Re: Prepare Window XP laptop for Debian Linux
On Mon, 30 Jan 2006 09:02 am, Samuel Gabriel thought about and sent this:
----> Hi All,
----> I was wondering what are the steps that I have to make to prepare my
Windows ----> XP laptop for a new install of Debian Linux. I have a PM1.8GHZ
with 1.5GB of ----> Ram and 60GB HDD divided into two partitions 10 and 30
GB respectively. I ----> have left 20 Gb for the linux partition. Any
references or links will be ----> appreciated.
---->
---->
----> Thanks
---->
---->
----> Samuel Gabriel
Hello Samuel,
Half the fun is the learning experience.
My experience might help, but it might need to be tweaked to suit your
own.........
With my laptop, I had to pass a few commands to the kernel at the install
prompt before hitting the <enter> button:-
expert apic=off vga=788 hdc=ide-scsi acpi
expert:- because I wanted maximum control
apic=off because I am on solar power and don't want the computer to shut down,
just power down so I can switch it off at the wall
vga=788 because that is the display that works for my lappy without this,
there are only lines on the monitor
hdc=ide-scsi because i found that my CD burner would work with XCDRoast with
this option and sometimes even k3b would work with this and was actually
suggested for this.
Acpi because I wanted to use the options that this allows for power control of
the laptop. I haven't yet got round to doing that though.
The rest is self explanatory as it goes through the base install, very good,
very clear.
Partitioning I do simply, remembering that you don't need to inform the system
of any vfat or NTFS partitions at the start. My XP was placed on a FAT32
partition so that I could write to it from Debian. My choice. You can later
create a directory and point to the filesystem in your /etc/fstab file.
It is wise to have a /home partition and also a /usr partition and a /var
partition as well as the “/” root partition.
Not certain if I should suggest size, mine are such:-
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda5 625M 119M 474M 20% /
/dev/hda7 3.7G 830M 2.7G 24% /home
/dev/hda6 4.2G 1.2G 2.8G 31% /usr
/dev/hda9 4.2G 1.3G 2.7G 32% /var
You must do as you feel.............
I didn't allow the installer to recognise the PCMCIA factor in my lappy till.
It reached the hardware detection. The reason being that when allowed to
check it at the first option, the system froze.
Follow the prompts and it will give you the option to install whichever kernel
you wish.
You will be prompted for which kernel to install, I opted for the 2.4 kernel
so that I could use the system very quickly without too much tweaking of
touchpad etc..
I allowed the grub to install itself in the MBR, and it detected the XP
operating system. It has been some years since I tried GRUB, but found it
served well enough for my purpose. If something goes awry, and the system
won't boot or whatever, slip in the XP CD and rebuild the MBR from that. It
will wipe out GRUB, but windows will boot again.
You may find things differently, but it is much a case of suck it and see. I
had to reinstall XP, because even though I tried to burn DVD's with Sarge 3.1
with K3B and help from them, and growisofs, I had to go back to XP to get it
working reliably.
I had at first wiped the whole system and made it a Debian Linux native box,
but it just wouldn't work with everything.
Hope that's enough to help get you through the base install.
Charlie
--
Registered Linux User:- 329524
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"We have enslaved the rest of the animal creation and have treated our distant
cousins in fur and feather so badly that, beyond doubt, if they were able to
formulate a religion, they would depict the devil in human form"
---------------------------------- William Ralph Inge
***********************************************
Debian Sarge 3.1.......... loving it
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