I downloaded the DVD ISO.

I mouted it with Daemon Tools... Is it possible to install like that?

Or does it physically have to burnt and booted from?

I am not sure about that particular method (if Daemon Tools is a Windows app, then no).

However, there are options that do not require burning to CD/DVD:
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/R...tallmethod.html

Yeh, Daemon Tools Is a windows App.

Its says it will only work from a ext2, ext3, or FAT file system, I have NTFS.

Looks like ill have to burn it. No Big deal. Ill just do it tomorrow, too busy tonight.

Thanks Mark

Ah right, Live CD's are brilliant.


Im going to boot from the Fedora Core 3 DVD ISO I burnt in a bit, my partition is NTFS... is that ok? Because I read on the link markjensen gave me and it said it has to be ext2, ext3, or FAT file system.

You cant install Linux on NTFS if thats your question. Its going to have to be reformatted in a Linux file system. EXT2, EXT3, Reiser are all good choices. I dont think FC3 offers Reiser which is a shame. If you have a choice without Reiser, stick to EXT3. It supports file journaling which is essentially the same as NTFS. EXT2 to EXT3 is the same as FAT is to NTFS...so you dont want to use EXT2 at all.

Check out partition commander (Available on the Hiren's boot disk) to restructure your partitions. Its safe and an awesome tool. You can split apart NTFS partitions and reformat them, join them together and so one...really a must have utitily for restructuring partitions.

So when I boot from this DVD I can choose to format that partition as EXT3?

Only after your fdisk it. Then reformat into a Linux file system.

Im gunna format the NTFS Partiton as Linux EXT3 Using Partiton Magic 8, Is that ok?

Yep thats fine. Boot with FC3 and do it from there. Just delete your NTFS partiton and reformat to ext3. It will give you a feel of the installer and the feel of Linux.

Windows still detects it as NTFS. Maybe need to reboot... or does windows not support it and shows NTFS?

Hypo are you Dual booting or completely formatting to Linux?

Well, to install it from an .iso file on a hard drive, the filesystem must be as listed (because that is all the minimal kernel will be able to read from during install time.

You install must have a target location that is empty and ready (or is OK to make empty and overwrite. It will have a new filesystem written to it, and Windows (with few 3rd party exceptions) will not be able to access it.

Basically, it's like moving a big-screen TV into your room. You need to move other stuff around to make room for it.


FC does not support Reiser. However, the only difference between ext2 and ext3 is that ext3 has a reserved space for journalling. You can take an ext3 drive and use it in ext2 mode - it is the same, but the space for the journal is unused (writes directly to the data area). Use ext3, as the journal makes it more robust to errors (poweroff, etc.).

If you don't have (or want to pay for, or warez) any partitioning tools, the Knoppix LiveCD offers qtparted, which is an easy-to-use drive partitioning app. 100% legal to use. There is no need I can think of to warez in the world of Open Source. Software that you may want to buy is often reasonably priced (CrossOver Office comes to mind).



EDIT: I need to learn to be less wordy. A whole conversation is happening while I am typing...

Ive got a 80GB WD at the mo (Seagate is in process of RMA)

NTFS 44.2GB Partiton for XP
EXT3 30.2GB For Fedora Core 3

Don't format for Linux.

Let the installer format for you.



EDIT: There. Short and to the point.

Wait... So have I done everything right at the moment... or wrong? Im confused

I have the FC3 DVD ISO Burnt and ready to go.

My 80GB in 2 Partitions (As above)

I used Partiton magic 8 to format the 30.2GB partition from NTFS (Used for testing Longhorn) and formatted to Linux EXT3.

... Is that ok... or wrong?

Thats right, now boot off the fedora dvd, and let it do its thing on the NON XP partition. Then you're all set

LoL yeh I know to install it on the G Partition

Ok thanks for all your help. Ill do this tomorrow morning when I get up

Gunna do a bit reading about it now and look for some pics

Hypo took the LINUX plunge
im waiting to put it on my second rig and that is gonna be dedicated to MAYA 6 ( oooh i soo cant wait)

Hmmm... First thing we need to change is this habit of calling partitions by those arbitrary Windows letters.

Linux uses a direct identification type of system.

/dev/hda (device hard drive a) is your master drive on your primary IDE
/dev/hdb is your slave drive on your primary IDE
/dev/hdc is your master drive on your secondary IDE
/dev/hdd is your slave drive on your secondary IDE

And, as you partition the drives, the first partition is numbered, starting at 1.

