Hey! As u may have guessed i'm new 2 the Linux scene, well nearly new i'm not usin Linux fully as yet as i;m still tryin 2 decide if i should take the plunge :-)
I'm sick if windoh's crashing and things lockin up and Linux does seem interesting the thing is i still need to use it!!
I was thinkin of possibly settin up a dual boot system and have a couple of questions!!
1. i have a 40Gb H/D (roughly 9Gb used i think), what size partitions will i need to set up and is there any special install reqs.?
2. any recommendations of books on the subjext of startin up, i've seen the Sams books (Teach u *** in 24 hours/21days etc...)?

Ne help will be apprecaited!!

Thank u!!!

Mark

1. Some distributions let you set up two partitions called root, which will store all your files and such like, just like the windoze C:, and a partition known as swap which is like virtual memory in windoze. That is the minimum. You dont have to concern yourself with making partitions for /boot and /usr and /home which can all go in the root (/) partition.

2. I used Running Linux to get myself into Linux and would recommend it. If you don't want to pay for a book then try http://www.linuxdog.org for a load of Linux resources.

Thanx for the help there, finally decided 2 take the plunge, went out and got a book, Teach Yourself Red Hat Linux 7 in 24 Hours, which included that particular dsitro.
Read it, printed out the FIPS readme and wnet about setting up a new 5 Gb partition at the end of my 45 Gb H/D.
The only problem is it woun't install, I get past the language and keyboard set-up, select Custom install and it says it cannot find any where sutiable to install.
A few more things, the graphical installer won't load, i have a 3D Prophet Geforce 2 GTS grpahics, which i was hoping it might recognize!!
I also choose custom install as i'm following the book, which recommneds a custom install as it offers more control when installing, specially as i'm keeping Windoh's
I haven't formatted to new 5Gb partiton and was wondering if I was gettin the error as it was formatted for Linux usage, the FIPS readme says to use LInux fdisk to do this, difficult when Linux doesn't install!!

Think that's all the small details aout the way!!

Lets see if I can get it working next time!!! :-)

Does RH show you any partitions?
You said you didn't format a new partition, but did you create one?
It should (during the install) ask you to start either Disk Druid or Fdisk to setup the partitions for you. I've put RH7 on a few machines and if you select the custom install option, it should ask you for partition info.
The graphical install never worked for me either-sometimes it starts, but I don't think its ever completed an install-it always crashes.

Even though you created a partition you have to delete it and make it empty space so that Linux can create its own partitions in the space.

Right, the partition I created shows in in Windows as the D: drive. I don't know wheather Linux can see this partition as I never get that far int o teh installation and have never had the option to run fdisk or disk druid, I just says there is "no suitable place", i'll get the exact wording later and post that up, when I get a chance!
I'm determined to get it working, as I want a stable powerful system!! unlike running windoze!!

You want to delete that D: in windows to create space with no filesystem on the disk. If you can load up does and type:

fdisk

at the prompt to get windoze fdisk. Once there you need to delete the partition called D: which will be an extended partition probably. Whatever you do make sure you dont delete your c: or you will lose EVERYTHING with windoze.

Well, suppose that aint a bad thing!!

Here's the latest, whilst browsong through the installation forum i found a post from someone having the same problem. The error msg i received said "no suitable devices founds, pls check hardware".
This is apparently due to having an ATA100 H/D, and the Mandrake 7 kernal can't recognise it, the only difference with my one is that i'm using RH7 but i'm guessing they use the same kernal and they are both quite new!!
Any suggestions on how to get round this will be appreciated!!

One step closer i guess!! :-)