My name Ikky and this is my first thread. I am a pure windows user, so I am sorry if my questions too much for you. I have a notebook with spec Acer Intel Core2 Duo processor T6500, 320GB HDD and 4GB memory, and I am planning to format my notebook (because windows virus). Then, I am planning to create dual booting between windows XP Pro and Suse linux 11.3. So, my questions are :
1). Is there any tutorial, ebook or video that help me with the installation process the steps by steps completely for beginner?
2). Is installation process for an application same between windows and linux? I am planning install an application (*.rpm format file).
3). If I create a passwords in linux, but I forgot it. Is there any application or process that help me to find out the passwords or should I just reset it?
4. Do you have any suggestion for me :
Space that linux system and application need ? (info : a lot of my application will be in windows)
I planning to create 2 partition with 1 system (windows - linux) and 1 document (windows - linux), so total only 2 partition in my notebook. Is it possible? If yes, how to create them?
For format the PC, is it okay if I used windows format method or should I used zero filled method?
I have read some information about installing dual booting windows - linux included how to create partition, but I dont get the information about is there any posibility to create 1 partition for system (windows - linux) and 1 partition for documents.
So, thank you all for your helpfull and advices… I am sorry if I wrote a wrongs words or statments… :shame:
Don’t forget passwords. There are work arounds,but I don’t plan to explain here
Decide how much space you need for windows and create a NTFS partition for it with Parted Magic downloads
Install windows
Once that’s working
Boot again with Parted Magic and create an extended partition in the space remaining, then 3 logical partitions in that:
swap 2GB
ext4 (which will be for root) 15GB
ext4 (which will be for home) all the remainder space)
To amplify on what Caf stated, ALWAYS install windows before other operating systems. Microsoft does not play nice with other pre-installed distros, overwriting any existing MBR (Master Boot Record, a pointer to the boot loader).
I also recommend separate /home and /data partitions under linux with symlinks in /home to personal data directories under /data. Then /data could be a FAT or NTFS format so both distros could read/write to it. If you need help with that let us know.
I do not recommend to install Linux root in a logical partition if you can avoid it. If you don’t have the choice (because you’re multibooting and you don’t have primary partitions available - you can create only 4 and the extended one counts for a primary), that’s ok. But if you can put root in a primary, why would you put it elsewhere?! I don’t want to raise controversy (too late) nor to confuse the OP (too late too) … but I have to say that this guide SDB:All about GRUB - openSUSE is misleading. It doesn’t say by far “All about Grub” but spreads wrong partitioning concepts. The fact that Linux runs fine in only logical partitions - it does - is not a sufficient reason not to encourage users to install it in a primary, as it is a better and safer approach - in any case.
Again, to make it clear, having linux root in a logical partition is not a bad thing, but it is not the best thing either. An - to speak binary - if it is not the best, it has to be the worst. Tertium non datur.
The fact that Linux runs fine in only logical partitions - it does - is not a sufficient reason not to encourage users to install it in a primary, as it is a better and safer approach - in any case.
What are the advantages to root on a primary? (apart from possibly avoiding the need to edit menu.lst and fstab if a logical is deleted) Also with windows systems often using 3 or all 4 primaries, it is often not practical if the OP wishes to keep windows.
Maybe but it doesn’t change the fact that puting root in a primary is a better option for anyone in any circumstance whenever it’s possible (if it’s not, than it’s not)… or that guide should also have explained how fun it could be to rewrite a logical partition tables chain manually looking for the root partition, while it would have taken one second to repare if it were just a 16 byte entry in the MBR.
So in simple words: install root in a primary partition if you can because the probability to lose a logical partition is higher and root is the only partition needed to boot the system in this simple configuration. So put the most important thing in the safest place.
Maybe but it doesn’t change the fact that puting root in a primary is a better option for anyone in any circumstance whenever it’s possible (if it’s not, than it’s not)… or that guide should also have explained how fun it could be to rewrite a logical partition tables chain manually looking for the root partition, while it would have taken one second to repare if it were just a 16 byte entry in the MBR.
As reinstalling is in most cases simple, and it seems many average home users don’t backup properly, if at all. Would it make more sense then to use that ‘free’ primary for the home partition?
Fair comment, though that guide was never written with the intent of addressing such subjective reasoning.
because the probability to lose a logical partition is higher
Not sure why, but you could be right.
And I’m fairly confident this thread now has the OP’s eyes swimming.
Save your MBR in a file with dd. I guess YaST and even Windows might put a copy of the MBR somewhere.
Mess up just one single logical partition (with its EBR), like swap placed before root.
Now repair you mbr ( dd if=/wherever/mbr.sav of=/dev/sda )
Reboot Linux. You’r fine.
Now try to reproduce the situation with root in a logical partition. Good luck! (and don’t forget that you’re a newbie, that you’ve never seen a disk editor even in dreams and that you need your computer today evening.)
No, but interesting enough … one more reason to use UUIDs rather than by-id links (openSUSE default) in /etc/fstab, since disk IDs should change if you remove a partition while UUIDs won’t. You can explicitely select to mount by UUIDs during openSUSE setup. I always do.
If it uses 4 primaries, you’re out. But that’s not the case here: XP + new installation.
You asked me what are the advantages to put root on the primary. I answered your question: it’s easier to fix and therefore, it is safer. There is no need to argue about this simple fact.
Thank you for the adviced and the support.
Btw, I have discussed the problem too with my friend when he came to my city. And, with his helped, I used dual booting (windows and suse linux) with 1st login interface (1. windows, 2 suse linux, and 3. open linux error/false). After a few weeks, I have to reinstall the linux b’coz i forgot the root password. But, the login interface have been change (1. linux, 2. open linux error/false, 3. windows). The questions are :
1). Why did the login interface change? Can it happen because in the 1st login interface, windows is 1st install then linux or linux 1st then windows?
2). Do you have advice for me to create the 1st login interface? Or should I reinstall both OS?Or, should I reinstall windows only? B’coz I saw from reinstall linux, the login interface changed.
3). Do you know an application or utility for format windows without disturbed the linux OS?
After a few weeks, I have to reinstall the linux b’coz i forgot the root password. But, the login interface have been change (1. linux, 2. open linux error/false, 3. windows). The questions are :
Actually, you don’t have to reinstall if you forget the root password. And you can choose the grub boot order and the system booted by default in YaST
Welcome Ikky. I’ve been using Linux for the last 13 years, and I love it. But my knowledge of Linux is still very limited. That’s the difference between a living system like Linux and a dead system like Windows. With Windows, there’s nothing to learn, nothing to explore, nothing mysterious, nothing amazing, nothing to play with. That’s one reason why I stopped using Windows long ago.
When I boot into Linux, I become part of a global community. I feel creative. I feel human.
When I boot into Windows, I feel like I’m being used. I feel like I’m owned by Microsoft. I lose my freedom.
But I think Linux is becoming too complex, too serious. My introduction to Linux came through Corel. Corel offered the option of putting Linux INSIDE the Windows partition! – remember UMSDOS?! Later, I decided to create a separate partition for Linux – but it was still booted through the Windows partition, using “LoadLin”! Those were the days! Anyway, have a lot of fun.
