I need to install openSUSE 11.2 (KDE version, although gnome may be better) to my XP computer. I have the CD and I have already backed up / defragmented my drives. I need some help partitioning the drives, as well as dual booting so that XP is first. Can someone gives me instructions to these, as well as the actual downloading process? Thanks!
Also, I need to mention my computer has nounalloted space.
The cd will do it all for you. Once you have installed you can make XP first to boot by going to: Yast - Bootloader
Select XP and then Make Default
Did you boot the live CD already and try it as a Live CD without installing?
Check the info here
NEW Users - Suse-11.2 Pre-installation – PLEASE READ - openSUSE Forums
Im confused about this part. What is it telling me?
- Installation Menu
If you have a simple PC setup, with only a single MS-Windows partition on your drive, then likely you can leave the “Use Automatic Configuration” selected. BUT if you believe you may have to change the location of the openSUSE boot manager GRUB in your Master Boot record then you.
And yes, I did. I tried KDE4, which is similar to my old version. I like it, but Im still not completly sure. I can always change it later or change the color anyway.
First things first, please try booting from the CD and check it is working OK with your hardware.
Things to check:
- wireless
- graphics
- sound(although this isn’t usually a problem)
- anything else you need your computer to be capable of
Then when you are ready to go ahead, click the install icon on the desktop.
The installer is, in my opinion, very intuitive; however the installer doesn’t change anything until you make the choices, so you can exit if you are unsure.
If you have access to another machine you can get help as you go.
Grub is the Bootloader that will be installed. It takes control of booting your system.
I should tell you, some people get in a mess with this and panic when it goes wrong. Don’t panic.
I have done so many installs with SUSE and it always gets it right. But if something goes wrong at install or sometime later for that matter, it CAN be fixed. Just come back to the forum and ask for help.
The point you are asking about, is complicated. But if you leave the CD installer to do a default install it will probably NOT put Grub on the MBR (Master Boot Record) but to an extended Partition it will create during the install. Some people like Grub on the MBR, me included. But I suggest you leave it to default.
My only real recommendation is to deslect ‘Automatic Login’
This part: http://public.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pSWzrREx3PwaZeNOSdD7SvJ6mOdkhqGe45DUFKKoPqldFl2yasi1E4AHFNlloodwg9o8IHsNypKMC_b5pFc8jxw/pic21-user%20disable%20auto%20login.png
Watch this, it’s an install using the DVD: 11.2 Slideshow Images - Windows Live
Ok, I have one last question before installing. I checked everythig over and it all works, but for some reason I think I like the GNOME version better. What’s the difference?
They are just different desktop environments - both will do much the same thing. Gnome is very popular. It’s more or less just visual. So go with gnome if you like it.
Windows doesn’t really have different desktops, what you see is what you get.
They’re different desktop environments - as different as night and day or pretty much indistinguishable, depending on who you ask.
In other words, it’s subjective, and nobody can give you a potted analysis.
In other words, google it to your satisfaction. 
Thanks;)I’m going to install right now my version. I’ll use the other version on my desktop. Thanks to all who helped and I’ll blog back anything else that comes up.
I am in the KDE set-up process now. So far I got everything done, but the partitioning seems confusing. I need 90GB for XP and 25 for openSUSE. First off will this be enough, and secondly how can I do this?
(note: this is not the same question from before. I didn’t actually know what the set-up was at that time)
25 gig is enough for a basic install if you don’t plan on storing lots of data on your Linux partitions. Should give plenty of room to play with. recommend 1 gig to swap 15 gig to root (/) and the rest to home (/home)
Personally I prefer to prepare the disk before install by resizing the existing partitions before hand. You could do this with a bootable distro like gparted. But any time you change partitions sizes you should seriously consider backing up your important data first. If something like lost power interrupted the process it is very possible that you will lose everything. Just a word of caution
Good, I already did that. I’m conserned about my install now though. I’m in the middle of installing and I want to partition directly from the KDE download in the Drives section. Does anyone know how to help me from this point?
You want to use Custom Partitioning. This slideshow walks that direction
11.2 Slideshow Images - Windows Live
But you need some understanding of the principles and practices of partitioning. If you don’t, then let the installer do a default install.
Hello all,
I’ve just come accross with openSUSE and I have downloaded both live and installation programs. I tested livecd and it worked so well that I think I can completely dump vista. But before I get to that point I want to use both Vista and Linux for a while.
If you can help me with my questions I’d appreciate it.
1- I have an extra partition - aprox. 25 gi - that I never use. My understaning is it is sufficent. Can I install openSUSE on that partition, instead of carving another one while installing
2- When I boot with openSUSE, can I access other partitions and my other data?
Thanks,
Hakan
- Yes you can use that but 25GB is only just enough because I wouldn’t use any less than 10GB for / (root)
You could manage with 1GB swap and the remainder for /home - Yes. But if you want to write to it, we will have to edit a config file.
Thanks for the info.
Yes, probably I will want to write to other partition because I want to keep my photos there. And use gimps on linux partition.
Please let me know how to edit the file.
After my installation I will come back to the forum.
If the other partition is windows, probably ntfs
Look at this:
FSTAB - Editing Manually - openSUSE Forums
Yes+. I wasn’t sure whether this was apparent to you, but you can install several GUIs alongside one another in a single version of SUSE.
Both KDE and gnome can be changed in appearance quite significantly from the default, if that’s your kind of thing. the colours are just the start of it…
Once you have one GUI (KDE, Gnome, XFCE or others) installed, you can go into the package manager and click on the bits for another -look for something like ‘base system’- and the system will pull down the appropriate bits. this won’t be a particularly tiny download, but it may be easier than deciding which you want before installing.
If you have multiple GUIs installed, when you log in, you will get the choice (not necessarily obvious, but its there, once you have specified the user that you want to log in as) and you can specify which GUI you want to use on a login-by-login basis.
On my laptop, on which I tend to be a bit free and easy with downloading bits 'n pieces that I want to try out, I have about 11 G in use on a 20 G partition for /, so I suspect you will get away with a roughly 15G partition and use about 8 or 9 G of it. The amount of space you will use on /home is largely dependant on what sort of work you do on it. Media files tend to be really rather big, but if you only do office stuff and surfing, you won’t have many of those.