Re: Novice Questions
On Mon, Dec 20, 2004 at 09:49:06AM -0800, Joseph Schumacher wrote:
> Hi Folks -
>
> Hope you do not mind an inquiry from a Linux novice. I do not know much about Linux but I do know that I'm tired of Microsoft and I write to seek advice as to whether or not my system is suitable for Linux.
>
> It is a Dell Dimension 2400 bought about a year ago. Pentium IV, 2.2GHz, 1GB memory, 6 USB 2.0 ports, and 3 bootable devices (1.44MB Floppy/CD-RW Unit/Hard Disk ?C?). A home system, it has no network connections and uses a dial-up telephone connection.
>
> As to hard disks -
>
> I rewired the system into a somewhat different configuration. I made my boot drive removable and the entire system simply becomes a resource for any operating system plugged in as ?C?.
>
> The system uses EIDE UDMA Mode 5 internally and it was delivered with Windows XP on a 40GB drive formatted entirely in NTFS (the drive now being pluggable, for Linux purposes it will be set aside and ignored).
>
> Next step was building a resource base for both Linux and Windows so I installed 2 internal 160GB drives and formatted them as single partitions in FAT32.
>
> For backup purposes, I picked up 2, self-powered, external drive housings which can link standard EIDE drives to the system via USB 2.0. These were fitted with 200GB drives and rotating the units will provide an on-going solution for backups.
>
> As to Linux, a second carrier for the removable ?C? drive has been loaded with a new 120GB drive and it is ready to be formatted to get started.
>
> A few questions arise and research on the web has found many contradictory results, most apparently being ?best guesses? posted by users in various forums, so I seek your advice regarding what may be potential problems:
>
> 1) The system uses a wireless, RF, keyboard and mouse with both communicating through a single receiver module that plugs into a USB 2.0 port. I have already had to add a second PS/2 mouse since some applications could not detect the wireless model so I wonder if Linux will be able to run with such hardware.
>
> 2) Another potential problem may result from the system not having a separate card to drive the display, it instead uses an Intel chipset dedicated to the function on the motherboard. Would this present a problem?
>
> 3) Next question involves allocation of the Linux ?C? drive. Being new to Linux, I hear of EXT2, EXT3, swap files, etc., and have flashbacks of spending many hours over past years attempting to master MS-DOS setups only to still have Windows continue giving me ?blue screens? on a regular basis. With 320GB of shared resources aboard the system and 120GB exclusively available to Linux on it's dedicated ?C? drive, can you recommend how I might format and/or partition the 120GB drive to provide the best environment for Debian?
>
> 4) Lastly, I hope you will not mind me mentioning Knoppix but I have seen impressive screen shots of it while there are very few available for Debian. Knoppix however appears to be merely an introductory vehicle for Linux so my thinking is that I may as well skip it and instead go straight to the full capabilities of Debian even though it will likely involve considerable research before I can fully utilize it. Any thoughts for a novice about to venture into Debian?
>
> I will sincerely appreciate any advice you might offer. Many thanks - Joe
This is a Debian list, and I am a Debian user, so I will concentrate
on answers where I assume that you are going to use a Debian
distribution for Linux.
1. Be warry of advise and HOWTOs that are target at users of other
distributions. The details are usually not right for Debian. Debian is
in many ways easier, and has fewer gotchas.
2. Get a copy of the latest Sarge NetInstall CD.
3. Do Sarge NetInstall in its basic mode on your hardware. Don't try
to install everything that you think you might need. Stop at what you
think is just enough to tell you whether or not you are succeeding at
the install process.
4. Poke around in you new Sarge installation and see what is there,
and what does not seem to be there.
5. Go to the Debian web site and read top level documentation. If
there is something in the docs that puzzles you, check it out on your
own installation. Maybe you are misreading, or are unused to the
writer's choise of words. I.e., learn how to read the documentation.
6. Based on what you learn from Debian docs., install Debian packages
for things that you actually want on your system. Necessary supporting
packages are automatically installed. Don't worry about forgetting
something that you really want. You can install it later. Don't
worry about installing something, and then deciding you really don't
want it. You can remove it. If you 'purge' it all traces that you
had it installed are removed. (Well maybe not all. Log files may
contain entries from when it was there.)
If at any step you are puzzled, ask a question here. Be specific, and
you will get a specific answer. Try not to ask 'How do I do foo, which
was easy in Red Hat?' Most people on this list will not know about foo
on Red Hat. But, I remember when I was starting on Debian, I had only
Red Hat words for many things. Usually if you describe what you want
and say it is called foo in Red Hat, you get a helpful reply. (Red
Hat, here is not Red Hat specifically, but any other non-Debian
distribution, as in feature foo in distribution bar.)
Set your email software to fold your lines at a reasonable length.
Always bottom post in replying on this list.
On your hardware, with your a priori knowledge of your hardware,
you should have a very easy time doing the install.
HTH
--
Paul E Condon
pecondon@mesanetworks.net
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