I'm going to install Mandriva

[ruyss]

So, I've decided that I'm going to install Mandriva (together with XP) and see what linux can do. I've chosen for Mandriva because of the problems I had with Fedora and Ubuntu and the Mandriva live cd works like a charm.

Now I would like some advice on what I need to do once it's installed. Any updates I need to do, some packages I absolutely need and so on. If anyone could tell me or direct me to some kind of guide that would tell me that would be fine (I'm asking on L2P because I know there are a couple of experienced linux users here). Any advice you can give me would be highly appreciated!

I'm going to wait with installing until I have some information, so I'll probably install tomorrow or tonight, depends on how fast someone replies
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[LP-SolidRaven]

Well, what do you intend to do with the computer?
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Dilly dally, shilly shally.

[ruyss]

Keep XP for gaming and for some programs I need for school. So XP should get the biggest partition (you can edit this afterwards so partition-size doesn't really matter). I've been thinking about using Mandriva for surfing, watching media, stuff that you don't need windows for
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[spock]

I've never actually used Mandriva before myself, so I have no clue as to what is installed by default.

I guess if the live cd works fine, your best bet is to just install it, and install things when you realize they're missing.
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[Pardo88]

I read about this linux distribution and I think it's really interesting because it's the fussion of two different distributions: Mandrake and Conectiva (Mandr - iva ??).

This distribution was create to be really easy to use, so if you are a "newbie" using Linux you will find it really easy to use. It's easy to install because the installer use a friendly image. The most of applications can be use in text interface or in graphic interface.

Also, the installer come's with some programs to help you to configurate some "parts" of your pc and of your system.

I think you won't have problems using and installing it because the OS was create to avoid that type of common problems that the basic and intermediate Linux users have.

If someone want to test Linux for the first time, I hardly recommend you to check Mandriva.

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If you have problems during installation or using it, post the problem again to try to solve it.

Good Luck with your new OS.

[krt]

[ruyss]

I installed mandriva and everything works fine No problems with the internet connection (Guess what OS I'm currently using ) and no problems with any fonts

I'm using KDE though, it works fine and it's the standard desktop. I can change to Gnome though if you recommend that, but if I remember well Gnome was the desktop I had on Fedora and Ubuntu which gave me the giant fonts .

The install did mess up a bit of my partitions though (it split the part I wanted to use for Linux into 3 different parts) so I'm going to try and fix that now .
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[ruyss]

Excuse me for the double post but I can't edit the previous one (60 minute limit) but I have some questions.

In my previous post I said I was going to fix my partitions, but before I do that I'd like to ask something At the moment my Linux partition looks like this:
partition type size used start end
dev/sda5 ext3 7.81GB 2.77GB 88.08GB 95.89GB
dev/sda6 linux-swap(new) 3.90GB 0.00MB 95.89GB 99.78GB
dev/sda7 ext3 12.00GB 500.46MB 99.78GB 111.79GB

The 12GB partition holds all the user files (or at least I guess so, since I see my name on my 7.81GB partition has the linux files (bin, boot, home, root). Now I would like to merge sda5 and sda7, because the 12GB only uses 500MB, so it would be nicer to get them together. I would merge them with windows with partitionmagic (or if someone has a better idea, please tell me). So is that safe to do or would my linux get messed up? It would be easyer to give linux a bigger partition later on (XP has a 90GB partition).

Second, does the linux-swap really need 3.90GB? I read somewhere that the size of the swap should be twice the amount of RAM. I have 1GB of RAM so I guess it should be okay if I make it 2GB instead of almost 4?

If anyone could share his knowledge with a linux-newbie, it would be highly appreciated

And before I forget, some recommendations on the best linux games would be nice too. I like games
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[Pardo88]

To fix your partition problems directly with Linux Mandriva, use a tool called "DiskDrake". It's a hard drive management tool for create partitions, resize them, etc... Maybe it can help you.

About the games... I don't play in Linux, but let me check and maybe I can find you some cool games.

[ruyss]

DiskDrake is the standard Mandriva Partition editor, but I don't see any options to merge partitions. I do believe that it would be safer to merge the partitions in windows so that I'm not using them, but I'm afraid that something will go wrong since there's allready date on the two partitions :S

Or won't anything go wrong?
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