[-=Rousseau=-]

I have recently set up a dual boot of Windows XP and Linux Fedora Core 6. Everything works perfectly on XP, and Linux runs fine - except it lacks drivers. Sooo...

Where can I find drivers for the following hardware? (As listed in Device Manager in XP)

-ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 GPU
-Bluetooth Personal Area Network from Toshiba
-Intel PRO/WirelessABG Network Connection
-USB Support
-NEC DVD+-RW ND-6650A
(Is there anything else less obvious that would need drivers in Linux? Keyboard?)

Also, Linux is not recognizing any of the other partitions, which are NTFS so... What can I do about that?
C:// = Windows XP (10GB, NTFS)
F:// = All files/programs (94GB, NTFS)
E:// = Linux (7.7GB, ???)
Free Space = 102MB

 

[-=Rousseau=-]

Edit: I ran into some problems with bootup (Couldn't rename "Other" to "Windows XP") and some programs in Windows started giving me sudden trouble. On a fresh installation of XP with very little software the culprit seemed to be the way I had XP and Fedora set up.

So, I'm starting it all fresh while I have all the CDs located and a 100% current backup of all my files at hand. How should I do it? Partition size & formatting recommendations?

What are some pros to having Linux as a dual boot practically speaking? (I have XP, with office and all the programs I usually would use)

 

[Kalim]

If the h/ware is working xorg has probably already provided the necessary drivers.

If not then ..

ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 GPU Linux driver and Installation notes

Bluetooth Personal Area Network from Toshiba - thats software IIRC so it won't need extra drivers unless its made for Linux which you'll have to find and download.

I think this is your Linux driver produced by an 3rd party community: Intel PRO/Wireless ABG Network Connection drivers

USB support - look to your motherboard manufacturers website for your make/model/version IF USB drives don't work in your Linux install.

How to read NTFS drives in Linux: http://www.fedorafaq.org/#ntfs

Does your NEC DVDRW not work in Linux?

 

[-=Rousseau=-]

Well, the h/w works, but some things weren't quite right. The display resolution was limited to 1400x1050, which made things kinda stretched sideways (it's a widescreen laptop). And the wireless wouldn't work. If I can't write to NTFS in Linux though I may not reinstall Linux... I need NTFS for all the files that I have and use in Windows because I have several that are larger than 2 GB. (That's the max for FAT32, right?) So, in other words, what are some good reasons for installing Linux as a dual boot? (Secondary OS)

 

[K-B]

Currently there is no stable method of writing to NTFS from Linux. Reading, yes, is easily done. http://www.linux-ntfs.org/ Check that website out, it has some info. There is a program to read/write and although it has been tested it is still in beta. There is a risk of data corruption.

 

[TheMatt]

Ndiswrapper is a handy utility for getting wireless cards to work, look at that. This is for FC5, but hopefully it will be the same thing or similar.
http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/answers/Networking/Ndiswrapper_in_Fedora_Core_5
NTFS support for Fedora.
http://www.gagme.com/greg/linux/fc6-tips.php#ntfs

 

[-=Rousseau=-]

Ok. Now that I know that it can mostly work without bugs, what are 5 good reasons to have Linux installed? Security, viruses and spyware aside. (I already know those reasons - I really haven't struggled with them too much though.)

 

[TheMatt]

Its free, most distros are much more stable than Windows, good online support, its fully compatible with Windows, no evil BSODs, good selection of free games, its free (did I already say that :wink.

 

[Kalim]

The Synaptic packages, the install/uninstall, the variability and free application development which is increasing rapidly in all spheres, the better desktop environment, the change in desktop environments, virtual desktops, less memory usage, ease of complications and errors, ease of general use (after a while you'll see), very good security and less hassle and maintenance required there, straight forwardness and no withholding of info by its community or development staff thats crucial, help from all angles, its increasing popularity will make it the main OS soon, yours comes with Firefox :grin:, and yes, oh its free!

You can install uninstall on as many computers as you like and its options are increasing rapidly. You can install DSL on USB and its only 50MB to use wherever! If you've seen Vista at all, you'll know very clearly that its whole efforts are targeting to kill Linux and Firefox primarily. So we want the monopolies and hegemonies to back down to equality for once and thats what the "alternative" approaches are doing.

Its the voice of the people :grin:

 

[-=Rousseau=-]

Ok then. I'm convinced. Now it's a matter of how and where to install. I happen to have a 250 GB external HD, is it possible to install Linux on say, a 100GB partition on that that is formatted just for it and boot from that? I know my mobo supports booting from USB (or at least it has USB as one of the 4 boot options when I press F12 on startup - Other than NIC, Internal HD, and CD) If I did that, would I still need to use Grub or would it just be a matter of pushing F12 and selecting USB when I wanted to boot into Linux? My reason for wanting to put it on the external HD is space (I'm using 60% of my 120GB already as it is, just with files and the 10 programs or so I have on it.)

If that will not work, I'll need some good free partitioning software and some advice on how to set up the boot options, as last time I really screwed up the boot. (When it did work, Windows XP was named Other and Linux was default - I want XP to be default at least until I'm comfortable enough with Linux to switch over to it being the main OS.) Also, for some odd reason Firefox and Google Desktop stopped working in XP after I put Linux on the drive, even though they were both on separate partitions and Linux could not access the XP partitions and vice versa - is it even possible for Linux to impact XP when installed on the same HD?

 

[K-B]

GRUB will install on your MBR (Master Boot Record) so it will come up and ask you what you want to boot. I'm not positive, but i don't think you'll have to change your BIOS settings everytime you want to boot Linux. You'll need 2 partitions for Linux, one for Swap (virtual mem) and one for root. Swap should be twice as large as your memory size, and the root partition just as large as you think necessary for all your files. Minimum size is usually 1.5 or 2 gigs. That thing of Linux being default, that can be changed later from Fedora's control panel. Or if you install a distro like PCLinuxOS you set which OS is default right during the installation.

 

[Kalim]

To be honest, I think 100GB partition is enough for 5 separate Linux installations. .. or more. I have one setup just like that and its more than enough. I have over 70 apps installed and its still not near 5% used.

It is very easily possible to boot from the Linux HD, yes.

If you install a USB Linux then you will need to press F8 (or if F12 in your case) and choose the primary boot-up device, hit enter and it will load up the Linux distro on it.

You can have an external HDD and boot from that by pressing F12 and choosing what to boot from and install GRUB and do it.

If two installations are on separate partitions then its like a separate HDD and one can't affect another HDD OS at all.

If you need partitioning software then the Live/Desktop CD's ISO's have GNOME Parted software installed, which lets you partition your HDD before installing pretty easily and perfectly.

Your Swap partition should be 2GB max IMO. You will hardly go near using that.

I suggest you be systematic and install Linux OS/'s on a separate HDD first, test that out and once you're comfortable with that, install others on it to to test out and dual boot all of them. After you know whats there about a few of them (this can be accomplished inside a month pretty easily) then you can dual boot a chosen desired one with your main XP installation using GRUB boot loader.