Topic awaiting preservation: Upgrade Linux w/ partition?

I paid a little sum to Mandrake and downloaded the 9.2 version.

My current set up has one hard drive partitioned (C and D and E) WinXP is on C and Linux is on E, D is used for files and such.
When I pop the CD into the cd player, and boot up, will it allow me to select the part that Linux is on?

Just don't want to wipe out my XP stuff

Thanks in advance.




Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

I haven't tried Mandrake 9.2, but on Mandrake 9.1 (and all other distros that I've tried) you get to chose where to install Linux. So it shouldn't be any problem keeping the XP stuff safe.

_________________________
"There are 10 kinds of people; those who know binary, those who don't and those who start counting at zero"
- the Golden Ratio -

great..... looks like i'm gonna have an install party this weekend

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

yeah, I have a similar setup and I re-installed MDK9.1 and WinXP without any loss of data on the D: (SLINKY) Drive...

remember the linux partition naming scheme, though...

WinXP - hda1
MDK - hda2
Slinky - hda3

also, I managed to mount my WinXP drive on Linux onto '/Windows'. When it asks you where to install MDK, place hda2 (or whatever) as '/' and hda1 (or whatever) as '/MyWinPart'

btw, in hda2, the 'a' means first IDE hard drive and the '2' mean second partition..


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I haven't spent a lot of time with Mandrake but I believe when installing Redhat, theres an option to install over all Linux partitions leaving Windows or whatever else you have on your system alone. There might be a similar option.

Jestah

thanks for that Petskull. I didn't even think of that.

If I run into a part that I am not sure of I'll just abort and figure it out.

thanks again!

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

think of what?


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Remembering the naming convention on Linux...silly

I am having some problems though. *sigh* I slap the CD in the Drive and reboot. However....nothing happens. I can open the CD up via linux and there is the ISO image but the install doesn't work..... Am I missing something???
help!!

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

I've had that problem with a slackware cd. How I fixed it is I created a bootloader image on a floppy (slack's install cd had one) and booted from the floppy. Then I was able to choose my cd device /dev/hdc and it worked.

To make sure you are using the right partition, you can "cat /etc/fstab" (read current mount devices and points) and "fdisk -l" (list partition table, doesn't edit (read man fdisk to be sure))

You have winXP, so you may be using the filesystem ntfs. AFAIK you can't safely write to this filesystem from linux, but it should have no problem reading. If you have this, makesure it mounts as read only. (you need to edit your /etc/fstab)

i was wondering how i could do it from the floppy. Can't seem to find anything about it on Mandrake site but then again I didn't look very long.

Here are all the files that they have:

*9.2-download.md5sums.asc
*Mandrake92-cd1-inst.i586.iso
*Mandrake92-cd2-ext.i586.iso
*Mandrake92-cd3-i18n.i586.iso
*MandrakeMove-i586.iso
*README
*README.LG
*move.md5sum.asc

I just put each of the iso's on their corresponding disk. Don't see anything for a floopy
I'll look further. Thanks!


Well, further reading gave me the directions to make a boot floopy under windows:

quote:

---

If your computer cannot boot from the CDROM, you must make a boot floppy under Windows as follows:

* insert the CDROM, then open the icon "My Computer", right click on the CDROM drive icon and select "Open"
* go into the "dosutils" directory and double-click on the "rawwritewin" icon
* insert a blank floppy in the floppy drive
* select "D:\images\cdrom.img" in the "Image File" field (assuming that your CDROM drive is "D:", otherwise replace "D:" as needed)
* select "A:" in the "Floppy Drive" field then click on "Write".

To begin the installation:

* insert the CDROM in the drive, as well as the boot floppy, then
* restart the computer.

---

Guess I'll try that

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

[This message has been edited by CPrompt (edited 01-12-2004).]

ISOs are IMAGE files.... tell me that you didn't just copy the file.iso to the CD....

btw, in Linux, your CD drive should be something like /mnt/cdrom

if the images are properly burned on the CDs, make sure that your BIOS (know how to get in there, right?) is set with the CD booting before the HD... it should be something like floppy-cd-hd..

is it a USB cd drive? if so, then you won't be able to boot from it.... that's the huge-mega issue that I wasn't able to solve with my old laptop... wound up having to buy a new one...


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quote:

---

tell me that you didn't just copy the file.iso to the CD....

---

there are instructions in the readme on how to burn them using Nero.

quote:

---

make sure that your BIOS (know how to get in there, right?)

---

yep

quote:

---

should be something like floppy-cd-hd..

---

sure is

quote:

---

is it a USB cd drive?

---

nope

Still didn't get it to work. A little to tired to really mess with it. Gonna wait until the weekend to try it from the floppy.

