Linux Newbie!

compguy91

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I want to make my PC able to dual-boot. I have windows XP on it now and would like to be able to boot into linux but there are some problems:
1. I've never used linux so I want a version that's easy to use and easy to learn
2. I want a free version, i've seen them around but don't know which one to get
3. I've never set up a dual boot thing before so i don't know how to do that, i don't know how to partition or any of that.
(edit) i'm thinking about getting ubuntu, i've done some googling and it seems pretty easy to work with so I'm gonna give it a shot and see what happens. as for partitioning, i'll do some googling on that and see where I end up.

like i said i'm new to this and i would appreciate the help,
Troy
 
Yay! Another one joins the Linux side! Anyway, go with ubuntu, it is a VERY good distro (most all linux is free, btw). Partitioning won't be hard. Ubuntu should recognize and resize the windows partition, and then hold your hand through the rest of the partitioning process :). If you come to the paritioner, and have absolutely no idea what to do, PM me or reply to this post again and I will help. Have fun with Linux!
 
go all out... gentoo :)!
I hope you are kidding... because for a noob, Gentoo can be a pretty hard distro to start with. Other than that, Gentoo is awesome... so fast... so configurable... I really should get more experience with it :).
 
RewtGuy said:
go all out... gentoo :)!
:) I've heard that's one of the hardest Distros to install. I had enough trouble trying to install Ubuntu... Imagine what would happen if I tried that one :eek:
 
linnerd40 said:
Did you bet Ubuntu installed? If so CONGRATULATIONS! If not, what do you need help with?
I couldn't install it. I tried the regular live boot CD but I think i messed it up. I accidentally set the CD to bootable when it was already bootable. I waited an hour and nothing happened so i tossed that CD. I then tried the advanced or alternate install CD and did an OEM install, big mistake didn't know what I was doing there.
I'll have to reburn an ISO image and install that way but I don't know how to partition. I've heard Linux can't partition NTFS file systems, or reduce the size or something. Also I don't know how to dual boot.
 
Well... just burn a CD of Ubuntu (make sure to choose "Burn CD image" or "Burn ISO" to make it bootable). Then, put it in your CD drive, and restart. Don't do anything! Just let it run... there are a few boot options at the beginning.. just press enter (default). New version of Ubuntu come on a LiveCD, so you can preview ubuntu once it has booted. After that, click on the install icon on the ubuntu desktop, and it will guide you through the rest of the process. Linux can work with NTFS file systems, it just doesn't use them... Good luck!
 
gentoo isn't that hard, you learn a lot, it's time consuming, yeah but if you follow the documentation you should be okay...

there's plenty of help in the forums also. if you read documentation you're usually gonna do okay.
 
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