Installing Linux

Question

If I switch on the laptop from new and put Linux on, telling it to put the other OS into a partition instead of installing Windows on first run, how would I achieve this? Anybody done it? I could save the whole of the Windows stuff to CD and free the rest of the drive for Linux. Then I could reinstall Windows later if I ever so desired, using the CDs I just made. Opinions?

JamesArcher · Answer

ok u make ur dell recovery cd's and then install linux from a bootable cd (either access the boot menu or change ur boot options in the bios) i have a inspiron 1200 and didnt make the recovery disks then i deleted the secret dell partitions.....i tried to install XP from a windows xp cdrom and it wouldnt install....kept blue screening on installing devices....so i installed Suse 9.3 pro and it works a treat....depending on the laptop u have u might have to set some config options....e.g. suse detected the integrated intel graphics controller (so did mandriva 2005LE) but it didnt work....couldnt load the screen....if urs has the Intel 915GM then u have to change it to a VESA Bios-Graphics driver....but like i say it depends wot ur laptop is.

Gertrude2 · Answer

There are only two partitions with Dell. No secret partitions.

I have a PC upstairs running Widows 98. That was given to me by somebody who'd been on the receiving end of the Geek Squad's "expertise". I just hope she wasn't charged by them; she should have sued them for incompetance. Apparently it used to have XP Home but crashed and the Geek Squad wiped the whole hard drive without noticing that there was no recovery CD set. Then they couldn't reinstall XP so they walked away. Thus I had a desktop with no O/S. I couldn't get the Dell CD to work either so I put Win 98 on it. Works fine for my stepson to play his games and the problems are easier to fix than with XP.

And I digress. I assume that installing Linux won't erase Dell partitions and data? I don't want to use their XP installation - just dump it all to CD so that it can all be copied back later for XP to be installed new when I sell the Laptop.

erroneus · Answer

I can tell you what I did..can't speak for anyone else or if it's "the best" way or not:

First I reinstalled Windows and ignored the dell diagnotics partition. If I recall correctly, there is a diagnostics CD that does the same thing anyway...(only problem might be if it's the CD drive that has the problems... well anyway...) When I installed Windows (XP pro) I made sure the partition it created (after wiping everything out) was the size I wanted it to be. I got it all tweaked out with the drivers and service packs and all that.

Next I installed Fedora Core... it was FC2 at the time, then I fresh installed FC3 and fresh again with FC4 when they came out. (I prefer fresh installs over upgrades... fewer weird things happen and it's usually trivial to just back up your /home directory and restore it afterward.) In any case, when I got to the bootloader, I allowed grub to install on the MBR instead of the boot record of the partition(s) Linux was installed to. I just like it better that way and Windows boots just fine. I hear you lose some boot options and stuff when you do it like that but it has never gotten in my way before... I have fewer problems with Windows, I find, when I use Windows less often.

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Installing Linux

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