Is it posible to install linx alongside of windows vista? If it is how do I do that? I would like to try out linux bet not shur if I want to get rid of windows, not a fan of vista, but I do like windows. I am wanting to try slackware 12.0.

Get one of the Linux liveCD distros. Put it in the cd drive, boot up, and explore Linux without installing anything on hard drive. Try several distros (Slackware isn't for the 'new to Linux'; it's for the more experienced Linux user).

Once you tried a few liveCDs and have learned a few things by reading posts on bulletin boards and the internet, then dive in with a hard drive installation.

The best place to go for the liveCDs is the distrowatch.com. Click on the Search word at the top of the screen, scroll down to the search engine, and choose Category 'liveCD'. Click the submit button. Scroll down again to get to the list of liveCD/DVD distros.

Download them to your xp partition, and burn them to disk using Nero. The iso image *must* be burned to disk, not just copied to disk. Once it's burned to disk, reboot and start learning about LInux. The liveCD will run slower than a hard disk installation because the OS exists as compressed files on the CD/DVD, and must be de-compressed before you can run the applications.

Hi,
I don't want too seem that I'm being defensive nor augmentative. But, I'm tired of hearing that mantra about Slackware® not being or isn't for the new to Linux. Each person has different abilities therefore to flatly say to avoid one for another is not always proper. I've suggested Slackware® to some who you would think it was above their abilities but turned out a good fit.

With Slackware® you don't have the warm and fuzzy GUI to hold your hand for everything. When you do have a problem then you are not left holding nothing. You can always post for help here on the Slackware® LQ forum. Heck even the Ubuntu people post here on LQ for help.

If you are a person that needs someone else to do the nitty and gritty for your computer operations then you should go for one of the M$ look a likes. If you want to look at a Slackware® based LiveCD then I would suggest Slax 5.1.8.

The use of a LiveCD is a good piece of advise for someone who is new to Linux or even someone who is wanting to explore new avenues within the Linux family.

I'm running PCLinuxOS, Slack12, Arch and TinyMe.
The only one that isn't a MS look-a-like is TinyMe.
Of the four I listed, I would have to recommend PCLinuxOS to the totally new user as I would rather they get their feet wet first as opposed to possibly throwing them in and they drown and run back to windows.
Linux is like ice cream, one can try a different flavor every day until you find the flavor you like most.

windtalker10 I agree but one buck thinks you should skip grade school and everyone start at the 8th grade level. If you can not handle it go back. If you can start with Slack or Gentoo or LFS please jump in but if you are not getting anywhere find two or three different live cds and give them a try.

Hi,
I'll speak for myself. You don't know how nor what I think!

No one said anything about skipping anything, your analogy is absurd. You are attuned to a M$ mindset if you feel that it's the easier way to go with a GUI based OS. Slackware is no more difficult than any other OS. You are required to read and perform tasks that will help to understand the OS. Not relying on someone else that hides the task(s) from the user. You are just learning how to click through a problem with a GUI. Yet when there is a real task/problem and the author hasn't addressed the way the problem should be handled then you are up the creek because the solution is not immediate because of way the GUI handles the task(s) or the inability because of limitations to perform complete task(s).

Point an Click your way to inefficiency of knowing a real OS. Read, write and learn with a great OS such Slackware. If you do want a 'X' environment then that is available too!

As for two or three LiveCD why not present the 'The LiveCD List'.

I thank you for all your comments, I have already tried umbutu and I liked it. I want to install slak on my system but I dont want to lose windows there are some programs that I have to run that are only compatible with windows. How would I install slak w/o lossing windows?

If you think you will be changing OS again maybe you should consider chainloading, this method you load the partition then boot the Os. There are several different articles on this, here is one

http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showt...hreadid=147959

what have you tried that didnt work (i.e.- where are you stuck).

my experience with redhat 9.1 is that when you boot with the first cd it begins the graphiacal install, recognizes the other os's then partitions/ formats leaving windows/ mac os x untouched.

if you post error messages maybe someone experienced with slack can help you thru your problem.

You don't have to lose Windows, resize your Vista partition and leave unallocated, unformatted space for whatever distro you choose.

RH 9.1 ??? Never heard of it, are you sure ?
There was the old RH 9 before they split into RHEL & Fedora, and Fedora 9 is in beta now...

shuanraman:

First, you're going to need to learn to partition if you want to triple boot.
Based on what I've read in other forums, Vista doesn't take kindly to sharing but it can be done.
In the event you happen to hose your system, consider running a system that has virtualbox.
Virtualbox will allow you to install windows to it and run your programs and peripherals from the installed windows.
As to running slackware, I agree, it's easy,,,, but I've also ran Linux for awhile and understand the terminology.

How many reading this thread knew what a shell was before they were exposed to Linux/Unix?
How many new what chmod, su/sudo, rm, awk or cal was?
How about grub, usr or ext folders?
Did you just automatically know how to get to your menu.lst for dual booting?
Did anyone know how to get the hell out of vim the first time they used it?

Those are all just as easy to learn from a gui as from something that uses a lot of shell time.

Some can learn to swim by being thrown in headfirst, others prefer to start with getting their feet wet first.

If Shaun feels he is ready to try something that uses the shell a bit more often, I say it's his decision to do so.

I will strongly disagree though that any user can use slack on the first day at bat as I know exactly what will happen.
They might get it installed and they might not as more than likely they'll never get the partitions set up.
How many coming from windows knows how to set up a partition?
How many even know what a partition is that are just coming from windows?
If they do, and they get it installed, they'll be pissed when they reboot because they'll be staring at a black screen with the word login blinking at them with no idea they have to adduser and startx.
If they get past that, I'll be wondering if they configured their network properly or if they even have a mouse.
Remember, we're talking about totally new users from windows here.
They aren't dummies, but I'll bet a dollar to a box of donuts the majority are completely lost when it comes to things like this.

I have already partitioned 20gb on my harddrive for linux. At first I formated and allocated, but then I changed it to unalocated. I have burnt slak to DVD but it will not boot from it. Ubuntu would boot from disk but acted like it instaled untill i tried to reboot, then I got somthing like a dos screen, I am new to all of this so I did not know what to do. I thought I was a bad install. I have heard a lot about slak and want to try it, I just need a little help to get started.

Hi,

If you downloaded the cd/dvd iso then be sure to check the md5sum for the original iso. From the cli;

If the iso md5 is ok then you should try 'CdromMd5sumsAfterBurning''.

This way you will know if the burn was OK!

This will check the download iso with the known md5sum that you also get with the iso.

If you want to check the md5sum from M$ then use 'md5sum.exe'.

You could do a ftp install using the 'lmo-install-0.2.iso', it took about 2 hours for me on DSL for Slackware 12.

These links and others can be found at 'Slackware-Links' . Also check out my sig for some fast reference links!

Also, did you burn the .iso or did you just copy the file to cd?
There is a big difference.
Slack or the ubuntu cd should give you a gui to assist in installing.
I don't recall the size of the slack, but if you downloaded the entire slack suite, it would have taken a dvd to hold all of it.