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Laptop install...

I want to install SuSE 8.0 Pro into my laptop's hard drive, but since I'm new to it I have the following questions:

1. How can I install SuSE without messing up the win2k boot?

2. How much HD space should I allocate (aprox.) for SuSE apart from the swap partition?

3. Is Partition Magic of any use? I thought on partitioning first from windows, installing then...

I intend to use it for graphic and web design, programming and, of course, learn how to admin a linux system properly.

Thanx in advance.

RW

Welcome to LQ, Rune.

1: Linux can use its own bootloader, and usually does. When installing Linux, you will be given the opportunity of opting out of installing it, but editing the NT loader (which is what W2k uses) can be more finicky than the Linux loaders. If you could be more specific about what you mean, that'd help.

2. This depends on how much you have available and what you want to do! The old advice for your Swap was to take the amount of physical RAM present and have a swap partition at least 2x the size. These days this is not necessary. I have given around 10+Gb over to Linux alone... you can only really judge through trial and error.

3. So long as your Windows partitions are defragged before installing, you do not need to use another program - DiskDrake (for Mandy), Disk Druid (for RH) and presumably a subpart of Sax for Suse should be more than capable of sorting things out for you.

Hope this helps a litle.

Thanx for the reply. In #1 I just meant if I could have both LILO (or a counterpart for SuSE) in the same MBR as win2k loader without having too much trouble booting both systems. Now the question would be: would it be necessary to have both loaders? (I mean, if that's really possible). If not from what you just wrote I'd guess I'll have to use LILO... or something like it instead of NT's loader. Anyway, thanx for the help.

RW

Yeah, it is possible. Basically, Windows takes over all bootable parts... the MBR and the 'boot sector' of its main partition (C: normally). This is quite handy. If you install Linux and have LiLo in the MBR, you only need to specify which partition to boot from in the Windows option. As an example, my lilo.conf:

Code:

boot=/dev/hda

map=/boot/map

install=/boot/boot.b

vga=normal

default=Mandy

keytable=/boot/uk.klt

lba32

prompt

nowarn

timeout=50

message=/boot/message

menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw

ignore-table

image=/boot/vmlinuz

        label=Mandy

        root=/dev/hda8

        initrd=/boot/initrd.img

        append="devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi hdf=ide-scsi"

        vga=791

        read-only

other=/dev/hda1

        label=Windows-98

        table=/dev/hda

image=/boot/vmlinuz

        label=linux-nonfb

        root=/dev/hda8

        initrd=/boot/initrd.img

        append="devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi hdf=ide-scsi"

        read-only

image=/boot/vmlinuz

        label=failsafe

        root=/dev/hda8

        initrd=/boot/initrd.img

        append="failsafe devfs=nomount hdc=ide-scsi hdf=ide-scsi"

        read-only

other=/dev/fd0

        label=floppy

        unsafe

I've highlighted the important part. I think this is what you're after, but the standard install of SuSE should sort this out for you, or at least attempt to do so.

HTH and good luck.

I installed the system today... I have to confess it's nicer than I thought it would be, I'm impressed. And SuSE's boot manager handled everything perfectly. Thanks a lot for your help!

RW.

Glad to hear it. Welcome to the wonderful, splendiferous world of Linux.
(is it obvious that I've been drinking quite heaviliy for the past few hours?)