|
|
To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu
-------------------------------------------------------------- This story was printed from ZDNet Australia. --------------------------------------------------------------
|
Tech Guide: Letting in Linux By Mitt Jones, Special to ZDNet July 09, 2004 URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/software/os/soa/Tech-Guide-Letting-in-Linux/0,139023442,139152768,00.htm
We'll step you through the process of installing Linux alongside Windows XP so that you can boot either OS.It's out there, and it's free -- or at least close to it -- but you just haven't had the guts to take the plunge and try Linux. We have good news. It's not necessary to make a complete commitment to the open-source operating system. You can have your Windows and your Linux, too, by setting up a dual-boot system. We'll step you through the process of installing Linux alongside Windows XP so that you can boot either OS. Sometimes referred to as GNU/Linux, today's incarnation of the OS constitutes a complete Unix-like environment made up of a Linux kernel and OS utilities developed by the GNU Project. Most Linux versions also include the XFree86 X Window System graphical user interface and at least one Windows-based desktop environment, typically KDE or GNOME, which should make Windows and Mac users feel at home. Though these components are essentially free, many companies and organisations add installation routines and a wealth of additional software to create their own Linux distributions. Some examples include Debian GNU/Linux, Mandrakelinux, Red Hat Linux/Fedora Core, and SuSE Linux. Linux is easy to embrace once it's up and running, and many distributions come with enough software to satisfy the great majority of needs. But installing and configuring Linux can present some challenges, particularly when the OS doesn't recognise certain hardware components. If the idea of having to sift through documentation and user-group postings to figure out how to install a driver or solve some other problem scares you, you're better off leaving Linux to the more adventurous. For our project, we added dual-boot capability to two Windows XP test systems by installing Mandrakelinux 10.0 Official (US$49)(~AU$68). The steps are similar for other Linux distributions, but installation routines differ.
Step 1: Document hardware components To prepare for the following steps, take a few minutes to document the key components of your system -- at least your modem, network adapter, printer, and sound and graphics cards. To find this information, simply open the Windows Device Manager and click the plus sign next to a given category to display the installed hardware of that type.
Before you begin, document the key components of your system using Windows Device Manager.
Step 2: Choose a Linux distribution If you're new to Unix-like OSs, pick a distribution that focuses on easy installation, such as Mandrakelinux or SuSE Linux. For informative reviews of various distributions, check out DistroWatch. Once you've selected one, go to the Web site for that distribution and check the list of supported hardware against your component list. If you can't find a distribution that supports your hardware, you're better off not installing Linux, unless you're ready to spend serious time learning more about it. If you don't want to pay a cent for your Linux, insist on a distribution that's available for free download in ISO images. This makes it easy to burn CDs for installation, but you'll need patience. Even with broadband, expect to spend at least a couple of hours downloading each disc. Alternatively, you can pay an outfit such as CheapISO.com, OSDepot.com, or LinuxWerks to send you discs of a specific build for only a few dollars per disc.
For a small fee, Web sites such as Cheap ISO.com will burn installation discs of the Linux distribution of your choice. Some distributions, including Mandrakelinux and SuSE, are available in boxed, commercial versions meant for home use. They typically cost less than US$50 (~AU$69) and, unlike their free counterparts, usually include a few months of free technical support. (If you opt for a boxed version, skip ahead to Step 4.)
Step 3: Download the images If you've steeled yourself for the lengthy download, you can often find ISO images on the vendor's Web site and on numerous mirror sites. LinuxISO.org does a good job of collecting in one place links to ISO images for major distributions.
Once you've downloaded the files, you can burn them to CDs. We used Roxio Easy CD Creator 5.0, initiating the process by choosing File > "Record CD from CD image," then browsing to the correct file.
Tip: You may see MD5 files or values posted with the ISO images. These let you verify the accuracy of your downloaded image file using a checksum utility.
Step 4: Back up and prepare for installation Don't go a step further without making a complete backup of your hard drive so that you can restore the drive if necessary. This is more than a sensible precautionary measure -- it's a crucial necessity. It's also a good idea to defragment the hard drive that will hold your Linux installation.
Step 5: Check your BIOS settings Reboot and enter your PC's BIOS setup utility. Once it appears, ensure your system is set to boot from a CD before your primary hard drive. This setting allows you to boot from your Linux installation discs or, in the event of problems, from your Windows XP installation disc.
 In the BIOS settings, set your system to boot from a CD before your primary hard drive.