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

ok
First the CD issue..
When you try to boot the windows install CD does it boot up to the installer ?
make sure it does.. if not then you have another problem..
If It does then on the same ftp that you downloaded the mandrake ISO image there is an md5sum file..
you need to download that file so that you can check the iso image you downloaded to make sure it did not download corrupted.
else it will not boot..
Here is how you check your iso image in windows:
download and install: http://www.blisstonia.com/shareware/WinMD5/
use this utility to check your iso image and make sure it downloaded ok..
(remember MD5SUM is your friend)

If the image is ok and it still does not boot mandrake CDS have all the images and image burning utilities in the CD
to allow you to create install boot disks..

make sure that your bios is CD/FLOPPY/HD order..
some bioses are crazy and if you put FLOPPY first even if you have a bootable CD it jumps to HD..


Hope this helps..
PS.. Mandrake ROX !!
also check out http://www.pclinuxonline.com
Textar has a distribution called PCLINUX OS that is a mandrake clone but with extras..
and it boots straight from the CD..


[This message has been edited by megalex (edited 01-13-2004).]

[This message has been edited by megalex (edited 01-13-2004).]

megalex: thanks for the info. The CD's don't boot to the installer at all. LILO just comes up and asks what I want to do (i.e. floppy, linux, windows). This is when I decided to try it from the floppy.

the images downloaded fine. checked the md5sum to make sure

the bios is set right, just like you and petskull suggested (floppy, cd, hd)

gonna try the floppy way as soon as i get more sleep

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

does the Windows CD boot?

you know, I was much a fan of RedHat up until they shot themselves in the foot with this Fedora junk...

... while I must say that MDK does support my Sony VAIO PCG-FR130 like nothin' else....

Issues I have left:
*Would like to put the laptop 'on Standby' on linux without shutting it down.
*The battery thinks it's charged '-1%' on boot up (even if it's plugged in).
*While it recognizes that my CD Drive is CD-RW, it doesn't recognize that it also plays DVDs.
*Must connect to the internet from WinXP 'cause I don't feel like paying for the Linuxant (modem) drivers.
*Umm...I think that's it.. I had a few big problems early on (slowness and no sound) but they got solved by downloading the nVidia and the ALSA drivers..



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what do you mean by "Windows CD"???

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

quote:

---

what do you mean by "Windows CD"???

---

The cd that came with your computer, that installs windows.

ah....ok. just making sure

anyway......i willingly go to the flogging room........ When i burned the images the first time Nero didn't ( i.e. user error) burn them right. Burned them as a native nero image file (*.nrg)......... imma idiot

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

... I guess now you'll be changing your nick to '/Prompt'?

...or perhaps 'SlashPrompt'?


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right now i think imma idiot seems more fitting

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

'/dev/dork/'?


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./dumbass

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

so that runs a 'dumbass' script?

how does it work?

of course, first you'd have to 'make dumbass'...


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or we could be a hidden folder just make it .... /home/cprompt/.dumbass

only available when something goes wrong.

So an update!!! Ran the cd's. Just plopped them in the drive and rebooted. Told it that it was just an upgrade and it proceeded to do it's thing. Got to the part where it was looking for the partition. After that it said that "basesystem could not be found" and only had an OK button. Clicked OK and it just came right back. THEN! my cd rom decided to take a shit on itself and won't open. So now when I try to boot up my computer it tries to boot from the CD rom. Just hangs there....can't get the cd rom open. Just opened up the box and unplugged the CD rom.

*sigh* Someone is trying to tell me something me thinks

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

does the CD drive have that little hole where you can stick a paper clip and open the drive?

maybe the CD fell outta place or something...

about "basesystem could not be found"- in your opinon, was it talking about the CD, or are you doing some funky stuff?


Code - CGI - links - DHTML - Javascript - Perl - programming - Magic - http://www.twistedport.com
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the little pin hole thing didn't work for some reason gonna try to get it out again tonight.

I have NO idea what it was talking about as far as "basesystem" goes. If my CD took a shit on itself in the middle of the install that could be what the problem was

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

I think the 'basesystem' it tried to find was your previous installation of Mandrake, considering that you're doing an upgrade. If I were you I would backup all my important settings and documents from the current Linux, and then do a clean install of the new Mandrake. Since you've used Mandrake a bit now you've got a better knowledge of how things so you will have an easier time setting up the system this time around. You'll also have an option of avoiding the mistakes you did the first time around.

At least that is the way I do it. Each time I want to install a new Linux, I backup everything and do a clean install. Hoping that this time around I won't do the same mistakes again, and changing my setting from the beginning with the new things I've learnt.

_________________________
"There are 10 kinds of people; those who know binary, those who don't and those who start counting at zero"
- the Golden Ratio -

ah......that's strange....ok. gonna see if i can get this cd out of the drive and try it again

glutton for punishment

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

Well it didn't take long before a problem decided to reer its ugly head.
I swear.....Linux has became my nemisis that I am sworn to learn. It's a tough journey and I need a little help

This time Linux loaded fine. ROM did eat it though. When I boot Linux now, the progress goes all the way and when it starts to boot to the GUI, it goes to command line mode...how do I get my GUI back

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

Do you get any error messages? or does it just load the command line as if nothing is wrong?

You should try typing 'startx' in the command line. That should start up X windows and your gui. If it doesn't please post the error messages you get...

