moose_2006 Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 I have decided that I am ready to delve into the wonderful world of Linux! But before I start, I have a few questions. Mind you they are newb, so please do not laugh. The only way to learn is to ask and experience, and I really want to learn! I'll try not to sound TOO stupid for ya! :D So first of all, I do know a fair amount about computers! I am not a huge computer newb, just a Linux newb. I know that compared to you guys I really do suck, but I really think I am ready for Linux. So keep in mind that I'm not a complete idiot. So here are the questions: 1. How can I put two OSs on the same computer. I'm in the process of building a computer, and I have Windows XP Professional ready to put on there. I figure this is the perfect time to start learning Linux since I'll start off with a clean slate. But I don't want a Linux-only computer while just learning. I want it so when it boots up I have a choice between starting in Windows XP Pro or my chosen Linux OS. Is this possible and how could I go about it? 2. Today I was looking at the Sams Red Hat Linux 9.0 book. It was a big, red book and it looked quite good. It also came with Red Hat 9.0 so I figured it was worth it. But I'm wondering (a) Is this a good book to start learning Linux with? And (b) Is Red Hat Linux 9.0 a good choice for newbs like me? It was 50 bucks for the book and the OS. 3. I don't quite understand the advantages of Linux. I know that it's more secure and what-not, but isn't there a severe limit on what applications you can install on it? Programs, for example, always say it's compatible with Windows and Mac. But it NEVER says Linux! Does this mean that they are not compatible with Linux? If so, I really don't see what Linux is good for. 4. Say it is possible for me to put XP Pro and Linux on one computer. Will I still be able to network it with this computer that has ME on it? Or do Linux and Windows not get along? :unsure: 5. How exactly hard is Linux to get used to? I am willing to devote a lot of time to learning it, but I'm wondering if it really is EXTREMELY tough? I know it doesn't look easy, but it does look fun. :) Summary: 1. Can I put XP Pro and Red Hat 9.0 on the same computer and be able to choose which one to boot with when I turn the computer on? 2. Is Sam's Red Hat Linux 9.0 a good beginning book? And is Red Hat Linux 9.0 a good OS to start with? 3. What are the advantages of Linux and what sort of programs does it support? 4. Can I network computers with Linux on one and Windows on the other? 5. How hard is it to get used to if I'm willing to devote a lot of time into learning it? Please help answer these questions and thank you for all replies! I appreciate your time very much!!! Moose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kongit Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 1) yes, and this is easy. when you get to this point ask for help and it will be given 2) yes this is a good book. However redhat is discontinuing support for redhat 9 later this year. I suggest using fedora. fedora is a good initial install for a beginner. Another choice is mandrake. While the distro with the book might not be your best choice the book should help with fedora since fedora could be described as redhat 10. 3) The biggest advantage I have found is the relative safety from computer viruses. Almost every type of program besides games can be found for linux (there are games for linux, but there aren't nearly as many as for windows). Most programs for linux are Free. 4) Samba will let you network windows and linux computers 5) It shouldn't be that hard. There is a steep curve because of the inherent differences between windows and linux, however fedora and mandrake have both made this curve relatively small. I don't think you will to much difficulty (if any) if you are willing to put time into learning linux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose_2006 Posted April 10, 2004 Author Share Posted April 10, 2004 So you suggest using that Sams Red Hat 9.0 BOOK but getting Mandrake instead? (I think I'll probably get Mandrake over Fedora) And where can I get a copy of Mandrake, anyhow?? Thanks for all your help, man! Moose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt74441 Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 Don't worry about it. When I had my first go at Linux, I had no idea what the hell I was doing, but it didn't take me long to get it all figured out. http://www.linux-mandrake.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR_Candyman Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 about the programs NEVER being available for linux issue, well, certain programs aren't, but if you look around you'll always find something just as good or even better for linux than the program you wanted for windows. Many new programs are even being written to work with both. For instance, scummvm (www.scummvm.org) is written to work with linux, mac, and windows to be able to run games, classic lucartarts games specifically, from all those formats plus amiga and atari. