Just wondered if redhat linux 9.0 is a hard to install operating system. I have a Gateway Mini-Tower computer with a flat-screen LCD 17". Has a Pentium IV 515 2.93 Ghz, 1024 MB DDR 400 MHz RAM, DVD-ROM\DVD-CD BURNER, CD-ROM, built-in GMA 900 video chipset with 224 megs of system RAM for use on it on an intel 915 GAG Chipset with built-in audio as well.

I have found somewhere to download redhat linux 9.0 ISO's. It is not a warez site or anything of the sort but just offers many different linux versions of software. There are only three discs to the redhat linux 9.0 set of discs so if anyone can verify that newer computers run okay under Linux, Linux is free, and Linux is easy to install and then use I'll download the ISO's and burn them and install Linux. If this version of Linux isn't free, was wondering if someone could point me towards a version that is free.

Thanks.

Redhat 9.0 is free, but there are newer distributions out there. Fedora Core 3 is the newest of the RedHat/Fedora line, though I would personally suggest you check out gentoo linux at http://www.gentoo.org/

Thank you for even responding to those two questions, as they're probably both rather stupid questions (I know nothing about Linux). I'm downloading a five cd-set of the Fedora 3, I checked out the Gentoo.org site but it's not quite what I was looking for. I think the Fedora 3 version of Redhat 9.0 will be a version that is much more user-friendly even though from what I've seen, Linux isn't that user-friendly, but more like learning a new DOS all over again. Shouldn't be too hard, think I'll have my dad by me a book on RedHat Linux.

Thanks.

I will grant you that FC3 is probably easier to use than Gentoo, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to sell my personal favorite distribution. If you need any help, feel free to ask.

I am sure Fedora Core is a 4 cd set and not 5.

Know of any free program that I could use to partition my SATA hard drive (being that it's my first SATA hard drive). I just need to seperate it in half so 75 gigs can goto windows xp, 75 for linux.

Thanks again...

cfdisk/fdisk under linux, or if you need to RESIZE an existing XP install, qtparted.

I'll try that. Read somewhere that you can't or shouldn't, one or the other, install Linux into NTFS and should instead install it onto Vfat. I realized you can alter partitions with Linux, but creating them is my problem right now. I am using NTFS on Windows XP that is on a rescue disk for my Gateway. I ALSO have a registered version of Windows XP, one that I bought out of the box, but it's not with me at the moment. Someone suggested using Partition Magic (illegal version) with I'm not with downloading software that needs to be registered etc. although I used to not care much about doing it. Any help on the partitioning part of Linux would be helpful.

You can use qtparted, which is open source, to resize your partition. The Knoppix LiveCD has this pre-installed. Linux is generally installed on ext2/ext3/reiserfs/xfs etc.

The following partitions are required for an optimum Linux installation :

/swap : twice the amount of RAM on your system
/ : (root) This partition will hold your Linux system
/boot : The bootloader will be installed here. This should be about 100MB or so.

You can also install Linux using only one partition, the root (/), but a swap partition can significantly enhance system performance in some cases.

Linux cannot be installed on a FAT32 or NTFS partition. the root (/) partition must be on a native Linux filesystem such as ext2, ext3, reiserfs etc. However, Linux can read from and write from a FAT32 filesystem. It can also read from an NTFS filesystem, but writing to NTFS is not supported by most distro's.

There you have it. That's about all you need to know. Have fun !