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Thread ID: 70375	2006-07-01 07:44:00	Should I do Suse Linux install?	Shortcircuit (1666)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
467661	2006-07-04 22:07:00	The 'separate' partition was where things started going downhill... Linux did a very good job of screwing that up, even though I had read up on it beforehand ie I made sure I was following the instructions because I REALLY didn't want to screw up the Windows install. I don't mean to put it bluntly, but it is fairly obvious that a lot (or maybe all) linux converts will be coming from a Windows environment and a large number of them would want to dual boot Linux with Windows until they get the hang of it. It does Linux no favours went it can't even partition a HD properly. I have no probs with being given choices, but I have to say that most of the choices (in Suse at least) are not clear... it may be fun for someone who has hours to spend playing around and deciphering things, but that to me does not make for a usable opsys. Vista will not be an option for me no matter how much MS push it, so some form of Linux will eventually find it's way onto my comp (I hope), I just see it as an uphill battle right now.	Shortcircuit (1666)
467662	2006-07-04 22:19:00	Did you select the option for SuSe to do the automatic partitioning and you selected the area you wanted it to do that? Or did you do a custom install and partition it yourself? I'm in two minds about Linux and MS products at the moment, there is the MS train which will always be smiling and waiting to put on with it, but then Linux seems quite "free" at the moment but the learning curve is steep just to install basic packages randomly. Nothing beats a ".exe" over installing in Linux. In saying that how ong will it be when Linux does just package something and install right of the bat. We shall see how Novell go. Just so you know I have 3 drives and about 7 or 8 partitions, with XP, Vista beta and SuSe 10.1 floating in the system and they do work in harmony. So there is hope. :thumbs: :thumbs: When you get it all working, it goes well. And SuSe does take longer than XP to boot but I just hark back to the days when we actually had time to get coffee and food whilst the computer was booting and smile. The long run of my rant is that it is still a computer and will only do what we tell it. No matter if it is MS or Linux. (or OSX to that fact)	mantermite (9652)
467663	2006-07-04 22:28:00	Shortcircuit, did you try to resize the Windows partition? Resizing partitions is notoriously unreliable. You may find it easier if you partition the drive first, then install Windows, and finally install your chosen Linux distro (installing Windows will replace your MBR, cutting out your bootloader without asking you). Suse should automatically detect if there is free space on the drive and the proposed partition setup will use only that space. I find it really interesting how we become accustomed to installing things in a particular way. Windows users tend to find it frustrating when they move to a Linux distro that they don't have their standard executable, standalone installers. I find it frustrating that I can't download and install the software I need simply by checking a box in Windows like I do here or manage updates through a single centralised service. I suppose this is one of those regions where we become used to one way of doing things and find it hard to change either way.	TGoddard (7263)
467664	2006-07-04 22:40:00	Yes, I already had Windows (unpartitioned) on the HD and let Linux install partition the space as it recognised the XP install. As they say "we live and learn". :waughh: After that experience I won't dual install XP and Linux on the same HD, it'll either be on separate HDs or comps. One of the reasons I installed Suse was because it came with firefox, open office etc and I thought wouldn't have to faff around trying to get them running. Thanks for all your input you guys, I do appreciate it very much, just a bit sad that none of this came out when I originally made the thread asking what to look out for :)	Shortcircuit (1666)
467665	2006-07-04 23:36:00	Yes, I already had Windows (unpartitioned) on the HD and let Linux install partition the space as it recognised the XP install . Maybe that is where you went wrong? It is much more preferable to have an empty, unpartitioned space on your hard drive for Linux to install to . If you had Windows taking up the entire hard drive you would have had to shrink that partition down to make room then direct Linux to install on the new empty space . It should have done all that for you during the install but obviously tripped over somewhere along the way . :(	FoxyMX (5)
467666	2006-07-04 23:39:00	Yes, you're probably right in hindsight Foxy- now I just have to clean up the mess :D	Shortcircuit (1666)
467667	2006-07-05 07:30:00	What gripes me is that I have done one dual-boot successfully, and the other one is all fouled up . The XP - Mepis on the Dell P-III, 750mhz, 512g, 1-40g hdd, 1-160g hdd and 1 Canon printer and assorted hardware and DSL and a router all work well on that tower . The other XP - KUBUNTU, on an AMD XP, SOYO mobo, multiple disk system with eid expansion cards etc . . got fouled up . . . but please hear what happened before you laugh . I was running the LIVE version of KUBUNTU, and decided I liked it a lot, and clicked on the "INSTALL ME!" icon . Sorrow follows . . . read on: I got asked what hdd I wanted to put it on, and since I had cleaned a spare 40g unit for just that same reason, I told it to use hdk, which it never squeaked over or had any reservations at all . It then asked me where I wanted the GRUB to install, and I had about 22g left on my XP-root drive (hda to KUBUNTU, C to Windows), and it accepted that too . The GRUB proceeded to fdisk hdk, hdj, hdi, and hdh . Now, I was a little upset that it took license with my command and decided all on it's own volition to do that . . . I only wanted it to format hdk, not the others! I didn't know it had done that until it got done and told me it had screwed the install up and it was sorry . . . . . . and . . . . . . "Would you like to send a log file to . . . . . whomever?" (like I would know where it filed a log anyway?) There are no checks and balances in a system that does something irresponsible as that . My disappointment in KUBUNTU, although I like it very much and still want it, is that pure ignorance of the GRUB thing-y . If it SAID IT COULD do the install, and would use hdk as I wanted (which it recognized on the eid expansion card too) and it was following programmed variables and limitations . . etc, then why did it let the install go on, if it was incapable of it in the first place? It agreed to my requests, it found the drive where I told it it would be, and it proceeded to accept my placement of the program . . which was on a totally empty hdd that I cleared off for just that purpose . . . and then in the end it failed and erased 3 other hdds just for fun . Big OOPS! :groan: :stare: :blush: :xmouth:	SurferJoe46 (51)
467668	2006-07-05 07:53:00	hmmm, doesn't give you tooo much faith in a system if it runs off and just does what it wants . Of course it could be a cheeky ploy to rid the planet of Windows . Linux has found a copy of Microsoft Windows on your computer and can partition the HD to keep Windows . Press Enter to continue> Thank you, your hard drive has now been wiped . :eek: Or Linux cannot find any other software on your computer, but has noticed that you have several HD's, press Enter to install on first available HD> than you, Linux has been installed and all HD's have been wiped just in case . :eek: :eek:	Shortcircuit (1666)
467669	2006-07-05 12:22:00	That sounds a bit like Windows wiping the MBR without even mentioning it :) Seriously, getting a dual boot machine working can be difficult whichever way around you do it.	TGoddard (7263)
467670	2006-07-06 00:16:00	That sounds a bit like Windows wiping the MBR without even mentioning it :) Seriously, getting a dual boot machine working can be difficult whichever way around you do it. Well...I am batting .500 here for the two installs...one successfull, on snafu'd.	SurferJoe46 (51)
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