first time installing madrake 9 dual boot XP
 

Hello to all.
Today, I bought linux Mandrake 9.0 and I decided to install it and try linux for the first time.
I have the following configuration:
AMD Duron 750 Mhz
RAM 768 MB
HDD1 40GB
HDD2 15 GB
MB Asus a7s-vm +vga+sb

I already have windows XP install on HDD1. I plan to install mandrake to HDD2 and make dual boot.
How should I approach here?
I'll place installation cd in cdrom and restart computer. Then, I'll follow instructions, but is there any tips and tricks that I should know before I proceed?
I'm looking forward to your advices.

Thank you very much.

Make sure you check which hard drive Madrake tries to install to - so long as it's your second hard drive, it shouldn't be a problem. The boot loader should automatically pick up Windows XP and put that in the boot menu. If not, don't worry, there's plenty of threads on here to get it going. At least you don't have to worry about resizing your windows drive - that can a bit trickier. Have with Mandrake!

Welcome!

You bought Mandrake 9.0 today?!! I hope it was next to free.

Anyway, I don't remember the installer from Mdk9, but I think your config is an easy one, and all should go smoothly, unless you have some difficult hardware such as a WiFi component, or a Winmodem... Remember Mdk9.0 is old.

Good luck! Mandrake is really a good distribution. Be sure to use Easy-Urpmi once set-up to upgrade/install software (if there are still repositories, that is...)

Tip: I use Mandrake since version 6.0, and in my opinion, the latest (Mandriva 2006) is the best of all, the next best after this one being 9.1 and 7.2.

Yves.

Well, yes, it was about 2 euro. That was costs of 2 cd media.
Thanks for the answer, I didn't expect it would be so soon...
:)

Wow, I would throw that away, and download the free version of version 2006, especially for a newbie.

That's OK, but I need to work with I have here. And that is HDD1 on which is installed win XP and HDD2 which is NTFS on which were data (they arent' there anymore) and two cd2 Mandrake 9.0. Should I use some utillity like parttion magic or something like that to format that disk into linux file system?

Thank you all for prompt responses

I don't know about 9, but I know that the newer versions of Mandriva come with a partitioning tool in the installer. So no, you don't need to use a 3rd party tool.

Just make sure you have enough space to put the root (/), /home, and maybe the /usr directories in their own partitions. I usually set aside about 5g for root, 5g for usr, and about 1g for swap. /home can be as big as you want, but make it at least 1-2g because that's where all your configuration files will be kept for KDE. So a decent install of Mandrake would make up about 13-14gig.

But i highly recommend you upgrade to a newer version as soon as possible, because there are stability and security fixes in the updated versions, not to mention they are more user friendly and have absolutely superb hardware support.

once you get set up, make sure you set up your urpmi repositories at easyurpmi.zarb.org, follow the instructions and you will be set for (almost) any package you ever need.

Go hang around the Mandriva forum here on LQ, you'll learn a lot about our distribution.

Good choice, just make sure you update it!

So, if I understood correctly, I'll need to make new partitions from my 15GB hard disk. Will installation do that or I need to do that manually? Maybe these questions look dumb to you, but I like to do double check before going into installation

Given the fact you're a beginner in Linux, I won't point you to the the way I organize my own partitions. You still can read it on my site if you're interested, though.
Instead, here's what I would advise to you: On your Linux hard disk, you manually create three partitions:
- first is of type "SWAP", and slightly more than your RAM size (this comes handy if you want to play with hibernation later on);
- second is of type "Journalized: ReiserFS", is mapped to "/", and is 5GB in size (plenty enough).
- third is of type "Journalized: ReiserFS", is mapped to "/home", and is takes the remainder of the disk...
- ... or almost. Fourth (yes I know I said "three"...) is of type "FAT32" (ie: Windows), is at most 1GB big, is mapped to what you want (eg: "/mnt/win_d:"), and will be used to transfer data between XP and Linux, as FAT32 can be read/written by both.

Yves.

I looked around a bit, and here's a step by step guide for installing 9.2 for first timers. I think even though you have 9.1, it still should have a pretty good set of instructions for you.

http://www.linuxloader.com/modules.p...showpage&pid=1

According to this, 9.X had the partitioning tool included in the installation steps, so you shouldn't need to do any drive-prep, other than making sure there's enough space(15 gigs or so) free on the drive in which to do the partitioning during the install.

OK, that should be it! You should be on your way to Mandrake Linux!

edit: i just read the how-to, and you'll need to read this:

http://www.linuxloader.com/modules.p...showpage&pid=7

I really must stress the fact that running an older version of linux will make the transition to linux for you very frustrating, as it will be much more difficult to get things configured to start. I suggest you find a version of at least 10.1. I know that in versions 10 and above that partitioning and dual booting with XP are much easier to configure(pretty much automatic).

http://gulus.usherbrooke.ca/pub/dist...cial/iso/i586/

Download one of the 10.x versions and you'll probably be happier with your choice.

Thank you guys!

Only one more question.
Here:
http://www.linuxloader.com/modules.p...e&pid=1&page=8
Should I choose default or choose to install bot loader ob first sector of root partition?
I've found when installing dual boot with windows that it is not good to place bootloader on MBR
Any advices?

I don't have Windows, so I don't know.
I thought so far, that LILO created an entry for launching Windows, if installed on the MBR; isn't that so?
Anyway, if you have doubts, you can install LILO on the root partition, but then you'll probably have to create a boot floppy, or use the excellent btmgr:
http://btmgr.webframe.org/

Yves.

Put it on the MBR(default) Lilo will pick up your windows partition and give an option to boot to either linux or windows. Makes it so much easier than the retarded windows bootloader.

Hello guys,
I have just finished process of installing linux mandrake 9.0
During installation I didn't choose expert mode, so most of it was automatic.
However, there are a couple of small (I hope) problems.

1. Mandrake didn't ask me how to install bootloader so it placed itself in MBR,
so when I turn on computer I get linux bootloader in which windows XP is recognized as NT
Is there a way to customize boot loader (like boot.ini in windows) in which I can
write appropriate name (that is Windows XP)
2. During installation I have created partitions:
/ 4GB
swap 1GB
/home 8 GB
FAT 1.5 GB
I added FAT so I can exchange files between linux and windows.
Now when I boot windows it sees D: disk like unformated drive and ask me if I whish to format
I choose No.
What should I do here? I was expecting that windows will recognize disk with linkux like
FAT32 1.5 GB, but obviously there is something suspicious.
3. I'm also begining to learn Python, and I've read somwhere that it comes automatically with linux
Where to find it since this Mandrake has no such thing like windows explorer?

Thanky you very much, you helped me a lot