Installed Linux, major hardware changes?

[needy]

I'd like to know about the capabilities for hardware change under perhaps related circumstances. There might be a point of which distro is involved but I'd like a general guide.

If a happy setup on a hard disk is swapped out into a maybe slightly different pc, is Linux just going to detect the changed gear and apply modules as required?

The scene might be some or all present hardware deceased so transferring to same type of cpu but newer version or different mobo, same graphics (though if diff a change via sax would be done) diff sound, maybe lan card.

Where a bigger hard disk is required and more space in some partitions, is it as easy as using a 3rd party app to clone the non-mounted old hdd over to the new and then increase a partitions space?

Here, if I had different partitions for /boot /home /user /others I know they'd still have their form like /dev/hda1,5,6,7 but is there a problem if in extending the space that perhaps hda6,7 are now physically at different disk sectors?

I've thought that Linux is good for recognising hardware at install so you could put any extra cards in at once, whereas windows can be upset unless extras are added 1 at a time.

[Roxoff]

Here's my experience of Linux on this front:

I installed my home media centre not all that long ago. I used Fedora 6 (the current flavour when I did this), and just after installing it and getting all working with my video and music NFS directories on the server, and with the installed hardware inclucing video card, sound card and tv set, I had the opportunity to upgrade a different computer in the house. This meant I suddenly had a newer faster processor and video card available, and more memory than the bits I'd currently got in the media centre.

I just tugged out the guts of the computer, and replaced it wholesale. The only things that were the same after this change were the digital TV card, the hard disk and the case/psu. I powered it up and everything worked first time - no config needed to the machine itself. The only problem I had was the on-board network card being assigned the IP address I bound to its network MAC by my DHCP server in the cellar, and that had nothing to do with this computer, it was a LAN config problem.

I've done this to other (lesser) operating systems before and completely trashed the system.

You may be able to successfully move the hard disk over, you'll probably need some kind of recovery disk to re-install grub or lilo though. Whenever I've done this, I've always found it eaiser to re-install the operating system and copy over the data and config you want to keep (look up 'cp -a ...', it does the job very very nicely). This has the added advantage of purging out of your system any old config for old services or hardware that are no longer in use.

[Lordshooter]

Hello needy.

Your case description sounds a little complicated and confusing.

It would be good, another time, to "chop up" the different issues into smaller portions. Nevertheless, I can try:

1.) Basically, there are no general answers/solutions.

2.) Each task/problem/piece of hard ware has to be looked at separetly, and be treated differently.

3.) Most important at first, is to do updated backups of you existing data/files, before you do any manipulations/actions/changements.

4.) There exists a program for resizing partitions: Have a look at that. And it probably will be of good use for you.

5.) Generally spoken, there is not much hardware around, which is out of the box compatible with Linux: Mostly you will have look for drivers that some volunteers of the Linux-community have written. So it will be a struggle in most cases, but the more often you have to install hardware, the easier it gets, because you know the sources and the procedurs and methods for doing the settings.

6.) On the other hand there are Linux-distros that have a better hard ware detection than others. For example, "SimplyMEPIS"/Linux is known for a very good capability for hard ware detection.

7.) If you are considering buying new equipement, all sorts of hardware, and possibly new HDD's, I would try to get them allready for the future to come:
I know they are expensive at the moment, but worth every cent: SSD, instead of buying HDD. Of cours, if you need more storage space, you have to get a HDD.
A interesting solution would be, to have a silent SSD intern, and the "noisy" HDD's exteren, so you could plug a few out, when not needed at that time. Just to get close to a so called "silent pc".
So there are many ways to do things.
You can get mostely any piece of hardware running with your system, if you have enough time to find the right drivers/files and get some good info and support from members.

All in all: You can mix and swap all kind of things. Just with Linux it will take more work and time, because not already configured/not working "out of the box", like Windows. But with time, it will get better for Linux, form the hard ware point of view. Because manufacturers are getting more Linux conscious, etc.

If setting up a new computer, system, computer-workstation, try to build for the future to come, think ahead, build in features, you might not be able to use now, but later, when software gets better and supports all of the features your hardware offers, would enable.

Kind regards,
Alexander

[needy]

hi roxoff

I just tugged out the guts of the computer, and replaced it wholesale. The only things that were the same after this change were the digital TV card, the hard disk and the case/psu. I powered it up and everything worked first time -

yes, that's what I mean where Linux will be able to recognise new changes.

the part about only changing the hdd for a larger

you'll probably need some kind of recovery disk to re-install grub or li

it would be Grub and is that because it needs to reevaluate the partitions layout?

Lordshooter

ok, a bit of misunderstanding I don't think I'll be going for Solid State Disks if that's what you mean.

[Lordshooter]

Hi needy.

There is no "general guide".

And there is no general solution.

And no Linux distro will automatically find all of your hardware, maybe some of it.

Each component will have to be looked at separately. Mostely you will have find drivers to install it, because you won' be able to install the hard ware "out of the box" as works mostly with Windows. That is the fact and the answer. There are no wonders: Only painstaking work, research and looking for drivers and getting help from the forums. A lot of work. Sometimes you will be lucky, and Linux will detect your hard ware, but not too often.

For example, the Linux operation system "SimplyMEMPIS" has a very good capability for detecting hardware.

Good look.

You are smart, and know quite a lot of things about computers, so you will be familiar with Linux, within very short time. No problems, from that point of view.
Don't worry, be happy.

Kind regards,
Alexander

[Roxoff]

it would be Grub and is that because it needs to reevaluate the partitions layout?

When you change hard disks the disk geometry and partition layout is almost always different. The general process for fixing grub is to boot up off a recovery disk and mount your system to a subdirectory (Fedora and RedHat clones do this automatically if it can detect your system and will put it on /mnt/sysimage); then you'd use 'chroot' to go live with your own system and the recovery disks kernel. Next up, you'd just run grub-install to put grub back on your system and reboot. A more detailed guide should be easily Googleable - it's been covered on this forum many times.