I am going to install Mandrake 9.2 this weekend. This will be my first time with Linux, I think it is time to learn to use it. The plan is to take my 40 gig HD with win xp pro (fat32) on it and partition 10gig(is that enough?) out for Linux. I need to do this hopefully without disturbing windows(which sounds easy enough to do from the documentation that I have read). Are there any problems or things that I might should do before I start. I know I need to run scandisk and defrag before the install. that will be taken care of.

The computer is as follows
self built.

amd althon 700 mhz.
nvidea geforce2 32 meg vid card.
384 meg ram
40 gig WD HD ATA100 7200rpm
optical ps2 mouse
ps2 keyboard
52 cd rom
48x cd burner
epson c82 printer
soundblaster soundcard (cannot remember which one)

I have roadrunner internet through cable w/Ethernet card.

will the install find everything?

are there anysettings that I need to write down for the internet that need to be plugged into it and how do I do that?

I am hoping that this experience will be a good one, and as soon as I get motivated and get everything to work on this, I have the parts for 2 more computers that I am thinking about building and installing linux on those as well.

Thanks for any and all help

Congrats in advance on crossing over to Linux - may you never look back.

10 gig should be plenty for a basic install, with some room to spare.

As for preparation, read read read! Do a google search for install guides, look for some stuff specific to your hardware.
First thing to do: in windoze, open up the device manager and write down EVERYTHING. then try to find the appropriate linux driver for each piece of hardware (or at the very least, your sound, video, printer and ethernet cards).
Should Mannie autodetect everything? Yes. But then communism works in theory, too. Best to be sure.

Do write down your internet settings - if you can use DHCP, this is what mannie will try by default. Otherwise, you'll need DNS servers and an IP address for your computer.

When (not so much if as when ) you have problems, first search these forums - it's probably been answered. If it hasn't, post about it and we're happy to help!

--Rounan

Road Runner does us a DHCP server with dynamic IP. which kind of sucks but from the sound of things will help with the install. I plan on printing all of the hardware stuff out before I start. as long as the basics work I should be okay getting the other done, just want to make sure things like the video and internet work then from there I have time to get the rest going.

Hey Vodad! I'd like to add my congrats! Good choice, and I think you'll be happy with Mandrake.

I know this one is obvious... but BACK UP ALL YOUR DATA!

Are you sure your XP pro is FAT? The default is NTFS, and truthfully I've never heard of XP on FAT except by very deliberate choice. Sounds like you made that choice. If you are especially paranoid, consider partitioning first from Windows using a program like Partition Magic, but that said Mandrake should be able to help you out.

The only other real advice I have is:
1) Don't let anything frustrate you. Yup, of course you'll have a slip up here or there, don't let it sour your experience of all of linux.
2) Come to us if you need help, and use good subjects! Personally, I've stopped reading posts entitled "a few problems" or "this sucks" or my favourite "help me", or whatever.

All the best!

Congrats Vodad. I have a pretty good guide on my website for someone new to the linux world. There is an install guide for 9.2 and a bunch of how tos on tweaking the software. if you have any questions just email me or post in the forums. I am also on IM most of the time. So give it a look and I'm sure you'll find some usfull info.

www.linuxloader.com

okay this is where I stand, after completely screwing things up. I now have been able to get winxp back thanks to a second hard drive that had it on it. yes I had trouble installing and lost everything.

Now I have it set to dual boot. and the windows part is fine now. but I am haveing touble with the following.

If I let it boot with just linux selected in lilo it locks up after making it about 10% across the bar. choosing linux nonfb booted all the way the first time. crossing fingers that it keeps working.

but right now I have no sound and no internet. it finds my sound card fine and the breakout game works with sound if I turn the volumn up all the way I can barely hear it. what do I need to type from / to get the volumn turned up.

internet is roadrunner with a ethernet card. does it need set up with lan or cable modem slection, roadrunner uses DHCP.

thanks for the help so far.

Hey Vodad good look man. I too have been trying to get a good setup in the Linux world. I mean where I work is a Microsoft shop all the way and I feel like I am missing 1/3 of the IT industry. So I have recently decided to buy a cheap G3 Laptop to keep abreast in all three.
As far as Linux goes I have only setup Redhat and Mandrake distros. Currently using the Mandrake and still getting everything going. It is fun and I guess the only real constructive thing I have to say is a reiteration of Rounan in the Read, Read READ! category. That is pretty much what I do in my spare time is to find new looks at to me a new thing. Good luck!

If I let it boot with just linux selected in lilo it locks up after making it about 10% across the bar.

If you press esc as it is booting, you can see what it is actually doing at that moment. It might be useful to know what it is doing when it crashes for the purposes of trouble-shooting.

but right now I have no sound

Try going to multimedia --> Audio --> Kmix, and check it if it muted. If so, unmute and "save settings".

and no internet... internet is roadrunner with a ethernet card. does it need set up with lan or cable modem slection, roadrunner uses DHCP.

Have you searched these forums for advice on this? I've answered probably a dozen or so "can't get my internet working" in the past month or two. Maybe your problem has already been solved?

(If you press esc as it is booting, you can see what it is actually doing at that moment. It might be useful to know what it is doing when it crashes for the purposes of trouble-shooting.)

I have tried pressing escape at this point and it still does nothing. if I use linux nonfb then it boots about once every 6-7 tries. normally locks up at when it gets to the (usb-ohci) I have usb disabled in the bios sense I have no usb devices on the machine.


(Try going to multimedia --> Audio --> Kmix, and check it if it muted. If so, unmute and "save settings".)

I have sound working somewhat, Kcd does not have sound but Totem does. and the breakout game has somewhat sound but you have to turn it up all the way to hear it.

(Have you searched these forums for advice on this? I've answered probably a dozen or so "can't get my internet working" in the past month or two. Maybe your problem has already been solved?)

I am working on this one now. I will let you know where it stands when I get it done, it might be a network card problem at this point. the information when I hit linux nonfb goes quickly sometimes but it appeared that it said something about the eth0 failed when trying to load it. but since I have not been able to get it to load since I noticed it I am not sure.

Thanks for the help so far.

Hi Vodad, welcome.
Concerning your sound config... can you listen at mp3s as well?, because if you ONLY don't get sound from audio cd's may it be that you don't have an analog cord connected from your cd rom drive to the mobo??

cheers and keep going on linux!

TOTEM plays both mp3s and audio cd. so I think that I have this one solved it is just the other things now. hopefully I can figure it out. I think it is a network card problem with the internet, I have to get back home so that I can check it but I have to get the usb thing fixed so that I can log onto the system.