Just can't make up my mind(long)

[lazygamer]

So... perhaps I should try something else besides Mandrake. Did you know that Mandrake does act a little silly sometimes? I've had some things crash for no logical reason, for example.

I tried Libranet, my problem had to do with login configuration and the bootmangager not setting up the wind0ze boot option correctly, unlike Mandrake. Suppose I try another distro that doesn't boot wind0ze correctly, can I take the information it gives me in the Mandrake boot up config(where you can modify it to customize your boot) and pop it into the boot up manager of another distro, and have a perfectly working wind0ze? Or is it more complex then that?

Ok so besides Libranet, what distro?

I want something, that by default, has excellent speed and boottime. I want something that is very compatible, quite user friendly and has an install that's not too difficult.

BTW, what's all this stuff I hear about doing system maitenance on Linux?

Also, is it possible that there might be a distro out there that happens to be set up to configure internal ADSL modems, without specfic company made drivers, or perhaps using it's own generic drivers? In addition to doing alot of the ADSL config work on it's own.

That part on the ADSL, if anyone knows of any distro famed for getting stubborn hardware working, particularly internet hardware, add that to the pot of "my wants".

So all search terms entered, what distros) appear?  

Yes im aware that the differences between each distro are not overly large.


Getting off that subject, I have a lamer wind0ze user question. Picture this. I want Wind0ze XP, Wind0ze 98SE standalone, Wind0ze 95(hey it lacks default IE after all) and LINUX on the exact same system. Is it possible to install Linux, have XP on, then install the other two wind0ze on their own partitions, then be able to get Linux to shitkick wind0ze's boot hogging with it's own blessed bootmenu?(without having to re-install Linux) Or should I only put Linux on after I've got my wind0ze stuff how I want it to look?

Four OS's, three of them wind0ze, am I fucking crazy?!  

Well it's like:

Linux=heir to teh throne
XP=Prefered wind0ze system.
98=0ldsk00l compatibility system
95=Enahnced compatibility 0ldsk00l system(if 98 don't work)

Thankfully Harddrake should help with partitioning.

It's gonna take a long time to get Wine and WineX working good, and of course... gamers should stick with wind0ze right? Or get a life etc.  

[choasforages]

hmmm, try redhat.i just got my usb2.0 card working. its awsome. give redhat a try. and you may not be able to get the internet working with linux with the internel adsl modem, or do you have to run some sort of client, try and get a hardware adsl modem, its well worth it.

[TheQuirk]

As for the four OS thing.. I don't think it's possible, because you'l first have to multiboot between 95 and 98 (each one over rides the MBR, I think) and only then install XP, and still leave a partion of linux. If that can be accomplished, you'll have to install the swap or / mount point (if it's even possible) in an extended partion. Either way it'll be painfully slow and really time consuming to configure (first fdisk and divide into four partions, then install windowses, then defrag, place windows 98/95 next to linux so you could resize them, etc).

[RudeCat7]

Well, I just bought a gateway gp6-400 for $125.00 and for kicks I downloaded Lycoris, but unfortunately it froze midway through the installation, even though everything looked like it was going alright.    :confused:   Maybe the cd-rom drive needs cleaning.

Don't worry I will try again later on a better system. Maybe it also is a good newbie distro.

Once again, i tried Suse and it installed just fine!

edit: this is a hint!

I noticed on the Ars OpenForum that somebody recommended Gentoo as a "newbie" distro, but that really doesn't sound right, does it?

I mean, you still have to do the partitions yourself don't you?

[ September 14, 2002: Message edited by: RudeCat7 ]

[TheQuirk]

Gentoo? I love Gentoo!

[lazygamer]

Well, I suppose I could always try that Win4Lin, which may be faster then rebooting into wind0ze. Doesn't that run a true wind0ze under Linux?

Ok I've heard mention of some super fast non-offical version of Redhat, anyone know it's name? Should I use it over regular redhat?

So if it's good to be a n00b/home user system, why does the website make it seem like it's for buisnesses and servers? Unless having a good server/buisness distro happens to have alot of spillover effects into the home market...

The other advantage to Redhat is that it's such a bigname product...

[TheQuirk]

http://linuxiso.org/distro.php?distro=36

you'll also need the regular red hat CDs
http://linuxiso.org/distro.php?distro=7

[lazygamer]

Ok, Redhat it is. That XFS filesystem thingy sounds soooo cool, and Redhat is the only one that supports it. Hey, Redhat has alot of other cool things going for it too...

[lazygamer]

Rather then sift around the help files, I'll just get the info straight from you guys, it's simplest for me.

Ok so download ALL the redhat 7.3 disks and the XFS disk. Then what? Do you install redhat, then install the XFS disk? Perhaps the XFS disk replaces one of the official redhat install disks?

Is it important what partition system I use? Like does it matter whether I use EXT2, EXT3, or ReiserFS? Maybe there is a brand new option I have to choose etc.

[TheQuirk]

STFW!!!

Stick in the first XFS CD, then it will eventually ask you for the Red Hat ones.

[choasforages]

as thequirk said, stick the xfs disc in, and in the disk partitioning section, there will be a new option of xfs, use it instead of ext2 or ext3

[lazygamer]

Well luckily for you Quirk, I had to STFW to find out what STFW means, and I did...  

Hmmmm FIVE RH install CD's?! What the heck is Redhat SRPMS disc #1 and #2?!

[lazygamer]

Ok maybe I'll find out when I install RH, but it's such a simple question...  

[Calum]

source rpms. they install the source of each program (i don't remember if they also install the binaries, but binaries are often all you get with normal rpms)

re: multibooting. if you use lilo, all the config info is in /etc/lilo.conf. Search the web to find out how to edit it, or wait a couple of weeks until i write the LiLo FAQ, coming soon on fuckmicrosoft.com (we hope).

re: booting windows and so on: yes, install all the windows first beforee linux, and remember to make a linux bootdisk during the install.

Re: more than one copy of windows. You will want to probably use the NT bootloader to manage your windows things. Not sure how to set that up, but i think you install windows 98, then install windows NT4, 2000, or maybe XP does it too, and you may well get some shit during the install asking you if you want a multiboot. I think you might be able to add windows 95 after that, but frankly, why?

Now you can set up linux and lilo. make it point to the windows bootloader as one entity called'windows' or something like that, and then when you switch on, you'll get the lilo menu, and if you select windows you'll get the NT bootloader menu.

Does somebody else know what i am harping on about, because i can feel myself getting vaguer by the second... ?

[lazygamer]

Hmmm well the main idea was to find out what those CD's are, I don't think I'll need them for a long time, so that will save some burning time.

So if a person became "Really good" at Linux, could they set up Wine or WineX to emulate most Windows games really good, and emulate Windows 95/98/XP ability to run some DOS programs? If Wine did the trick, then I woulden't really care for older versions of Wind0ze.