Newbie and I'm lost...
 

I have downloaded Ubuntu 5.10 and I want to install it as my operating system. I don't want to run it from a CD.

Can I do this?

I also downloaded SLAX, because I thought I could install it on my hd, but I found that I can't.

I have a spare 10gb hd that I want to put some easy form of Linux on it that I can learn from.

I need a little guidance.....

Thanks;)

Just do the same thing as you would install Windows.
Configure your BIOS to use the cd-rom as first boot device.

Re: Newbie and I'm lost...
 

If you want to learn Linux I would recommend trying Slackware, It is one of the oldest distros, The most current version is 10.2, there is forum under distributions here at LQ and heres the link to the website.

http://www.slackware.com/

Merc,

I have my bios set to boot from CD-ROM. Didin't work. Maybe I didn't get the correct files when I downloaded Ubuntu. I'll try again on another site this time and see.

Baja, I'll give Slackware a try..

Thanks guys....

Is the CD-ROM burned as bootable?

Is there a special bootdisk that I might need to fdisk the drive or can I use a Windows bootdisk?

This might be my problem.....

Did you just download the Live CD? The Live CD just runs off of the CD.

You may need the Install CD if you want to install it.

I burned it as an ISO. Thought that was what I was supposed to do..... guess not, huh.....DOH.

Back to the drawing board.....

I have both the "install" and the "Live" versions of Ubuntu 5.10
and I burned them as an ISO, not a bootable cd.

Learn something new everyday.....
I'll get the hang of this sooner or later.....

Download the PC (Intel x86) install CD and burn it as an ISO.

No, Just download the Slackware Iso`s, I think its only 3 or 4 and then burn them to disk, Insert disk one, set bios to boot from cdrom, Reboot and it should auto-run and allow you to begin the installation process. You can partition and format at the begining of the installation of Slack.

This is what you are supposed to do. The "bootability" comes inside the ISO. Just to be sure. Check this: once you burned your CD (in Windows, I guess), open it. You should not see one single file "ubuntu-whatever-386.iso" but many files and folders. If you have that, then the CD should be bootable so if it doesn't, it means that your BIOS is not set, or you have to press a key to select the boot device, etc, etc...

I'm not trying to be funny BajaNick, but I wouldn't recommend Slack to someone who is struggling to install Ubuntu. Slack is a great distro, but it just isn't one I'd recommend to newbies until they have a firmer grasp at least of the basics of Linux - from my experience many newcomers to Linux have given up on it completely simply because they were given the illusion that Linux in general is hard to use due to the Slack installer, thanks to someone from the Slackware Advocacy group insisting on using that a first distro.

TweakerXP: If you're having problems creating an Ubuntu install CD you can order one (or several) free-of-charge from Canonical itself. It takes a while, but it certainly looks nicer. Which burning program are you using anyhow?

Thanks to everyone for being patient with this. I can see how people who are new to Linux DO give up on it.

I'm using Nero 6 Ultra.

Happy Thanksgiving !!!

I think Slackware might be hard to try as your first distro. But looking at the 10 GB harddisk (we don't have another info on the computer Linux shall be installed to) Slackware might nevertheless be a good choice, because it's using quite few ressources, it's running on old hardware and has small and fast window managers out of the box.
Don't know about this, since I just tried a Ubuntu live CD, but how much ressources does it require compared to Slackware?