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daem0hn Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 alright, yes, it is possible (and easy with the redhat/fedora installer) i would suggest installing linux FIRST (iff nessesary use the linux fdisk utility to create partitions) if you install linux after windows, some of my friends have encountered problems with windows i woudl suggest installing winxp on a fat partition, not an ntfs because linux is a little buggy when reading and writing ntfs i would use fedora, just download it, its free, i wouldnt buy the book, really all teh learning that can be done with linux is from trial and error and experience, also theres plenty of help in linux and on the web nope, liunux is easy, i find it more structured than windows (slap me and call me a turkey but i used windows the other day, tried to do some configureations, IT WAS SOO HARD, BAH) umm, where was i oh yess, linux and windows can network, a program called Samba shoudl come installed (if you tell it to install) with fedora, im not sure about mandrake, but i reccomend fedora for newbs, and gentoo for more experienced users uhh, oh and the hardware, MOST hardware will work on linux, the only things that wont are some printers, some scanners, and the very newest videocards / other stuff on teh market because 3rd party drivers have to be written, if the thing is more than 6 months old and isnt some kind of scanner-printer combo or custom hardware device (like microsoft sidewinders or steering wheels, etc) then im nearly 100% sure that some portition of it will work (ive had microsoft stuff working on my linux box) sorry about the out of order questions Summary 1) yep, its easy 2) i recommend fedora (what used to be redhat) 3) most hardware will work, the only things that wont are custom/special hardware (steeringwheels, sidewinders, printer-scanner combos, joysticks, game pads, drawing tablets) 4) use Samba 5) quite easy, even configuration is easy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsquirle Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 1) Yes, I do this on my laptop. I first installed Windows, then I installed Linux with Lilo. So now Lilo shows up every time I turn my laptop on and asks me which OS to boot. 2) I started to actually use linux with Fedora. (I had experimented before with an early version of Red Hat.) But now I'm using Mandrake 9.2 and I think it's also a good distro to learn with. 3) the programs, For most of the Windows programs there's a program for Linux. And if you realy want too, you can try to get Windows programs working under Linux with Wine. 4) Samba will do that for you. 5) It's not that hard to learn linux. You'll have to search for some settings, ask people about things, try things... Like any other OS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordHatrus Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 All your questions have BEEN answered... but Btw, go with Fedora, not Red Hat 9.0. It's the exact same thing, but just free-r, (free as in freedom, as well as free as in free beer) and its much newer than RH 9.0. (And its still by the Red Hat company, with all the non-commercial red hat parts) That said, its not hard at all to START with linux, and you will only start to learn its intracacies (I can't spell that ;) ) when you try to do something you never did before in Windows. Also, when you install either, you want to do the CUSTOM installation, and make sure to include Kernel Source and its libraries, because it will make it much easier to update and compile a new kernel (When you feel you are ready to compile a new kernel) In Red Hat 9, you'll need to update a gazzillion libraries before you get to the new kernel, but not so in Fedora. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cork1958 Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 I tried Suse Pro 8.2 awhile back and just couldn't get into it. My brother has recommended trying a live evaluation version of Knoppix. I downloaded it yesterday. What's the opinions of that? BTW, I was told to install Linux first before XP when dual booting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dduardo Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 Daem0hn, you never install linux first. Windows likes to take over the system and write to the mbr and such. 1. Start Installation of Windows XP 2. When it gets to the part where they ask you about the partitions, create an ntfs parition as big as you like. Also create a fat32 partition if you plan on transfering files from linux to window and vice-versa. Finally make sure there is an empty paritition that isn't formated and that willl be where linux is installed 3. Fiinish Windows XP install 4. Start Installation of Linux. 