A few interesting links -Reply

[jamie.dobbs at paradise.net.nz]

Hi Geoff

I will try and answer all of your questions below...

--- In wellylug at egroups.com, "Geoff Burch" <geoff.burch at t...> wrote:
> Hey Jamie,
> 
> If you have a second.

I have a few today ... maybe even a few hundred or thousand :-)

> Picked up Linux Mandrake 7.1 CD, thought I would have aplay this 
weekend.
> 
> Can I installed this on a clean/empty drive i.e. no windows

Yes you sure can, in fact this may be the prefered method.

> I can boot to the CD, will it offer me the choice of where to 
install it?

It will, you get to use either fdisk (similar to the M$ one), or 
DiskDrake (graphical paritioner) to handle setting up the drive.

> I want to install on separate drive.

I believe this can be done. Be aware that if you are installing on 
the second drive of your first IDE interface the drive will be 
referred to as /dev/hdb (as opossed to /dev/hda which is your primary 
IDE on the first interface).
I think Mandrake 7.1 will handle this kind of set up OK, but the 
usual rules apply - 1) back up all of your important data from the 
Windows drive first (just in case); 2)If you are not sure what to 
answer to a prompt STOP and ASK (or wait a few weeks for the 
InstallFest); 3) Read the docoumentation - the Mandrake CD should 
have an install guide on it - find it, print it and read it - it 
should help to answer some of the questions that you will no doubt 
ask yourself as you do the install.
I have no experience installing Linux on anything except a primarr 
drive (ie. first hard disk in the chain) but I do believe that 
Mandrake will handle this with no problems - just remember that when 
it comes to the install of LILO (LInux LOader) it _MUST_ be installed 
on the Master Boot Record (MBR) to work correctly in this case (to 
the best of my knowledge).

> any help appreciated

I hope that this answers some of your questions and might give you 
some ideas on what to do and where to find some more definitive 
answers.

> Geoff

Cheers,

Jamie