Hi everyone. I am entering the linux world just now and want to install java development kit in linux. I have a HP Compaq Presario V3070TU laptop with the following configuration:

Processor: Intel Pentium Core 2 Duo
RAM: 512 MB
Free HDD space: 15 GB

Well, I recently got a Fedora Core 2 DVD and tried to install it in the free space. But my hard disk has IDE controller and the installation doesnt detect the hard disk. I checked with some forums and got an information that the linux version may not support IDE drives. If so, please suggest a suitable linux distribution and version or help me get around this problem with Fedora Core 2.

Hi,

Indeed, Fedora Core is kind of old (didn't find the release date, but Fedora 4 is from Jul 2005). They are currently at 7 (released in april this year).

If you can download a 500Mb+ iso file and then burn the CD, I would recommend you Ubuntu Live CD, because then you can see if the system recognizes all your hardware and only then perform the installation. Also, current versions have eclipse (a very good Java --and other languages-- IDE) to install directly from the repositories.

Regards.

Fedora 8 is out in about a week, and you can download the last rawhide snapshot and then just update to the final version. Fedora Core 2 is from May of 2004. It hasn't been supported for a long time (in Linux years).

By the way, Fedora certainly supports IDE - every Linux back to 1991 did, as far as I'm aware. It may not support your specific vendor's controller, however.