I installed Linux Mint 10 from a DVD, or so I thought. My other OS is Win 7 which I want to shift away from.

But on the Desktop of Linux Mint was the the file labelled Install Linux Mint.

It gave three choices:
- install alongside another operating system
- erase and use entire disk
- specify partitions manually

Does this mean that Linux Mint from the DVD is not really the full system?

Would it be better to use one of the options, like the first, so I could have both Win 7 and Linux Mint?

(I could also use a linux mint tutorial btw)

The disc boots what is known as a Live DVD. LiveCD The Operating system runs entirely from memory and the disc and is almost like the real thing. To actually install Mint to the hard drive you would as discovered click on the installer application.

The documentation will guide you through the installation process. The install along side will configure a dual boot system and without knowing what applications you run or how you use your computer we can't say yet if it is better than only running linux.

The other two options are for installing as the only operating system and installing to existing partitions.

http://www.linuxmint.com/documentation.php

Thanks for responding on this.

I read that if you pick "install alongside" then you are given the chance to create a partition at that time.

Is this correct or should I partition before installing?

I have 6 gig RAM and 500 gig HDD.

Linux Mint installation program will create a new partition for Linux Mint if there is unused (unallocated) space on your HDD. In any case, you will have the choice to set new partition(s) yourself because the installation program will ask a confirmation of changes that will be done. If you have Windows 7 and do not have free space, you will have to shrink your Win 7 data partition before (usually labelled OS by Linux and most of the time the sda5 partition). To do so, use the disk manager in Win7 (or gparted in Linux), select the partition and select resize option. But if it is your first time, be extremely careful! Be sure to resize the data partition and not any other. Usually, it is the biggest (in your case, more than 300 GB).

Are you actually trying to install Linux Mint 10? As you can see at the link below to the Mint site, the support for this version ended over three years ago. It is outdated and you will not be able to get updates or install software in the normal manner. If your computer is newer, you might try downloading and running the current version of Mint, 17.

http://www.linuxmint.com/oldreleases.php

I've never actually used the Install Alongside method. It usually works if you have unallocated space available on the drive but because you don't really have much control, you may not know if there are any problems until you reboot. The manual option which is referred to as "Something Else" on newer versions of Mint will give you more control over the installation.

The Mint DVD, as pointed out above, contains the operating system as read only. The disadvantage of that is any changes to software or files created are lost on reboot when running from a DVD. Of course it also contains the installer to put Mint on a hard drive.

I have now only 1 partition, the entire disk space. 500 gbn minus something taken out I guess by Windows install.

I am not exactly sure what you mean by "data partition". Does MS reserve some space from the total 500 gb?

There is at least 400 gb remaining on my HDD.

So am assuming I can just let Linux do it.

My sony vaio was bought in 2011. I am now trying to download Linux Mint 17 cinnamon but since the iso is 1.5 gb it is not proving to be easy. If I can get it I will do the install with that.

If you have only one partition and it takes up the entire disk, you won't be able to install Mint. When you get the new Mint downloaded and put on a DVD or flash drive, boot it up. When you get to the Desktop with the Install Linux Mint icon, go to the Menu and find the terminal and when you opne it run this command: sudo fdisk -l(Lower Case Letter L in the command). That will provide some detaile on your drives/partitions so someone should be able to give you specific advice on what to do.

If you currently have unallocated space on the drive, the Mint installer should work with either method, Alongside or Something Else. If you have free space inside a windows partition, that won't help. Shrink the windows partition and then reboot it and run chkdsk before beginning the install of Mint.

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Many Linux installers will happily resize your windows partition for you during the install process if you choose. I would actually be surprised if Mint won't do that.

Yes, the install alongside will shrink an existing windows partition as well as the something else option will allow one to manually create partitions as desired.