can some body help with linux?

can someone post a list of the latest linux versions i know of ubunu but want to know the others and links would be good

edit:how hard would it be to run linux(dual boot with xp home sp2?) on a compaq presario desktop?

 

http://distrowatch.com/

Gives you a pretty much comprehensive list of all Linux distros, and gives you detailed information about versions, and what application versions are in each distro.

Probably the hardest part of installing Linux with Windows is the partitioning. This is also true when trying to install windows on a system with an OS already there.

It might be a good idea to get hold of a cheap 80GB hard drive, and just install it on there. Then you can leave your Windows install alone.

Apart from that it's not that hard, there are plenty of walk throughs on the net. And you can use a live-cd version of Linux to see if it will run properly and what pieces of hardware may cause you problems.

 

If you are new to Linux then OpenSUSE is good, but Ubuntu will probably be the easiest for your first time. The Ubuntu forums provide a very helpful community even if you are just beginning with Linux.

 

any body know how to dual boot with xp installed first?

 

Google is your friend. There have to be about a bajillion guides for dual-booting X distro with Y version of Windows on the Internet. Going to the distro's website is a good idea too.

 

If you need free space, you will have to resize your C: NTFS partition. This can be done using GParted which comes in a bootable live CD form. I think the installer for the latest Ubuntu might guide you in resizing/repartitioning. It does a good job with just this kind of situation. Before resizing C:, you should defrag to move all/most of the data to the start of the partition. After you have free space to install to, you can install Linux there and a distro like Ubuntu will then install a bootloader which will allow you to select which OS to boot when you start up your PC. **WARNING** Backup all of your data to an external source before attempting any of this.

 

thanks anybody have a step by step giude to this?

 

If you're asking for hand-holding, Linux isn't for you. You will need to use the web, you will need to do some research, and you will need to be able to solve your own problems, especially when they're easily resolved via a google search. The "tell me how to do everything because I don't want to think" attitude won't get you very far with open source software.

I don't mean to be a jackass, I'm just stating what I've learned from being an open-source junkie for quite a while here. Hackers want to help those who help themselves, they don't want to waste time giving someone a walkthrough that won't learn anything from it.

 

ive just never dual booted anything

 

No offense to anyone but stop with the Google is your friend type of answers. I learned everything I needed to learn about Dual-Booting Linux and Windows, and also making partitions from NBR. The funny thing is I found NBR site because I Googled Linux and partitions.

Here is a thread I made a while back .........You do not have to use GAG, or change where the bootloader goes, or do things exactly how I did ....... .but this should give you an idea of how dual booting works. HERE

 

That kind of answer is totally appropriate. Anybody who can't show initiative in installing and using Linux is going to be utterly unhappy with Linux.

 

I agree. Linux is great, but it still an OS made for people who like to tinker with things, and like to learn how things work. If hc1 is not interested in researching how to install Linux, it is not going to get any easier later.

It's like that old saying, give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man how to fish and he will eat for a life time.

 

CodeMonkeyX, you're reading my mind! I was going to write that in my previous post but got interrupted.

 

hehe.. great minds.

On a side note, you guys should check out UbuntuForums.org. I just noticed a feature they have there. Whenever you post a new thread it automatically runs a search as you enter the Subject of the thread, and displays a list of related threads underneath.

I thought that was an awesome feature. As I was typing my subject I saw all the threads that were similar, and could see if any of them answered my question before I posted. They are using vBulletin too.

 

hc1, if you just want to try Linux, you could try running it as a liveCD. When you put the Ubuntu CD and you boot your computer, it's already running Ubuntu!! It doesn't actually install Ubuntu onto the hard drive until you double click the "Install" icon. So you can check the programs, see how well it runs, etc. without having to change your hard disk at all.

A LiveCD is a CD with an operating system that runs off the CD and it is not installed on the hard drive. You simply put the CD in, your reboot the computer and the computer automagically boots on Linux. When you're done playing with Linux, you reboot, take the CD out of the tray (when prompted to do so, after you select shutdown it will tell you when to take it out), and when the computer starts again, it boots Windows just the way you had it before. The Ubuntu CD you get off Ubuntu.com is already a liveCD.

I strongly recommend doing this so you can try Linux without going through the hassle of partitions and such (not a big deal btw). If you like Linux, then you can do the partition stuff and make it a dual-boot.

Now, if you've made up your mind and want Ubuntu installed on your hard drive alongside with Windows XP, then you just need another partition. Here is some help:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

 

I see no indication of the OP not willing to learn or take in info.

Maybe we should answer every single question in the Linux forums with a "Google it" answer.

Actually Windows is harder to use, just as English is one of the hardest languages. It just that most people are so use to Windows. Once you get used to Linux, it's pretty simple.






ALSO TRY THIS ..... WORKS GREAT http://wubi-installer.org/

 

I agree; that does work great. The only thing you'll notice is some slower hard drive access speeds.

 

thanks everyone i just didnt want something from google thats full of lies thanks again i wanted to see what people here use

 

Seeing as you are new forget about researching distros etc.

Use Ubuntu, LiveCD first to see what works, then try the full install. If you are worried about accurate information then just use ubuntuforums.org, wiki.ubuntu.com and help.ubuntu.com. You should find all the information you need there for getting an install going, and the basics for using the system.

 

thanks codemonkeyx