[shenberry]

I want to install the latest versions of Suse, Ubuntu, Knoppix and Mandrake.
Can I install them however i want and do they all have lilo?

I used Redhat, Ubuntu, and Slackware that was some time ago, since windows dominatres I could never learn everything about them. From what I hear those four are the easiest and you can only have 4 primary partitions on a single hard drive.

Using windows you have to install the latest version first: 95, 98, Me, XP, Vista in order to get them to work properly. Is that the same with linux? Even though I have used Linux before i never setup it up, it has always been done by soemone else.

Do they all use Lilo and do they all need swap drives, or can i create a dynamic swap drive that they all connect to, since they will be on the same drive. Thank you and i know this will turn heads. I have three weeks of freedom so I want to be tied down with learning linux all over again

[Juan Pablo]

Can I install them however i want and do they all have lilo?

All them use GRUB now, LILO is now pretty obsolete, there's no Mandrake now, they merged with Conectiva and we have Mandriva now which is very nice and easy.

you can only have 4 primary partitions on a single hard drive.

That is true, but Linux doesn't need a primary partition,you can create 3 primaries and a extended where you can create as much partitions as yo want.

Using windows you have to install the latest version first: 95, 98, Me, XP, Vista in order to get them to work properly. Is that the same with linux?

I haven't heard that, do you mean overwriting the previous? Or setting multiple boot with NTLDR.EXE?
I would setup Knoppix first and then the rest in any order

Do they all use Lilo and do they all need swap drives, or can i create a dynamic swap drive that they all connect to, since they will be on the same drive

As I mentioned before, LILO is obsolete now. If you have more than one gig in RAM you don't need any swap. If you don't, you can create just one swap and all distros will use it.

[shenberry]

Originally Posted by Juan Pablo

If you have more than one gig in RAM you don't need any swap.

Thanks wasn't aware of that, I have a gig of ram but it reads as .99 Gig go figure. Darn didn't know they stop updating some, now I have to do more research on which distros are being updated.

If you do Windows out of order, you have to wait until it checks the other partitions, really hectic and long process, but I only use Xp now and in no rush to get Vista.

Never heard of Grub, can it boot Windows also, can i install it during setup?

[smolloy]

Originally Posted by shenberry

Never heard of Grub, can it boot Windows also, can i install it during setup?

Grub is the standard bootloader on most new distros nowadays, and will normally be installed during setup. You'll probably be given a few options to configure it, and the installer will do the rest.

[shenberry]

GRUB Legacy is no longer being developed. For the differences between GRUB Legacy and GRUB 2, please visit their respective pages.

from http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/

Now I am confused am I looking at the right site or are all distros come with GRUB 2

Is their a difference between SUSE and openSUSE i want to install that one first, when i start my self comparison.

Is their a link that breaks down the different GUI in Linux: KDE,.flashbox, blackbox, etc. Sorry if I spelled those wrong don't remember or know which one or in use now, or what their purpose is anymore. If their is a link that breaks each one down I will like to have it. Thank you

[smolloy]

www.distrowatch.org is good place to start. It breaks down all the software used by all the distros, and has links to reviews of the different versions, plus links to download sites.

[shenberry]

3 minute response time smolloy wow. If my cable provider gave me an answer in three minutes or at least took me off of hold in three minutes, life would be great. Thanks for the site I will do some research, while downloading Suse.

[smolloy]

Originally Posted by shenberry

3 minute response time smolloy wow. If my cable provider gave me an answer in three minutes or at least took me off of hold in three minutes, life would be great. Thanks for the site I will do some research, while downloading Suse.

I aim to please

[shenberry]

Great I have SUSE up and running, not like i want it, but i will worry about minor problems later.

I have been reading some notes about Ubuntu, it seems like it is only can be used as a live cd. Is this true? Is their no way to save a boot file for Ubuntu without having to rely on the cd?

[smolloy]

Ubuntu can be used as a fully installed OS. In fact, it is much more common to use it as a full OS, rather than a LiveCD.

If you're looking for a good LiveCD (everyone should have one to save them when they mess something up and their computer is no longer bootable) then have a look at Knoppix.