which O.S should i use ?

hi
i am using windows xp for many years . Now i wana try my hand in linux area but i am very confused about the operating system that i should use like suse, red hat etc etc plz advice me which O.S should i go for

also i want to have a dual boot option with windows xp so plz tell the procedure to have dual boot option .
also tell from where can i get the CDs for the O.S ( i live in delhi ) ?

ubantu is hot
but my feeling is that a newbee should first try
mandriva its easy, sleek and fast and it comes live cd also
you can find it here
*www.mandriva.com/en/download/free
its based on somewhat on redhat
the best thing is very simple installer and dual boot also

What is Linux? Is Linux for Me?
*www.control-escape.com/lx-whatislinux.html
*www.control-escape.com/linux/contents.html

Courtsey : praka123

I also request the mods to have a sticky on "Which Distro"

If you need to try many/latest software in your linux box Go for ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu/Ubuntu Studio....Acording to your system config,tests,needs and so on.

Or you can Try PCLinuxOS 2007....It is easy,It's is simply great,
But it's repositary don't have all latest software.

anantkhaitan said:
What is Linux? Is Linux for Me?
*www.control-escape.com/lx-whatislinux.html
*www.control-escape.com/linux/contents.html

Courtsey : praka123

I also request the mods to have a sticky on "Which Distro"

thanks buddy good link

abhasbajpai said:
ubantu is hot
but my feeling is that a newbee should first try
mandriva its easy, sleek and fast and it comes live cd also
you can find it here
*www.mandriva.com/en/download/free
its based on somewhat on redhat
the best thing is very simple installer and dual boot also

hey thanks for the valuable info

if your installing linux then go for mandriva as it will have all the required softwares installed by default.... so no need of installing softwares separately.

and dont go for many linux at a time.... coz you will confuse yourself more and more

i cant stop commntin but in this era of free OS n all, MS is just a cheater!

How to Learn to Use Linux

Most computers these days run some version of Microsoft Windows, but many servers and desktop computers are starting to run Linux, a free Unix based operating system. Learning your way around Linux can be daunting at first, it seems a lot different than Windows, but it can be an easy and rewarding experience.

*www.wikihow.com/Learn-to-Use-Linux
a single page only-good read
^ nice nd good one which will not do any distro,DE trolling.

i have heard that the file system for the linux is different then that of windows then plz tell me how can i accese my data residing in fat partions ? should i need to re insert all the data in the linux drives ?

saurabh kakkar said:
i have heard that the file system for the linux is different then that of windows then plz tell me how can i accese my data residing in fat partions ? should i need to re insert all the data in the linux drives ?

everything is possible in linux... u can access ur windows partition from linux... and u can access linux partition from windows.... but tell me one thing
have u installed linux yet ???

M

Linux can easily read and write FAT partitions and read NTFS partitions. And many of the newer distros can even write to NTFS partitions using NTFS-3G.

vish786 said:
everything is possible in linux... u can access ur windows partition from linux... and u can access linux partition from windows.... but tell me one thing
have u installed linux yet ???

hey buddy thanks for u r concern cos i have only 400mbs download limit so i cant download mandriva from the site i will be getting ubantu cds this sunday from my friend so i will install it and with the help of u ppl i hope i will get use to it

saurabh kakkar said:
hey buddy thanks for u r concern cos i have only 400mbs download limit so i cant download mandriva from the site i will be getting ubantu cds this sunday from my friend so i will install it and with the help of u ppl i hope i will get use to it

u can also get from college library if they buy any tech magazines.

enticer86 said:
i cant stop commntin but in this era of free OS n all, MS is just a cheater!

Cheater??

MS is different from Linux...
and Linux is different from MS..
Linux is maintained mostly by the community and was started by the community so people here provide free services...
Now MS is spending millions of dollars on research and everything..
sud they give it to you FREE(think abt it)??

Both are good...
its the taste you hav got, u hav developed or developing..

hi
i have just recived my Ubuntu 7.04 cds before installing it i wana know whether it will run properly on my system my config is :

p4 2.40
256 ram
Dlink 845 chipset
80 gb hdd
no graphics card
(if not plz tell the distro that will run on my configuration)

i will be installing any linux distro first time I am having windows 98 on C : and xp on D: i want Ubuntu on C: but want to retain xp on D : what steps should i follow

Your PC configuration is OK..

you will hav to create two new partitions for for installing Linux...
You cant use ur existing partitions...
1. SWAP(it sud b little more than ur RAM or Double)
2. Linux Partition where all the data wikk b stored...
You hav to spare some space for creating these partitions...

