I am totally new to Linux. I have just downloaded Red Hat Fedora as a duel boot system with my old windows 98. I am not getting anywhere with it. I have ordered some Linux instructional discs and have some books, which I will start to read into. I do know that I really should be upgrading to a new competer and thats what I want to do.

What I would really like to get is both a new Desktop and a Laptop with at least one of them having a duel boot system with Windows. I have searched many places and no-one seems to be able to tell me where I can get one. I Live in Ct. If anybody out there knows of someplace I can and purchase a system like this I would be very thankful.
Thanks. Bill.

I just stuck another Hard Disc in my desktop, and installed Linux. Then, I modified the bootloader to boot to either Windows, or Linux. Don't know if you can do this with laptops, though...

You don't say exactly what problem you are having...How far did you get with installing Fedora?

There are lots of companies that will sell you a computer pre-loaded with Linux---but I have not seen any offering pre-configured dual-boot. Try searching Google using "Linux desktop PC", "Linux Laptop PC", etc.

To set up dual-boot, the normal procedure is:
create space on the hard drive---eg using a utility like Partition magic.
Install Windows--if it is not already there (leave at least 10GB unpartitioned space)
Install Linux

During the linux install, you will be prompted for where to put the boot loader. A good strategy is to us a floppy---this way, you will have no trouble getting back to Windows if there is a glitch.

I guess I just wasn't clear with what I said. I have an older pc with windows 98. I have 2 hard drives. 98 was installed on my C/D drives and I had another 60 GB hardrive which I installed and had partitioned into 2 30GB drives using partition magic. I loaded down Red Hat Fedora from (SAM'S) learn Linux in 24 hours on to my 2nd hardrive. I am up with it and have the dual boot system, but cannot do anything like surf the net. All Fedora tells me is that the address I entered is wrong and please make sure that you typed in the right URL.

Since I am not really up on Linux, one of the things I would like to do is get a new desktop (which I think is about time) and if I'm getting it I would like it to be a dual system. (my wife uses windows and I'm not so sure how happy she will be with Linux). For me I just want to get away from the constant BS of Microsoft. I guess I haven't spent enough time going thru the books and fooling around with the system I have. I'm not entirely new to computers, since I was an ex-IBM mainframer for over 20 years. Thank you for any help you can give me. Bill.

OK I am using Mosilla Firefox as my browser.
My Internet connection is Cable thru my local cable company.
I have not tried email yet since I figured if I couldn't surf the net I wouldn't be able to send or receive emails.
whenever I type something into the browser, such as www.yahoo.com all it tells me is that it can't fine the address and to please make sure I've typed in the correct address.

I tried entering "ping www.google.com" with and without the quotes in my browser and received the message "the url is not valid and cannot be loaded". I also tried entering "ping 66.102.7.147" and received the same message. I thought when I downloaded Red Hat Fedora it would automatically configure the DNS information since I was hooked up to a Cable connection. I would manualy do it, but I don't seem to know where to start. It tells me to click the DNS tab in the newwork configuration dialog? Do I have to be logged into the Root? How do I know my hostname and my primary DNS address, and the primary domain name of my network?

As far as ifconfig, I really don't know what that is, even in the Linux pocket guide it says that this is beyond the scope of this book, and probably me too.

OK--What Browser are you using in Fedora?
What is your internet connection?
Do you have e-mail working?

If you have things running with Windows and Fedora, you are already way ahead of the average newbie that rolls in here off the turnip truck. There is hope....