Soon to be Linux user with slightly advanced questions

[pmacdonald]

Hello,

I'm new to Linux but am very seasoned in computers. I will be putting Linux on a new laptop which I will be taking to college. I leave for college in 2 1/2 months and will be majoring in Computer Science and Engineering. I have some questions about Linux and I'll try to make this as easy to read as possible:

• When I purchase my laptop it will most likely have either Vista Business or Vista Home Premium on it. I plan to put Vista Ultimate on it because I purchased it when building my custom gaming rig in January. Should I download Vista Ultimate and erase the copy of the other Vista or should I keep both and then install Linux as well?

• I read a few posts on how to install multiple operating systems on a computer and am pretty confused. I'm not great at partitioning hard drives. I was wondering if you had a guide (assuming the person was new to partitioning a hard drive) showing me how to install the separate operating systems?

• I'm the type of person that likes to tinker with things. So when installing Linux on the laptop I'd like it if I could easily install other Linux distributions without too much hassle (I read a post where I'd have to set it to Logical instead of Primary...or something along those lines; but I'm not quite sure how to do that). This way I can try different Linux distributions and figure out which one 'catches my eye'. And I also find doing tasks like this fun.

Laptop Contenders: (any recommendations? - under $800)
Lenovo T500
Dell Latitude E6500
Compal KHLB2 (Sager NP209

Computer Experience:
programming html
programming php (to an extent)
programming c (to an extent...just recently started)
website management
building computers
etc... (not sure how relevant this is but I'm just pointing out that I'm not a stranger to computers)

[rokytnji]

* When I purchase my laptop it will most likely have either Vista Business or Vista Home Premium on it. I plan to put Vista Ultimate on it because I purchased it when building my custom gaming rig in January. Should I download Vista Ultimate and erase the copy of the other Vista or should I keep both and then install Linux as well?

That is up to you. If you have the room on the Hardrive you can do pretty much as you wish. Any Linux Distro will Have plenty of room on a 30 gig partition for a beginner

I read a few posts on how to install multiple operating systems on a computer and am pretty confused. I'm not great at partitioning hard drives. I was wondering if you had a guide (assuming the person was new to partitioning a hard drive) showing me how to install the separate operating systems?

I think these guides/site might be useful for Dual boot installs.

How to dual-boot Vista with Linux (Vista installed first) -- the step-by-step guide with screenshots

The Perfect Desktop - Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) | HowtoForge - Linux Howtos and Tutorials

I'm the type of person that likes to tinker with things. So when installing Linux on the laptop I'd like it if I could easily install other Linux distributions without too much hassle (I read a post where I'd have to set it to Logical instead of Primary...or something along those lines; but I'm not quite sure how to do that). This way I can try different Linux distributions and figure out which one 'catches my eye'. And I also find doing tasks like this fun.

So do I. Though I am just a plain old Home user wth No previious Computer Experience like you have. You see, I just started with Linux. I never got deep into Windows when I powered up my first computer. I had to use Google to figure out how to triple boot and install Linux to external Drives like SD Cards and USB Drives. Lots of trial and error on my end. I don't run Windows except for 2000 Pro which I need to run proprietary software that tunes motorcycle engines.That is the only time I turn Windows on. I use Linux for everything else.

For a good guide I guess on Partitioning,

Modify Your Partitions With GParted Without Losing Data | HowtoForge - Linux Howtos and Tutorials

I am sure some other more adroit members will chime in. By the way,Howdy and Welcome to the Forums. Enjoy your journey through Linux. I know I do.

.

[pmacdonald]

Thanks for the reply and links. Another question arrises though, when I get the laptop it will come with windows already installed on it. So I will have to partion in windows which means I can't used the partitioning guide linked above. Any other tips/tricks?

[saivin]

...when I get the laptop it will come with windows already installed on it. So I will have to partion in windows which means I can't used the partitioning guide linked above. Any other tips/tricks?

Yes, thats a genuine concern. The hardware vendors do not seperate data from OS. Most of the time it will just be a single (C:\ ) drive on the whole disk.

But with GParted live-cd its not a big issue. You can boot straight off the cd and upon GUI start, you are presented with partitioner program. You can choose to 'resize' the existing partition. Since its a fresh install of windows you probably would not have put a lot of programs or personal data to worry much. Also, as it's a GUI application, most of the steps are pretty self explanatory. In case you have any problem you are always welcome here.

[computerophil]

Hello,

• When I purchase my laptop it will most likely have either Vista Business or Vista Home Premium on it. I plan to put Vista Ultimate on it because I purchased it when building my custom gaming rig in January. Should I download Vista Ultimate and erase the copy of the other Vista or should I keep both and then install Linux as well?

I'd keep the original OS on it. Imagine for the case there come up some problems (e.g. the downloaded one doesn't work) you might have difficulties to reestablish original OS (most laptops now don't come with an operating system CD)

• I read a few posts on how to install multiple operating systems on a computer and am pretty confused. I'm not great at partitioning hard drives. I was wondering if you had a guide (assuming the person was new to partitioning a hard drive) showing me how to install the separate operating systems?