So, for most Windows users, /dev/hda1 is their "C:" drive. However, many OEM builds have a "hidden"
partition for storing some system data. This is usually the first partition, /dev/hda1, which pushes the "C:" drive to /dev/hda2. To me, the Windows way gets confusing, and when you add a drive, and some of your letters change (and cause problems) demonstrates that there is ambiguity about the lettering system that Microsoft uses. Once used to /dev/hda1 type of identification, things are more clear as to what is going where.

Whatever I did. I did it wrong.

I got it installed, all was fine... very strange. Etc. I didnt know how to set up my modem.

Rebooted. My ntoskrnl was corrupt or missing.
Did windows setup, I had 3 partitions (im suppose to have 2)

Umm so yeh. Whatever I did i did it wrong big style. Just had to format, lost everything. Didnt back up either.

Im not blaming Linux in anyway. It was my fault.

Great start to the day.

I wish you would have posted here before reformatting/reinstalling. It was likely fixable (depending on the options you did choose). As long as Windows was bootable after you manually made room, then the Linux install will leave your Windows partiton(s) alone. It will optionally write to the MBR, but that can be un-done to reboot in Windows-only mode, if needed.

Well I did a personal Install. It booted ok in FC3... I had a little look around. Couldnt figure out what 'Ethernet Adapter' my modem was (Its a usb one and hardware viewer had it listed) so i found the turn off thing...

Did that powered up, then you have like 3 or 5 seconds when Fedora boots to change it, i did other which was windows, then it said the file was missing and it wouldnt boot.

It confused me.

Plus, my modem wasnt working with my laptop to get on here and post

ok so lets see here. first off to change the grub time to select a different OS, as root you simply need to edit /etc/grub.conf and change timeout=5 to a higher number.

Ok....if you did something incorrect just remember to install windows and then linux. i recomend doing a manual partition in fedora instead of an autopartition. I also recomend to give yourself at least 3 partitons. swap (size of ram to double size of ram), / (thats your root partition...I give myself 5-10GB there typically) and a /home (to keep your data in so if something is messed up and you need to reinstall you don't lose it). Ethernet cards under linux are /dev/ethx where x is number 0,1,2,3,etc....

if you need assistance setting up your network card you can run system-config-network and configure things in there.

I have a question: I have two drives. The primary is Windows XP and I want to install FC3 on the secondary. Do I let the install put GRUB in the MBR of the primary hard drive? Or do I have to do the advanced options to get GRUB to allow me to boot into XP or Fedora?

Well, if you let it put GRUB into the MBR of your boot drive, your dual-boot will be handled by GRUB, with nothing else to do.

If you put it into your Linux drive, then you will have to manually set up Windows' boot.ini to dual boot for you. You will need to still copy your GRUB executable code from the Linux drive and into your Windows drive, so your boot.ini can point to it (boot.ini cannot point to a filesystem it doesn't understand). This procedure is here:
http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux/grub-w2k-HOWTO.html

Thanks for the quick reply markjensen. I appreciate it.

Another question: After installing GRUB on the primary drive (Windows XP), can I then install System Commander (on the primary) or some other boot manager if I decide I don't like using GRUB?

you should be able to....i'd make a grub boot disk backup just to play it safe but I see no reason why it wouldn't work.

Maybe. But, why would you want to go through extra steps (and risk of making a non-bootable system) to replace one boot manager with another?

A boot manager does a very basic job - it lets you pick one OS from a list, then boots it.

nice..... hope u got ur fedora running now.

You're absolutely right. I was just being lazy. I know how to edit the settings in System Commander but not GRUB. I guess I should just figure out how to edit the GRUB settings.

How do I change the default timeout?

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/R...bootloader.html
or
man grub

It will tell you all you need to know.

(Linux configurations are almost invariably stored in text files, making adjustments easy. In the case of GRUB, it is in /etc/grub/grub.conf, I believe. It should be pretty easy to find, once yuo get use to the unix filesystem)

Of course. Sorry for the laziness. Always use man when possible!

Its not "supported" but it is included. According to fedorafaq.org:

That's all right.

As it turns out, reciting from memory was a bad thing for me to do.

The grub.conf file is here: /boot/grub/grub.conf. However, there is a symbolic link (which is just as editable and for many purposes is the same file) in /etc/grub.conf.

An edit of that file will show you the line that says
timeout=xx

And my advice to man grub doesn't really help you much. Unless you follow the advice in there to do an info grub and then read through that rather long manual.

I think I was just being a bit cranky back there....