If you are buying a new system, then don't worry about losing the data
on it. When you buy a complete new computer and a distro you have /ALL/
the information that is on hard drive on cd-roms. If you delete the
entire hard drive at this point, you have all of it on cd-rom, so why
are you so scared to experiment with the system.
Hold up, and before you start putting gigs of personal unreplaceable
data on this computer, take the time to mess around with it, take the
time to try differant OS and software with it, it isn't call a /PERSONAL
COMPUTER/ for nothing :) After you find the exact OS's to run, distro,
software then build them system back up and from your exteriments with
differant software you will know how to make the system more stable, so
when vaulable data goes on there, it will stay on there.
I suggest building you own PC, it is your PERSONAL computer, it is not
Dells, or Gateways, it is yours, and who knows what type of CPU/cache,
memory /YOU/ want, better than /YOU/?
Comments below
"Baskette, John" wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I'm a newbie to linux, though I do have some unix experience (but none with
> partitioning drives).
Not that hard, same concepts are when you used to part old DOS disk, but
you
use a differant program and have more FS to choose from :)
> I have a $1,000, and I'm going to buy a computer (including a monitor). I
> want a dual-boot system running linux and win98. Win98 is required for some
> other programs I have which I run on my rather old Win95 notebook. Other
> than that, I wish to use linux primarily. Because I'm a newbie, I would
> prefer to use a distribution like Caldera's OpenLinux or Mandrake.
>
> My question is: What should I buy?
The Computer I am selling, $1000 for a 486/DXand runs great :) just
kidding, it is
not for sale.
> 1.) I could buy a Win98 box, then use Caldera's linux distribution that
> will repartition and install linux without trashing the Win98 partition.
> (Does Mandrake do this for you? I really am a newbie.)
A) you can repart to make room for linux with ANY linux distro, it is
called fips.
B) If you trash the drive, you can put in Compaqs cd, click 'ok' and
your system is
back up and running as fast as your cd can copy to hard drive, not a big
deal.
> But I would pay the
> MS tax, and risk buying hardware that is incompatible with linux.
Get the specs for the machine, before you buy it, goto www.suse.com and
check and
verify the parts with the hard ware database. You can also ask here in
linux-newbie
if you are unsure about a peice of hardware in a machine you are
thinking about buying.
If you find parts that aren't going to work, look at differant
models/companies that
offer a simplair machine without the defective hardware
> 2.) I could by a linux box from VA research or the Linux store with Linux
> preinstalled, and repartition it. Can I repartition without losing the
> contents of the drive?
probably, but if you lose the contents of the drive you have it all on
/CD/ right next to you.
If you lose it, you learn alot, get your system back to the same way
>
> Or should I get vmware for linux?
Do you like using it?
> Or is there some other idea that is better than any of these?
>
> Thank you in advance for your helpful advice.
>
> John Baskette