There is no need for that. You'll see it isn't difficult.
With most LiveCDs there comes a program called GParted.
It is intuitively to use (looks quite similar to Windows Partition Magic)
There are a view thing you should know when you work with linux.

You may not have more than 4 primary partitions per HDD.
Usually the first (which is also bootpartition) is used for Windows if you want multiboot solution.
In the second Primary (which works as an extended Partition) there will be implemented the virtual Partitions (for data and/or linuxes)
the third Primary is used for Linux-Swap
The fourth Primary is traditionally kept free for Solaris.

Linux counts hda1 to hda4 for the Primaries and starts with hda5 for the virtual Partitions.
So often you don't have a hda4 even if you have hda5 and hda6.


Linux doesn't have problems with FAT and NTFS but Windows does have problems with ext3 and so on.
That's way a datapartition should be ntfs so you have access from both OSs.

SWAP used to be twice the RAM but PCs nowadays do have so much RAM that I think 1 GB would be sufficient.

If you know this you will see GParted is a full graphical program very simple to use

• I'm the type of person that likes to tinker with things. So when installing Linux on the laptop I'd like it if I could easily install other Linux distributions without too much hassle (I read a post where I'd have to set it to Logical instead of Primary...or something along those lines; but I'm not quite sure how to do that). This way I can try different Linux distributions and figure out which one 'catches my eye'. And I also find doing tasks like this fun.

I'd try out various distributions via LiveCD. This way you see if they come along with your computer and as important if you like it or not and so you don't have to install and cancel always.
If you have an extended primary Partition including virtual Partitions it is normally no difficulty to quicckly add another partition.

Laptop Contenders: (any recommendations? - under $800)
Lenovo T500
Dell Latitude E6500
Compal KHLB2 (Sager NP209

Computer Experience:
programming html
programming php (to an extent)
programming c (to an extent...just recently started)
website management
building computers
etc... (not sure how relevant this is but I'm just pointing out that I'm not a stranger to computers)

I myself took a year ago the cheapest hp (~360 Euro) and I'm happy it does everything.

[i92guboj]

Hi and welcome.

When I purchase my laptop it will most likely have either Vista Business or Vista Home Premium on it. I plan to put Vista Ultimate on it because I purchased it when building my custom gaming rig in January. Should I download Vista Ultimate and erase the copy of the other Vista or should I keep both and then install Linux as well?

You shouldn't download anything, you should buy it. Discussing about pirated software is not permitted on these forums. That is, unless there's a legal way to download windows. I am no expert in what regards the MS OS.

About the question, I see no reason to keep two copies of the same OS on the same machine. But in any case you are the one that should answer that question. Do you really have a reason to keep two copies of Windows?

I read a few posts on how to install multiple operating systems on a computer and am pretty confused. I'm not great at partitioning hard drives. I was wondering if you had a guide (assuming the person was new to partitioning a hard drive) showing me how to install the separate operating systems?

Just make sure that you install windows first. Most linux installers will detect your windows partition and add it automagically to your boot loader menu.

I'm the type of person that likes to tinker with things. So when installing Linux on the laptop I'd like it if I could easily install other Linux distributions without too much hassle (I read a post where I'd have to set it to Logical instead of Primary...or something along those lines; but I'm not quite sure how to do that). This way I can try different Linux distributions and figure out which one 'catches my eye'. And I also find doing tasks like this fun.

Some installers will be able to do this out of the box, but you will require some knowledge about how partitions are handled. Windows needs to be installed on a primary partition as long as I know. So, your first partition will need to be a primary partition. The rest of the space can be allocated for an extended partition, and within it you can create as much logical drives as you want. Linux can be installed on any kind of partition.

However, if all you want is to test distros, there are better ways. Some distros offer livecds and can be even installed on a pendrive.

[Segfault]

When I purchase my laptop it will most likely have either Vista Business or Vista Home Premium on it. I plan to put ...

And so it stays. Most laptops with preinstalled Windows have TPM chip enabled. Meaning you cannot install some other OS, even different version of Windows.

[rcgreen]

And so it stays. Most laptops with preinstalled Windows have TPM chip enabled. Meaning you cannot install some other OS, even different version of Windows.

I consider myself more paranoid than average, and the TPM
is evil, as we all know, but there's no need to exaggerate.

[jmadero]

yeah I've never seen a laptop (including several that are less than a year old) that have prevented me from installing other Os's....

[pmacdonald]

i92guboj, I have no intention of downloading any illegal version of windows. I even stated that I PURCHASED the copy... I just checked though and it's only an OEM version so I WONT be able to use it on the laptop. But I was never planning on downloading any illegal version of windows...just making that clear.

So it looks like I'll be running just the version of Vista the laptop comes with, a version of Linux, and then a place for another Linux that can be easily swapped out for tinkering.

The only thing I need to know still is how to partition my drives correctly. I have one HDD and it's 500GB.

NEWS: I'm going to download Ubuntu on my desktop to make sure I have the process right. I'd like to keep all of the files on my computer without wiping anything out though... How should I clean up my current drive?