Step 6: Create new partitions Experienced Linux users often create four partitions for Linux installations, but for newcomers, two will suffice: a root partition and a swap partition. Creating these partitions is a cinch if you'll be installing Linux on a second hard drive in your system. If that's the case, skip to the next step. For our example, we installed Linux onto a Windows boot drive by creating two new partitions. The least-troublesome way to achieve this is to use Norton PartitionMagic 8.0 (US$69.95) (~AU$96.95). This time-tested utility lets you resize your current Windows partition (including NTFS volumes) without damaging your Windows installation or data. Try to carve out at least 4GB of space for your Linux root partition. Define your swap partition to roughly double the capacity of your system memory, to a maximum of about 512MB. When creating partitions for a dual-boot configuration, make sure the Linux root partition immediately follows your Windows partition. Choose Ext3 as the file system for your root partition and Linux Swap as the type for the swap partition. Tip: If you'd rather save your dollars for something else, let Linux partition your hard drive. See the next step.
Step 7: Begin installation To begin installation of Mandrakelinux 10.0, simply boot up with the first disc loaded in your PC. Most of the installation screens include a help button that leads to at least some information about the settings. Pay close attention to any screens relating to partitioning your hard drive. With Mandrakelinux, the DrakX Partition wizard gives you several options. On the first screen, select Custom Disk Partitioning. If you used PartitionMagic to create your partitions beforehand, choose Use Existing partition. The next screen gives you a chance to select a partition to format. If you've used PartitionMagic, uncheck the box next to any partitions shown and move on. If you're installing Mandrakelinux on a second hard drive, choose either Erase Entire Disk or Custom Disk Partitioning from the DrakX partition-wizard options.
 Before you install Linux, you'll have to create a partition on your hard drive. The Mandrakelinux wizard steps you through this.
Step 8: Configure the bootloader After Mandrakelinux copies the necessary files from your CDs, it will lead you through a few additional screens. The most important of these lets you specify the installation location of the bootloader, the software that lets you choose which OS to load each time you boot. We got the best results by choosing the default setting with Mandrakelinux, "First sector or drive (MBR)." When you get to the Mandrakelinux configuration summary screen, you can choose among three bootloaders: LILO graphical (the default), LILO text, and GRUB. Opinions and favourites vary among Linux enthusiasts, but the LILO graphical bootloader worked well in our tests. Before leaving the configuration summary screen, try to configure any component marked with red text, especially your graphics card. Finish the installation and reboot as instructed.
Step 9: Try it out The LILO bootloader appears shortly after you reboot. With Mandrakelinux, you'll see a few options for booting Linux and at least one item for booting Windows. Of the Linux options, the first, default choice will most likely produce the best results. If you can bear to wait a few minutes to try Linux, choose Windows first, just to satisfy yourself that you haven't lost Windows and all of your applications and data. Then reboot as you normally would but let the system boot into Linux.
 Once Mandrakelinux has booted, you can do some exploring by clicking the yellow star at the lower corner to enter the Main menu, which is a lot like Windows XP's Start menu.
Step 10: Set up printing To set up your printer in Mandrakelinux, choose System > Configuration > "Configure from the main menu." You'll be asked for your root password, which you must provide to change the system configuration. When the Mandrake Control Center appears, choose Hardware > Printers.
 The Mandrake Control Center gives you access to system utilities you'd find in Windows' Control Panel. Go here to get your printer online. If any other devices aren't working, try configuring them within the desktop environment using available tools, such as the Mandrake Control Center or HardDrake. If you need to install a driver, consider it a project and a learning experience. Begin by searching the Internet for the appropriate driver, which should include at least some semblance of instructions. Tip: To install your driver, you'll probably need the Linux command-line interface. From the Main Menu, choose System > Terminals and select among the available options.
Losing Linux Linux isn't for everyone, nor is it for every system. If you find yourself wishing you could make Linux go away, putting your system back the way it was should take only a few minutes. First, delete the Linux root and swap partitions that you created. If you used Norton PartitionMagic, boot it up again under Windows XP and delete just the Linux partitions. You can also take this opportunity to resize your primary Windows partition to fill the entire hard drive. Apply the changes. Now place your Windows XP installation disc in your optical drive and reboot. When the installation-disc menu appears, hit the R key to enter the rescue console, and type in fixmbr. Your system should now boot as it did before you installed Linux.
Linux links Few topics inspire the volume of online resources that Linux does. The trick is to avoid the abundance of out-of-date resources and to focus on documents meant for newbies. For a basic, well-written introduction to Linux, LinuxISO.org is a good place to start. When you're ready for a more in-depth introduction, hop over to The Linux Documentation Product site. Here you'll find a staggering amount of information, but the most useful source for newcomers is the introduction here. Want to learn more about open-source software and the major contributors to the many Linux distributions? Check out their Web sites at www.gnome.org, www.gnu.org, www.kde.org, www.opensource.org, and www.xfree86.org. The most useful online resource is a good search engine. To wade through the vast number of Linux groups, go to Google Groups and use the search term *linux*. You can conduct Linux-specific Web searches easily by going to www.google.com/linux.
Copyright © 2009 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All Rights Reserved. |
