Extreme Newbie

[]-Black-Ice9-[]

Ok I am an extreme Newbie to the whole world of open-source, and computer programing/science whatever you would like o call it. I have some MS-DOS and telnet background, and some simple hacking (not cracking) background as well. I am running Win98 now (family computer) but I want to start using Linux so by the time I go off to college I will be using it "like a pro". Well I am assuming I cant run to OS off the same HD. But would trying to get my hands on a free computer from my Dads office (could take a while) or buying a small E drive be better? Also if anyone could give me some real basic help I would appreciate it. Thanks. ]-Black-Ice9-[ :confused:

[Derango]

You can run linux on the same phsycal hard drive as windows, it just needs to be in a seperate partition. How big is the hard drive you have windows on?

(Also, let me know if you're confused by somthing...I can't explain everything in one post because I'm at work and my time is limited.)

[GonzoJohn]

If you want to try Linux on for size and not reformat any computers at home, try a version of Linux that can install on a Windows filesystem, like Phat Linux or WinLinux 2000. Of course, they're mighty big downloads, so I hope you have a fast connection. If you don't, Mandrake also makes a Lin4Win product that they ship with all of their latest distros, so going to the store and picking up a copy of that is an option.

Once you get your hands on a computer of your own to play with, you can install a newbie friendly version of Linux like Mandrake or Red Hat. I'd recommend using these and becoming familiar with the commands and the configuration tools. Then you can try a version of Linux that isn't easy for newbies to install, but is a dream to use once you've sweated the configuration. I'm referring to Debian of course.

[ 16 July 2001: Message edited by: GonzoJohn ]

[]-Black-Ice9-[]

parition?
I do have some previous knowledge beacuase I practiced on telnet on the hackerslab war game

[KumaSan++]

You could try the NHF's (http://www.linuxnewbie.org/nhf) (Newbie Help Files). I think Strike wrote one about using fdisk to create a partition. By partitioning your hard drive, you can allow 2 (or more) filesystems to coexist on the same physical hard drive. For instance, if you had a 10 Gb drive, you can make windows think that the C: drive is only 5 Gb, then put Linux on the other 5.

[zumbi50]

While it is certainly possible to run Linux on the same hard drive as Windows, either through some creative partitioning, or by buying one of those programs that let you run Linux in a window ON Windows, you may well find it less way hassle to buy a hundred bucks worth of hard drive and put Linux on that second drive.

There are lots of things that might go wrong with dual partitioning. Would the rest of the family object if you wound up having to blow away BOTH operating systems a month from now in order to get EITHER to work? I would definitely do it with a second hard drive.

And you can get three 20 or 30 GB hard drives now for the price of the software that lets you run Linux in a window on Windows, or two anyway with enough left over for a pair of 600 page Linux books on two different distributions, and of course, installable copies of the OS.

[cbfunky]

As far as I remember, using fdisk destroys all the data on the disk.
I'd rather go for Partition Magic or so.

[KumaSan++]

Whoops, I meant fips. Not exactly a newbie friendly program, but there's a NHF on it.

[Rob 'Feztaa' Park]

I tried fips, it didn't work on my system. It's a good concept though. Just be sure to defrag first.