB by Gentoo's Daniel Robins.

That's all for this week. Happy "Linuxing" and "BSDing" and see you again next Monday!

Ladislav Bodnar

Great info HSLinux!
I have been needing this info for awhile.
Thank You.

P.S.I've decided not to allow anyone into this account as I did once before w/my friend in Flordia.

First a rule of thumb...

Before installing a distro or any other operating system backup up everything you consider critical. You have several options
1- Backup up the following key items to CD's or DVD's
a- bookmarks
b- contact file
c- music and sounds
d- images
e- downloaded software and drivers
f- Text files
g- Spreadsheets
h- And any other special projects
If all this can be backed up onto a CD or DVD then just do this and load up your new OS. Assuming you can live with this arrangement.

2- You can also create an image using Ghost or some other program. I personally like TrueImage Deluxe. It will not only create an image of your partition or selected files, but will even split the image into several files burned onto subsequent CD's or DVD's. If your OS and all other files can be compressed and stored onto 1 or 2 CD's or DVD's then this is your best bet. This program will later create a startup CD that will allow you to recover the partition to your hard drive or the selected files by simply inserting the disc in the drive at boot up. You can then select the image and it's source to do your recovery.

3- Some people choose to do one of the options listed above by placing this data onto a separate partition. example
partition 1 has the OS
partition 2 has all the items mentioned above and/or the image
This is a fine idea, but as I learned regretfully this is also no gaurantee of safeguarding your valuable data.

Some items to keep handy when finally doing an install
Get a sofware at the following site

http://www.asci-red.net/docent/tools.htm

There is a lot of freeware and trialware to help you recover a system.

You'll want an MBR recovery tool (i.e. MBR Tool- Freeware) and get another tool that may help you recover erased data which can occur when a new distro is being installed. I personally use "The Active Partition Recovery v.2" This small utitlity is not free, but can be a real life saver and is well worth the investment (check it out-before you say no goto http://www.partition-recovery.com/order.htm).

One final note...Read up on the MBR (Master Boot Record) it's good to get an understanding of what this is and how to repair it. Worst case scenerio- If... you cannot boot up your system at all and you need to start completely from scratch, it never fails to have a copy of Windows 98. You can do a fast slimmed down installation of this operating system and once you've confirmed that it is installed just reboot and start installing the new Operating System of your choice.

Good Luck

There's a simpler solution. First make a primary FAT/NTFS partition and required extended partitions, then install linare in the remaining free space and then install windows.
I found this distro a breeze and it detected everything properly.

But I couldn't configure it to access LAN. I am a linux nube. Can anybody guide me please. Big thanx in advance.