this is my question...

[jbell]

I have a 40Gig HD partitioned as 8.5G and 31.5G, I am using WinME as my main OS and my D drive is basically 10gigs of MP3s and file backup for friends and family.

I want Linux... I see mandrake is very popular in reccomendation for beginers such as I, How do I go about setting it up? doesn't it require 3 partitions?

[FerrariF50]

I want my Damn C Drive to be partitioned!!! I can partition Drive D (spare drive) Like crazy but I can't do a damn thing to my main hard drive Drive C when it restarts it gives me this error:


Error 2003: While executing Batch

Error 2003: File size does not match FAT allocation file

[jbell]

Originally posted by FerrariF50
I want my Damn C Drive to be partitioned!!! I can partition Drive D (spare drive) Like crazy but I can't do a damn thing to my main hard drive Drive C when it restarts it gives me this error:


Error 2003: While executing Batch

Error 2003: File size does not match FAT allocation file

What OS are you running? do you have partition magic?

[jbell]

Nice avatar! I see you removed all your hair now...

[FerrariF50]

Originally posted by jbell


What OS are you running? do you have partition magic?


Windows 98 and yes I have partition magic

[David]

Originally posted by jbell
I have a 40Gig HD partitioned as 8.5G and 31.5G, I am using WinME as my main OS and my D drive is basically 10gigs of MP3s and file backup for friends and family.

I want Linux... I see mandrake is very popular in reccomendation for beginers such as I, How do I go about setting it up? doesn't it require 3 partitions?

Right, there are two possiblities:

1. You will need either to use GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader), or put a 20MB partition within the first 1024 cylinders of your HDD ( ~8000MB).

You will need a swap partition:
If your RAM <= 128MB, then go for a 192MB swap partition, if you have >128MB RAM but <256MB, use a 128MB swap partition. If you have >256mb ram then use a 64MB swap partition.

You will need a main linux disk, called a root filesystem . This should be bigger than 2G. So your setup just now is it?:

21.5G C: | 10G D: | 8.5G E: ?

If this is correct, then use a bootdisk, and use partition magic to split your C: drive into 7900MB and ~14600MB. Then split your 14600 into a 20MB and a ~14580MB partitions.
Split e: (thge drive you wish to use for linux?) into a swap partition (size depends on RAM, see above) and the rest for a root partition. Thus your disk will be:

7.9GB C: | 20MB /boot |14.6GB D: | 10GB E: (the old D) | swap partition | root partition


I know this is kinda difficult but if oyu give me a more detailed info on your HDD layout.

[FerrariF50]

maybe I could not make the partition because my drive was over 1024 cyclinders...thats what partition magic said.....But anyway...The hard drive is a Ibm 16.6 GB total......I never heard of that Grub thing..


Originally posted by penguinfreak


Right, there are two possiblities:

1. You will need either to use GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader), or put a 20MB partition within the first 1024 cylinders of your HDD ( ~8000MB).

You will need a swap partition:
If your RAM <= 128MB, then go for a 192MB swap partition, if you have >128MB RAM but <256MB, use a 128MB swap partition. If you have >256mb ram then use a 64MB swap partition.

You will need a main linux disk, called a root filesystem . This should be bigger than 2G. So your setup just now is it?:

21.5G C: | 10G D: | 8.5G E: ?

If this is correct, then use a bootdisk, and use partition magic to split your C: drive into 7900MB and ~14600MB. Then split your 14600 into a 20MB and a ~14580MB partitions.
Split e: (thge drive you wish to use for linux?) into a swap partition (size depends on RAM, see above) and the rest for a root partition. Thus your disk will be:

7.9GB C: | 20MB /boot |14.6GB D: | 10GB E: (the old D) | swap partition | root partition


I know this is kinda difficult but if oyu give me a more detailed info on your HDD layout.

[David]

GRUB is a bootloader. If you use >1 OS then this gives you the option of which one to boot. The most common is LILO, there is also GRUB and CHOS and Syslinux.

For a 16GB HDD I would reccomend a 50:50 approach.
(16384MB if may maths is correct...)


8000MB C: | 20MB /boot | 192MB swap | the rest - /

[FerrariF50]

Sorry if I asked this before but....So how do I go about to make the partition?


Originally posted by penguinfreak
GRUB is a bootloader. If you use >1 OS then this gives you the option of which one to boot. The most common is LILO, there is also GRUB and CHOS and Syslinux.

For a 16GB HDD I would reccomend a 50:50 approach.
(16384MB if may maths is correct...)


8000MB C: | 20MB /boot | 192MB swap | the rest - /

[David]

Get hold of a linux distro and look for FIPS. Copy it to a floppy and also make a boot floppy.

Boot off the DOS floppy and use FIPS on drive C:

First of all split C: into an 8000MB and 14000MB APPROX partitions. Then split the approx 8GB one into a 20MB and a ~7980MB one.

Use DOS fdisk to remove the partition you wish to use for linux. Make a swap and a linux root partition.

OR

- use Partition magic (easier)

[jbell]

partitionmagic is the only option due to the amount of MP3's and progz I have installed.

[jbell]

Thanks for the advice *bows to all linux masters*

[David]

Originally posted by jbell
Thanks for the advice *bows to all linux masters*

Thanks. I wouldn't call myself a master, but I aim to get there ;-)

[jbell]

Originally posted by penguinfreak


Thanks. I wouldn't call myself a master, but I aim to get there ;-)

...But I can still hit ya up for questions right?? lol I get my Mandrake 8.1 this week. I made a small donation of $25 and got the 3 cd set...