5. When you get to the part where they ask you about the partition, fedora and mandrake ask you if you want to use the empty paritions or previous linux parititions as the place to install. Choose this option 6. Later in the install it will ask you which boot loader you want. Select grub or lilo and tell it to install it on the mbr 7. Make sure you make a rescue floppy if anything goes wrong 8. Finish installation of linux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted April 10, 2004 Veteran Share Posted April 10, 2004 My Answers & Advice: 1. Can I put XP Pro and Red Hat 9.0 on the same computer and be able to choose which one to boot with when I turn the computer on? Yes, but install Windows first! The advice to install Linux first will require more work on your part. However, that poster mentioned partitioning XP to not use all of the Hard Drive; EXCELLENT advice there! Use fdisk (in DOS or Linux) to partition all but maybe 5-30GB for Linux, depending on what you want to install/do in Linux. 2. Is Sam's Red Hat Linux 9.0 a good beginning book? And is Red Hat Linux 9.0 a good OS to start with?I don't have that specific book, I bought a different Sams book and was disappointed. I hear good things about Sams, though, and maybe the book I got was inappropriate for me. It should be a good starter book, and once you learn a bit about Linux, you can find another book that helps you learn new things. Your choice in distro (RH9) is ok, but Fedora Core 1 would still match the book, plus be more current (less updates for vunerabilities/improvements). Mandrake is fine, too, but avoid 10 for now. It isn't quite officially released for general use, and you can see many threads here with various issues. I have used 9.2 and like that. The advantage of the included CD-ROMs is for people on dial-up connections. 3. What are the advantages of Linux and what sort of programs does it support? For me, the advantage of Linux isn't the security or stability. It is the freedom that Linux gives me. Unlike how I have ever felt in Windows, I control my computer. I choose exactly what gets installed, and how it is configured. If I don't like a particular program, I don't install it. If I want to be a print/file/web/ftp/dhcp/whatever server, I can set that up, too. Programs (a bunch of them) are on your CDs to install, or you can google for others at http://google.com/linux or go to http://sourceforge.net for programs. Linux was built on the internet, and the internet remains the best source for Linux programs. Commercial games are the current weak point with Linux. But, it doesn't bother me, as I am 37 and have outgrown buying a $3000 machine to play games. 4. Can I network computers with Linux on one and Windows on the other? Yes, you can easily access a 'shared' folder/drive on a Windows PC. You can also start up a Samba server on your Linux PC, and share your Linux files to your Windows PC. Sharing a printer is done the exact same way. When you boot into Linux, you can also read your existing files on the Windows partition. That is, if you created a Word document while in Windows, you can read it, edit it, and sent it out to a friend while in Linux. (saving is a more complicated matter, but generally yes you can, more specific answers can be given based on your situation) 5. How hard is it to get used to if I'm willing to devote a lot of time into learning it? If you are willing to accept that Linux is not Windows, then you are already there! The rest will be easy. That means that you don't freak out when you look at the directory structure and see that all of your executeables are stored in one nice location, all of the source code is stashed away neatly elsewhere, and so on. Think of Windows using a vertical file system (a program folder will contain everything, which is a lie, as stuff gets scattered into /windows/system32 and other places, including the registry!), and Linux layed out horizontally (all the binaries on one place, the man pages in another, etc.). Just my thoughts on the matter... :) Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fukachu Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 just on the networking issue. i had my main xp box running and installed mandrake 10 on my other box and everything was set up for me in the install, didnt even ask me about it. as soon as i was into mandrake i was browsing the internet and downloading my favourite browser (firefox) so for a newb i can strongly suggest getting mandrake. i've found it the easiest for me to use out or redhat 9, slackware 9 and peanut 9 i think it was. cheers Fizical Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose_2006 Posted April 10, 2004 Author Share Posted April 10, 2004 Where can I download and/or find information/help