Ok, i want to learn Linux and keep on practicing Unix

[naujcdl]

where do i start? i just downloaded the RH 9.1 off some website. I now need to install it. The machine i got is a Dell Latitude c600 with 320MHz of ram, 60Gb hdd. Is this easy to install? I ask this, because i have an external 40 Gb hdd, which i am planning to run Linux on. Although, it will be in external mode, i want to able to run Windows XP professional on the laptop as well off the internal 20Gb hdd (already running, i just need to make sure it works fine with the new installation). As you can see i am very new at Linux, but i know the potential and i want to take full advantage of it.

Thanks.

[blubomber]

If you are new at Linux, you might want to start with Mandrake 9.1 instead of Redhat. Although i have heard that the latest version of RedHat is very good and easy to install, Mandrake has been know to be a good beginner Distro but is still powerfull.

As far as the external drive goes, if you can boot off the external drive then that might work. You will have to check with Redhat or Mandrake to see if the OSs support booting from external drives. If you can do it, just install Linux and tell it to install on the external and Linux will setup the boot menu for you. So that when you turn on your laptop, will have the choice of booting to Linux or Windows.

Good Luck!

[Creatures]

you could also buy Linux like SuSE linux 8.2 it's pretty simple to install and to use, (big manual =) lot to learn )

also some small games and little funny programs, also lot of Windows programs (much better sometimes

it comes with 2 DVDs and 5 CDs (but you can use only the CDs or the DVDs)

Creatures

[SoopaStar]

My suggestion would be to download something like Knoppix and run that for a while to see if you really like it before dedicating a system to it.
Knoppix is a very decent collection that is comes in a ready to boot ISO image. burn the image, set the PC to boot to the CD and you are ready to go and work in a linux system!
Download Knoppix here:
http://www.linuxiso.org/distro.php?distro=44


Paul

[strangerstill]

Yeah, the external drive could well be a problem. You need to go into your laptop's BIOS to see if it supports booting from the external drive. Also, what technology it is attached by (is it a PC card or does it attach to a port?)

Mandrake 9.1 has a newer kernel (2.4.21, RH 9 has 2.4.20) so there is a possibility it could work better in your situation.

The main point is you will need to tell Linux to install onto the external hard disk and put its boot loader there as well, then tell the laptop to boot from that drive. Hopefully that will all work out but if not you could try putting the Linux boot loader on the internal drive and see if it can boot from there with Linux on the external drive.

This isn't Linux's fault its so tricky - the problem is that laptops aren't designed with dual booting in mind... The lilo (inux boot loader) manual is at http://home.san.rr.com/johninsd/pub/...cs/user.pdf.gz so if you're feeling brave you could read that to see if it describes your situation

[dunbar]

SoopaStar has a good plan. Try the Knoppix CD first, it is harmless to your existing Windows installation (until you get to poking around), it is developed from a big distribution (Debian) and uses autodetection for nearly everything. That will essentially 'validate' you hardware: If Knoppix can configure it, then YOU can configure it as well, eventually.

You said "keep on practicing Unix", as in already practicing Unix somewhere. As a user, Unix is pretty tame, for the most part. Putting Linux onto a workstation involves many more skills than a day to day Unix user will have or posess. I've been both, I speak from experience that administering Linux boxes (setting up, configuring and editing same) is vastly different from using Unix.

[naujcdl]

cool, thanks for all the responses. I have taken into account that the external hard drive for my laptop isn't configured, yet. I am just waiting to buy an external hard drive caddy for it. Thanks for your help.

[naujcdl]

OK guys, here is another problem, perhaps some of you have done something about it:

I have a laptop with a 20gb internal hd and a 40gb external hd. The desktop i have has a 40gb hd IDE. The laptop is running the whole 20gb hd with only 8gb free to go...as for the laptop has barely reached the 31gb hd space free for anything.

Thinking about this installation, i preferred to try RedHat 9.0 on the desktop, which arises a little problem. How do i not lose all the data already on those 9gb and still be able to partition enough (10gb for RedHat) on this one hard drive? Please let me know of any possibilities. Thanks.

[Redwolf]

Partition Resizing. the Mandrake and Redhat installers both give you the option of resizing partitions before installing.

[naujcdl]

Thanks, so once i boot the desktop off the RedHat CD, it will give me an option of resize the partitions, right? Thanks a lot for your help. Much appreciated.