[Luna] Questions about linux.

[Kyle Winfree]

About your Office disc(s), try OpenOffice.org.  I dropped MS Office because
I find OO.o easier to use, and far more functional.  Plus, it is compatible
with MS Office.

Instead of wiping your current hd clean, you might also want to use that
spare you got, install XP on it, and then add Linux afterwards, leaving your
current disk alone.  This could be a good way to learn it all before
accidentally causing damage.  Once you have it all figured out on the test
disk, you can apply it to the larger Windows disk.

If you do this, defrag after the windows install (use the whole partition to
start with).  Then Mandriva can actually repartition that drive, shrinking
windows, but without hurting it, and will then add the other linux
partitions.  I know a few (or more) people who read this will respond
shouting and screaming that resizing a partition is dangerous, but a) I use
that technique every time I work on my notebook, as I use the restore disc
to install windows, b) it's a test drive that you would do this on.  If
windows gets screwed, you've lost nothing but some time....  I'm willing to
bet Ubuntu will do the same operation for you, but I can attest to success
with Mandriva.

Just some ideas, good luck.

On 10/25/06, Jake Morin <jacobmorin at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Well my other general concern is even if I'll be able to write on that
> disk.  When I tried to dual boot from that disk I had a whole set of
> issues, the least of which was GParted telling me that the disk was
> completely full save for 800 MB.
>
> There is something really funky going on with that first harddrive
> that I just can't explain (and no one else seems to have been able to
> yet either).   I may back up my most important info on CDs (don't have
> a dvdr) and just start with a fresh install of XP.  I have the XP
> disk...don't know about my office disk though (I'm pretty sure I have
> them somewhere).
>
> I was really hoping I wouldn't have to do that but more and more that
> looks like what is going to have to happen.
>
> On 10/25/06, Christopher Bradshaw <christopherabradshaw at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Jake,
> >
> > You don't have to sweat allowing lilo/grub to write over your MBR.  If
> > for some reason you aren't happy with the results - you can always boot
> > you machine with a DOS or windows rescue disk, and use the command
> > "fdisk /mbr" to replace the windows bootloader.
> >
> > -Chris
> >
> > Patrick Fleming, EA wrote:
> > > Jake Morin wrote:
> > >
> > >> Len,
> > >>
> > >> I guess I could try that.  Most people have told me not to install
> the
> > >> bootloader on the first disk...something about messing with the mbr
> > >> (master boot record?)
> > >>
> > >
> > > If the Master Boot Record is not changed you will always boot to
> > > Windows. The computer will not understand that there is another
> option.
> > > Some kind of boot loader needs to be on that primary disk though.
> > >
> > >
> > >> There is no simple way to describe it.  You can look at these
> threads:
> > >>
> > >>
> http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=274259&highlight=first+time+install
> > >>
> > >> and
> > >>
> > >> http://www.flaglug.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=20
> > >>
> > >> Let me know if you think I should definitely install LILO on the
> first
> > >> drive.  I'm not really psyched about putting that HDD at risk though.
> > >>
> > >> Thanks Len,
> > >>
> > >> Jake
> > >>
> > >> On 10/24/06, Len Bright <lpbbright at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Jake,
> > >>> So you installed the boot loader on the 2nd disk, the one with Linux
> > >>> OS installed, is that correct?  Have you tried installing the boot
> loader on
> > >>> the
> > >>> Windows disk? If not, probably the simplist thing for you to try is
> > >>> reinstall Linux
> > >>> and install the boot loader, grub or lilo, on the Windows disk, if
> you have
> > >>> not
> > >>> already tried that.  I suggest making Windows your primary drive,
> Linux the
> > >>> secondary drive, and install your boot loader on the Windows
> disk.  Also,
> > >>> what was the problem you ran into when you attempted your
> installation on a
> > >>> single hard drive?
> > >>>
> > >>> -Len
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> Jake Morin <jacobmorin at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >>>  I am subscribed.
> > >>>
> > >>> I just seem to have been having the worst time with linux. I'm not
> > >>> all that dull when it comes to computers but I've had a hell of a
> time
> > >>> with linux.
> > >>>
> > >>> First, I had harddrive issues when trying to install on a single
> > >>> harddrive. So I decided to get a second harddrive. I did, and now I
> > >>> have a whole new set of problems.
> > >>>
> > >>> I have set the linux drive to master, the windows drive to slave,
> > >>> loaded the live cd of mandriva one. Installed mandriva with lilo.
> > >>> But for some reason, my computer always boots straight into windows.
> > >>> I switched the cables, the jumpers, the power cables...all hardware
> > >>> has been systematically checked. I checked the bios, sure enough,
> > >>> linux as master, windows as slave. I can't get into linux to change
> > >>> the lilo file because I have to unplug the windows drive to even
> reach
> > >>> the linux.
> > >>>
> > >>> When I do unplug the windows drive, lilo loads with a 10 second time
> > >>> out (so I know it isn't a lilo time situation).
> > >>>
> > >>> Like I said, I spent about 20 hours before with the single harddrive
> > >>> issue and I'm just growing tired of all this fuss. I've tried what's
> > >>> supposed to be two of the most user friendly distros (Ubuntu and
> > >>> Mandriva). Hell I've even tried GRUB with Ubuntu and Mandriva.
> > >>>
> > >>> Maybe it's windows fault, maybe it's linux's fault, maybe it's my
> > >>> fault. Don't really know to be quite honest. But if you know, feel
> > >>> free to tell me :)
> > >>>
> > >>> Jake
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>  ________________________________
> > >>> Stay in the know. Pulse on the new Yahoo.com. Check it out.
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> _______________________________________________
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> > >>> Luna at lists.flaglug.org
> > >>> http://lists.flaglug.org/mailman/listinfo/luna
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >>
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>
>
> --
> Jacob Morin
> Phone: (602) 918 0154
> Email: jacobmorin at gmail.com
>
> "People hardly ever make use of the freedom which they have, for
> example, freedom of thought; instead they demand freedom of speech as
> compensation." Soren Kiekkegaard, Journals
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