help me anyone

[naren_arsenal]

I recently downloaded Fedora Core 6..
I already have windows Xp on my 256 MB RaM and P4 system./
I want to install linux with windows..I have installed windows on C drive and want to install linux on F drive(i have C D E and F drives)...i also should have the option of choosing linux or windows when my computer boots..plz tell me how to go about doing this... if anyone can tell me a step by step installation guide it cud be better.. 

[contrex]

Step by step

1. Set BIOS to boot from Linux install CD
2. Insert CD
3. Reboot computer
4. Identify correct drive when asked for install location.

Linux install CD will do the rest.

[naren_arsenal]

But i did exactly what u suggested,before i asked this question...
the problem is sometimes the linux installation suddenly reboots when i try to install the second CD.. Now the computer boots automatically when i install the 1st cd itself...(the installation progresses for sometime and it suddenly reboots)
I think i dont know where to mount / and /boot.. and also where to install the boot loader(whether i shud use it on master disk or the first sector of the hard drive..)

[banjo67xxx]

But i did exactly what u suggested,before i asked this question...
the problem is sometimes the linux installation suddenly reboots when i try to install the second CD.. Now the computer boots automatically when i install the 1st cd itself...(the installation progresses for sometime and it suddenly reboots)

Suse linux reboots just once between the first and second CD. I don't know about Fedora, but it sounds like you might have a hardware fault with your computer.

I think i dont know where to mount / and /boot.. and also where to install the boot loader(whether i shud use it on master disk or the first sector of the hard drive..)

Partition your F: drive, and mount /, swap and /boot on it.

You need to put GRUB/LILO (the bootloader) on the first sector of C:

Make sure you put it on /dev/hda not /dev/hda1 as it needs to be on the first sector of the disk rather than the partition. If you do it wrong its a pain to have to use the XP recovery disk to stop your system getting stuck in a loop.

[naren_arsenal]

I am able to mount / on F drive(ie Hda 7) ,but how can i mount /boot on the same drive(F drive or hda 7).. and where do i use the swap partition.. Im really confused...

[banjo67xxx]

I am able to mount / on F drive(ie Hda 7) ,but how can i mount /boot on the same drive(F drive or hda 7).. and where do i use the swap partition.. Im really confused...

Ahhh, if F: is /dev/hda7 then you mean that you have C: D: E: and F: partitions (not drives). Partly my fault too for forgetting that Windows creates a new letter for the partitions as well as drives.

I'm not 100% sure if you can boot from an extended partition, so you might have to just define / as /dev/hda7 and forget about /boot and swap.

Alternatively, what do you use D: and E: for? Could you make them into extended partitions, so that you can keep /boot as a primary partition and put / and swap as other extended partitions?

(I was assuming you were talking about a slave HDD which you could partition up seperately)

[naren_arsenal]

Atlast now u get my point...
I use my D and E partitions for Music and other important things i don want to mess these partitions up...
So now can u tell me how to install linux on F partition.. and where do i use the / thing...I am not able to use the SWAP partitioning(Is SWAP partition really important)..
and also after i install linux i should have the option of Dual boot-up..I should have the option to choose either windows or linux...(i had partitioned my F drive as NTFS..if that is important)...

[banjo67xxx]

Atlast now u get my point...

Sorry about that - I'm a linux person and only recently started using Windoze

I use my D and E partitions for Music and other important things i don want to mess these partitions up...
So now can u tell me how to install linux on F partition.. and where do i use the / thing...I am not able to use the SWAP partitioning(Is SWAP partition really important)..
and also after i install linux i should have the option of Dual boot-up..I should have the option to choose either windows or linux...(i had partitioned my F drive as NTFS..if that is important)...

There are 2 ways to do this, one which might not work, and the other guaranteed to work.

a) Try and see if Grub/Linux can work with extended partitions

Load the linux CD, during the fdisk setup phase, tell it you want to replace F: with and extended partition, and then split that into F: G: and H: drives. Then you can mount /boot on /dev/hda7 (F:) / on /dev/hda8 (G:) and swap on /dev/hda9 (H:)

Hopefully, if its not going to work Linux will tell you straight away that its not supported, without you having to go through the rest of the install and then watch it crash.

b) Just use a single partition for linux

Load the Linux CD, during the fdisk setup phase tell it that / is on /dev/hda7 (F:) and that there is no seperate swap or /boot.

In both cases

The NTFS on F: will be erased automatically to make way for linux, so don't worry about that.

The bootloader(GRUB) needs to installed on /dev/hda to replace the MBR. Linux will automatically setup GRUB to give you the choice of booting from Windows on /dev/hda1 (C:) or Linux on /dev/hda7 (F:).

(As I said earlier, make sure you don't put GRUB on /dev/hda1 because then when you select Windows it will find GRUB on /dev/hda1 and you'll be back where you started. So GRUB must go on /dev/hda)

[naren_arsenal]

But During the Fdisk phase... when linux asks me where to install the bootsector ..it gives me only 2 options..
mASTER BOOT RECORD and
LOAD ON THE FIRST SECTOR OF /dev/hda7...
Im not gettin the option of loading bootrecord on /dev/hda....\
NOW WHAt the *censored* SHUD I DO...

[banjo67xxx]

But During the Fdisk phase... when linux asks me where to install the bootsector ..it gives me only 2 options..
mASTER BOOT RECORD and
LOAD ON THE FIRST SECTOR OF /dev/hda7...
Im not gettin the option of loading bootrecord on /dev/hda....\
NOW WHAt the h**l SHUD I DO...

The MBR (Master Boot Record) is /dev/hda, that's the one you want.

[naren_arsenal]

Ok..now i am able to use linux(fedora6) along with windows(dual boot)... thankx for all ur help...
Now i have another problem ...
i installed linux on hda7 and hda8...
here,s wat i did during installation....
i mounted /boot on hda7(its some 996mb)and then i mounted / on hda8..and then i used swap partition on hda5...(hda8 and hda5 is almost 9GB).....
now when i login to linux im not able to view the files i installed on windows(i.e e and c partitions)...and when i log in to windows im not able to view the d and f partitions(i.e the partitions i used durin linux installations)....
thts not all...
im not able to read the cdrom in linux...(its giving an error like:not able to mount /dev/hda1 or some crap like that)..wat do i do NOW!!!!...
i thought linux was user friendly..........
help:
does konsole work only when i use the KDE environment...
'cause when i run Konsole on the GNOME environment it doesnt show up...
im able to view the konsole only when i work in the KDE environment,,,,OH..wat an head ache i have...........

[contrex]

You know, these problems are just the normal starting-off-with-Linux problems that most people have. I know that I did, and I also know that Google is a big help.

Most of your problems that you have just described will be solved when you have a good understanding of the mount command.

http://www.tuxfiles.org/linuxhelp/mounting.html

Linux is user friendly, but it does not hold your hand like a baby. Your problems are just because you are new, it will get better!

Personally, I don't think Linux is suited to people whose method of "solving" a problem is to go to a forum and type "wat do i do NOW!!!!..."

PS it's spelled "what".

[naren_arsenal]

Personally, I don't think Linux is suited to people whose method of "solving" a problem is to go to a forum and type "wat do i do NOW!!!!..."

PS it's spelled "what".





[/quote]



ok then why do u have a linux forum in here..
Strip it off

[M1CH431]

Personally, I don't think Linux is suited to people whose method of "solving" a problem is to go to a forum and type "wat do i do NOW!!!!..."

You need to start somewhere

[contrex]

What's wrong with the man pages or even Google?

Linux is not for wusses who cry for mommy the first time they get confused. It is for brave pioneers who love a challenge.