Manshahia said:
Your PC configuration is OK..
you will hav to create two new partitions for for installing Linux...
You cant use ur existing partitions...
1. SWAP(it sud b little more than ur RAM or Double)
2. Linux Partition where all the data wikk b stored...
You hav to spare some space for creating these partitions...

thanks for the reply but i am not getting u may be my Q was not proper

I want ubuntu on my c drive i.e i wana delete 98 which is on c drive but

wana retain my xp which is on d drive what steps should i follow so that i get

the boot option for xp and ubuntu both

Ya Madriva is good need not do any thing like mounting NTFS

and all

Btw my 1'st linux OS was Ubuntu and I love it

No windows now kinda bored with it

I appreciate your choice shifting Linux

Get Ubuntu get addicted ..

saurabh kakkar said:
thanks for the reply but i am not getting u may be my Q was not proper

I want ubuntu on my c drive i.e i wana delete 98 which is on c drive but

wana retain my xp which is on d drive what steps should i follow so that i get

the boot option for xp and ubuntu both

ok..
Format C drive..
Delete this partition and create a new one during installation of Linux..
thats it..

Manshahia said:
ok..
Format C drive..
Delete this partition and create a new one during installation of Linux..
thats it..

u have said :

1-> format C drive. I wana know if i format my C drive my boot files

for XP which is in D drive will be lost will ubuntu be able to recognise my XP

in D drive

2-> Delete this partition plz tell me from where to delete from disk

managment in xp kya ?

plz help i will be installing linux first time in my life

be aware that formatting ur C drive deletes ur windows 98.WinXP is in D:\>
so go install Ubuntu and supposing that ur C: drive is a primary partition,u may need to make ur D: partn active one(we'll deal it later).
U can view ubuntu install's @ *www.ubuntuvideo.com/tutorial_installing_ubuntu
*www.ubuntuvideo.com/

Ur mobo contains intel on-board display which is 100% supported in all distros.so go,install.

Between do note that:
In a Classical dual booting system,Windows asks to be in primary partn.make an extended partn and make logical partns for ur ubuntu's "/" root partn of around 5GB and a swap of 400MB too.then continue install

saurabh kakkar said:
u have said :

1-> format C drive. I wana know if i format my C drive my boot files

for XP which is in D drive will be lost will ubuntu be able to recognise my XP

in D drive

2-> Delete this partition plz tell me from where to delete from disk

managment in xp kya ?

plz help i will be installing linux first time in my life

First of log in in XP as Command prompt and delete the Windows Folder in the C: where your Windows 98 files are. Also delete My Documents and Program Files, and games and whatever which do not require you to boot into XP.
Edit the boot.ini file in C: and remove the Windows 98 entry.
Now reduce the timeout to zero.
Now if you boot, you'll boot straight into XP.
In XP defragement your C: preferably using a third party tool and make sure the end of the drive is free.
Insert your Ubuntu Live CD, click on install and in the partitioning resize the C: and this will create free space and put two partitions one / and the other SWAP.
Now install Ubuntu and enjoy!

Anurag_panda said:
First of log in in XP as Command prompt and delete the Windows Folder in the C: where your Windows 98 files are. Also delete My Documents and Program Files, and games and whatever which do not require you to boot into XP.
Edit the boot.ini file in C: and remove the Windows 98 entry.
Now reduce the timeout to zero.
Now if you boot, you'll boot straight into XP.
In XP defragement your C: preferably using a third party tool and make sure the end of the drive is free.
Insert your Ubuntu Live CD, click on install and in the partitioning resize the C: and this will create free space and put two partitions one / and the other SWAP.
Now install Ubuntu and enjoy!

thanks buddy i highly appreciate ur advice but i have already installed ubuntu

Why didn't you tried Dyne;bolic.

(Aha Don't flame... I am a Dyne;bolic fan.

)

Now that you have ubuntu installed.. you might want to pick a few books from the library. Its not necessary, but will certainly speed up the process. One book i can recommend is Oreilly's UNIX in a Nutshell.

Hey Satissh long time..

@saurabh, There are many books online too.. Just serch and start reading..

vignesh said:
Hey Satissh long time..

@saurabh, There are many books online too.. Just serch and start reading..

yep

A Few Books :
1. UNIX Power Tools - Oreilly
2. Linux Application Development - Pearson/Education
3. Learning Perl (llama book) - Oreilly Randal Scwartz (very good)

thanks vignesh and Satissh for helping me in understaning linux better but i

dont get much time to sit on the sys as i am busy with my summer training

and project work . i hope u all will keep guiding me