Re: Newbie questions about installing and documentation
> Where is the `debian/disks' directory referred to by
> http://www.rahul.net:80/perens/Debian/InstallationNotes.html?
Hopefully, Ian will be finished bringing the "100 page installation
manual" up to date on Monday, and we will make the release. It's a
week late due to Ian's disk crashing and other issues. It works, though.
I've tested it here. Meanwhile, there is a earlier version of the manual
on www.debian.org .
You should also get some books on Linux (there are several now) and
on Unix (there are lots of those).
> I currently have only an almost filled 420MB hard-disk. I am seriously
> considering buying a second one to use exlusively for linux.
Not a bad idea. 1.2GB IDE drives run below US$300 here.
> Before I do this I would like to try linux out, is this possible
> without repartitioning my current hard disk, i.e. just setting up a
> small experimental linux?
I think Yggdrasil still makes a plug-and-play Linux. I'm not sure it's
terribly practical though, it runs off the CD and a floppy disk and is
probably kind of slow because of that. I'd suggest you get the disk and
use it for something else if you give up on Linux.
> What size hard-disk should I get? My main interest is actually to
> learn how to administrate a unix system.
Don't get anything smaller than 420MB. That will give you room for a
large system and your own data as well. 1 GB drives are so inexpensive
there's little reason to settle for less.
> It will be on a isolated
> (excepting modem) single 486 PC and I will be the only user. I will
> mostly install things that I think are fun, like emacs and nethack. To
> be comfortable, do I need more than 540MB?
No, 540MB will be fine.
> In the same note, is 8 MB of memory comfortable?
That's what I use here, but I don't run X that often. I think 8MB is tolerable
under X, but you might see some swapping from time to time.
> Oh yes, I have no facilities whatsoever for backing up my
> hard-disk(s), is this a major worry?
If you want to learn to _adminster_ the system, count on doing something
that wipes it out eventually. Look at tape drives.
Thanks
Bruce
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