Click to See Complete Forum and Search --> : Advice on Conflicts in Installing Linux on Brand-Name PC


Eroberer
10-16-2001, 04:29 PM
Hey, I've been compilling a list of problems that I think I'll run into when I try to install Linux on my Windows box as a dual-boot option. I'm looking at Red Hat 7.2, so I got a little bit more time.

Now, I'm installing RH on a laptop about which I know only a few hardware specs. It's a Dell Inspiron 8000 with:

-PIII 1Ghz
-GeForce2 Go graphics
-256MB RAM
-Toshiba DVD-ROM SD-2002
-Actiontec 82559-based Mini PCI Ethernet Adapter
-HP Deskjet 932C (printer)

and I'll need it to connect to my University's internet connection.

I also have a lot of seemingly proprietory Intel boot agents, HDD controllers and whatnot, that I know next to nothing about the specifics of.

The most I've done with any computer was back in the days of DOS, when I could remember all the IRQs and whatnot for setting up sound in games.

So what problems, and in what situations might I have to know something as obscure as an IRQ (maybe my ethernet card # that the IT ppl took to connect me to the internet here) do you all forsee? I searched the NHF a while back for this kind of info, but it's just so general, and I found nothing.

I'm also slightly concerned about overwriting Windows, so if you can't help with the above, maybe you can point out some instructions for creating a Linux partition and a shared WinME-Linux partition?

Eroberer
10-16-2001, 04:39 PM
I will almost most likely write a NHF entry after I try a few Linux distros, for Newbies scared of installing Linux on a box made by large corporations. It's quite daunting from down here, really, where I think I'll destroy my system because I didn't write down one number, or I'll overwrite a very important part of my mbr with fud.

thedexman
10-16-2001, 04:42 PM
Might I suggest you explore this page: http://www.linux-laptop.net/dell.html

Eroberer
10-16-2001, 05:56 PM
Beautiful. =)

Eroberer
10-16-2001, 06:19 PM
The one thing that this didn't tell me was how if I would have any problems with my DVD/CDRW combo drive. Are there any known issues with Linux recognizing two pieces of hardware as one, or something?

thedexman
10-16-2001, 06:36 PM
None that I know of, but others might know. You might try Google