started downloading the mandrake 9.2 iso file....the ftp site has 3 files, each over 500 megabytes....do i need all 3 files? even on the cable line this will take some time....

help please

...................................................

i will get linux up and running....i will ...i will

sorry each file is over 600 megabytes and it's telling me it'll take 5 hours for the first file....

Yeah, you probably do want all 3 CDs. Technically, you could get by without them all, but if you have the luxury, get them all. Just start it downloading and then go to bed

Also, that's not too bad when you compare to Windows. How many CDs do you have for Windows when you take into account ALL your software. 1 for OS, 1 for Office, 1 for Dreamweaver/Flash/Fireworks, 1 for... now consider that your 3 CDs pretty much replace ALL of that!

Want even more fun? Forget about CDs and how many megs of applications, and figure out how much $ it cost to get all that. Now consider how much you've spent on Linux!

Man I love Linux...

(edit: I should add that I do spend a good chunk of $ buying distros, joining the mandrakeclub and donating to projects... but the point is that I don't HAVE to)

Oh yeah, I meant to add. Make sure you MD5sum the files you download. This will ensure that you don't have any corruptions in the files. If you don't know what that means, do a quick search (these forums and google) and if you still need a hand, just ask and we'll help you out.

Just wait for version 10 and buy the powerpack. I'm going for that. 7 cd's worth of software, drivers and libraries is really good. I hope version 10 doesn't freeze like 9.2 is doing sometimes...

Let the downloads run overnight. You'll be up and running before you know it!

Just make sure you burn each file as a separate ISO image.

If you have problems you can by the 3 CD's for a few dollars through a vendor or ebay. Or you can ask me and I'll burn you a set.

Make sure you have an updated version or don't have an LG CD-ROM drive. I toasted mine a few days ago due to ignorance!