on Fedora? And how exactly can I download and install an OPERATING SYSTEM?! It sounds odd to me. Moose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted April 10, 2004 Veteran Share Posted April 10, 2004 Official Fedora Site: http://fedora.redhat.com Support Sites: http://fedora.artoo.net http://fedoraforum.org And downoading: http://linuxiso.org (among many others) Installing is a breeze! It is actually the least difficult part of the process (usually). It is best if you make room on your drive with Partition Magic, or use a separate hard drive. When you do it, I recommend writing the boot info to the Master Boot Record (MBR) on your boot drive (/dev/hda). GRUB (or LILO) will take care of allowing you to select Linux or WIndows when you boot. If you have any other questions or problems, this is a GREAT site to ask for help! :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose_2006 Posted April 11, 2004 Author Share Posted April 11, 2004 Problem: I'm right here now http://linuxiso.org/distro.php?distro=64. I think this is where I need to be to download it. But there's a lot of different things here and I don't know which one(s) I need to download. Plus they're all over 650 megs and I'm on dial-up. So.... Which one(s) do I need to dl? Moose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powerless Posted April 11, 2004 Share Posted April 11, 2004 Fedora Project - Yarrow Install Disk 1 Fedora Project - Yarrow Install Disk 2 Fedora Project - Yarrow Install Disk 3 56K? Don't bother, get someone with BB to do it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted April 11, 2004 Veteran Share Posted April 11, 2004 Plus they're all over 650 megs and I'm on dial-up. YIKES! :o Get a friend to download (and md5sum) them for you! :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiNZ Posted April 11, 2004 Share Posted April 11, 2004 Problem: I'm right here now http://linuxiso.org/distro.php?distro=64. I think this is where I need to be to download it. But there's a lot of different things here and I don't know which one(s) I need to download. Plus they're all over 650 megs and I'm on dial-up. So....Which one(s) do I need to dl? Moose Hunt around on the Net for a supplier in your country that sells pre-downloaded CD's , example I purchased here in New Zealand all 4 Mandrake 10CE disks for $12 NZD and Fedora $12.95NZD. I have broadband but at those prices its not worth the hassle down loading and burning the ISO's myself. As for doing it on a 56k dial up that would be a mission and a half Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose_2006 Posted April 11, 2004 Author Share Posted April 11, 2004 YIKES! :oGet a friend to download (and md5sum) them for you! :yes: Ummm...what's md5sum??? :whistle: Moose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordHatrus Posted April 11, 2004 Share Posted April 11, 2004 Ummm...what's md5sum??? :whistle: Moose It's a kind of 'key' that is UNIQUELY GENERATED to each file. So you KNOW your download is not corrupt. (Its a little more technical, but I'm not going all detail-y here) basically you generate an md5sum from the file you have, and see if it matches the md5sum the server says it should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted April 11, 2004 Veteran Share Posted April 11, 2004 (edited) Ummm...what's md5sum??? :whistle: Moose And, if you are using Windows, and want (need?) to download a md5sum program that works, OpenOffice.org contains links to the only one I have personally used when I am forced (kicking and screaming) to work on a Windows system. Link [EDIT: fixed bad link :blush: ] Edited April 11, 2004 by markjensen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose_2006 Posted April 15, 2004 Author Share Posted April 15, 2004 Alright, a friend of mine said he will do it for me. But I need to know one more thing before he starts. Does it matter if he burns them on CD-Rs? Or do they have to be on CD-RWs? I'm guessing it doesn't matter but I figured it didn't hurt to ask. So...can I give him CD-Rs to burn the three Fedora ISO images on? Thanks! Moose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kongit Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 yep CD-Rs are just fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug0049 Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 As far as I know all CDs are the same. I even put Data on audio CDs and it works fine :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Derf Veteran Posted April 15, 2004 Veteran Share Posted April 15, 2004 As far as I know all CDs are the same. I even put Data on audio CDs and it works fine :-) CD-RW media is erasable. CD-Rs are not. Audio CDs are just tested to a higher standard for premium audio quality or something to that effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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