_________________________
"There are 10 kinds of people; those who know binary, those who don't and those who start counting at zero"
- the Golden Ratio -

Nope, no error messages. I also forgot to say that it starts with a login prompt.

I set up the SU password and a user account during install but only the root login works. I'll give it a try.......

OK, got it. Finally.!!!!! X started up and all that good stuff. Got my user account to work.
Man! Learning experience Now I have to fix my screne resolution. It will only let me go up to 1024 x 768

I'll figure it out.

Thanks for all the help!!!!!!!!!!!


Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

[This message has been edited by CPrompt (edited 01-16-2004).]

The file you should look into to get Linux to start in X-Windows from the beginning is /etc/inittab. One of the first non-commented lines should be something like:

id:3:initdefault:

The 3 in there implies that the default mode is Full-user mode, but without X Windows. If you change it to 5, you'll get Full user mode, but this time with X Windows started at the begining.

The important thing is to set the default to mode 3 when you change X windows settings. Since then you can reboot and undo the changes from the command line before starting X Windows again.

_________________________
"There are 10 kinds of people; those who know binary, those who don't and those who start counting at zero"
- the Golden Ratio -

quote:

---

Now I have to fix my screne resolution. It will only let me go up to 1024 x 768

---

Edit your /ect/X11/XF86Config, section Screen, subsection Display. It will try the list of resolutions under the default depth, and continue down untill one works. You should have a subsection for depth 8 and 16 too, I just didn't paste them.

Section "Screen"

    Identifier  "Screen 1"

    Device "yourgraphicsdevice"

    Monitor     "monitor"

    DefaultDepth 24



    #"1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

    Subsection "Display"

        Depth       24

        [b]Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"[/b]

        ViewPort    0 0

    EndSubsection

the manual:

$ man XF86Config

ahh......good info.

So.......since this thread has had some activity let me ask you something about editing these files....

I have not tried but I am betting that I would have to be in SU mode to edit these files. Right??? If so, from what I heard you don't want to log into the computer as root. I am guessing because of security reasons...

So....Do I just access them via console? Then just open it up in Emacs?

Lastly, good book for learning this stuff

Thanks for all the help!

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

If you want to edit /ect/X11/XF86Config, you would need to either login or su to root. You could edit a XF86Config and save it in a directory writeable by the current user, and XFree86 could still read it. (the man page says how)

Any text editor will do: vi(m), emacs...

If you want to see the permissions of a file(to see ifyou can write to it) this works

$ ls -l /file/path

tip: you can press ctrl+alt+F1-12 to switch to different terminals. (if XFree86 is running, i *think* it's f7, any other f will let you login)

To edit the files you either have to log in as root (which you allready seem to know how to do) or to 'su' to root. The way you do that is simply type 'su' and the command prompt. You'll then be asked the root password, and if you enter it correctly you'll be logged in as root (but only in that command promt and programs spawned from it). Once you've "sued" to root, you can edit the files with any text editor you like.

Another thing you can look into when you've got some time is 'sudo'. If you type 'sudo command' with you default user the command is run as if root did the command. It isn't nessecary to learn the command, since you can always su to root when you need to. But I've found that it is much easier to use sudo for those commands. It is also possible to edit the sudo setting so your user doesn't have to enter the root password when using sudo. Makes the command faster to use, but might be a bigger risk.

You might allready know this, but just to be sure I'll explaing the 'ls -l /file' output:

-rw-r--r--    1 root     root        10067 Jan  6 23:44 /etc/X11/XF86Config

The first letter tells if the file is a directory, link or a standard file. The next 9 letters are the permission codes (r=read, w=write, x=execute). The first 3 are the owner permissions, the next 3 are the group permissions and the last 3 are the global permissions. The 'root root' there tells us that the owner of the file is root and the group is root as well. So in this case it means that only the user - which is root' - has write permissions to this file, but everyone has read permission. The things following 'root root' is size, last modified time and path+name of file.

Good books for learning this stuff that I've read are 'The Linux Bible' and 'Linux in a nutshell'. Except from those The Linux Documentation Project is a great source for information.

Hope that is to some help

_________________________
"There are 10 kinds of people; those who know binary, those who don't and those who start counting at zero"
- the Golden Ratio -

[This message has been edited by Veneficuz (edited 01-18-2004).]

wow. thanks for that info. Worked like a charm. Got LILO to boot up with the login screen, set my resolution...all kinds of good stuff

The new KDE is pretty cool. I was a GNOME fan until the new KDE. I'll have to play around for a little while though.
The GNOME menu is now on the bottom. Not sure why they changed that. I liked it at the top. Also, Vim is gone
On 9.0, I had Vim by default. Kind of strange as to why it's not there.

Anyway.....I'm outta here. Gonna go play with Linux some more

Thanks so much for helping me along the way.

Later,

C:\


~Binary is best~

I know about the Vim problem, new distros doesn't include it as default. But you can always download it from www.vim.org . They got a rpm package ready, so there shouldn't be any problems installing it.

_________________________
"There are 10 kinds of people; those who know binary, those who don't and those who start counting at zero"
- the Golden Ratio -