Newbie - Linux Installation

[ibmuser]

I'd like to give linux a go on a thinkpad x31. How best to start? I know that's a rather general and vague question, but any links to web pages or installation concerns I should be aware of?

[jdhurst]

Is your X31 a spare machine? I have not yet met the person who has never used Linux, installed it once correctly and used it a production machine. I am not saying don't try, but don't give up Windows until you are adept at Linux. I have installed and run RedHat Linux 6.1, 7.0, 73, 8.0, 9.0, Gentoo Linux 2004, and SuSe Linux 9.0, and I am still in a learning mode. The RedHat systems all work (OpenOffice.org, Adobe, Mozilla, Ethereal, Nessus, Nmap, Samba, compilers, etc.), although I could not use them as working systems (I still use XP Pro as a production machine). I never got Gentoo working. SuSe has promise but I don't have Samba running it in yet. You need Samba to share files with Windows machines. You need OpenOffice.org or such for an Office Suite. You need a Linux with an updater (or you'll quickly go mad with unresolved dependencies). RedHat and SuSe have such up-to-date features. Gentoo has Portage. I don't know about others.

If your X31 is not spare, I suggest you install Partion Magic 8 and contract your Windows partition, then install Linux as dual-boot. Partition Magic is not expensive.

If you *really* want to learn Linux, purchase VMware for Windows ($200 US) and run Linux in a Virtual Machine. Then you can learn about Samba, networking and other features while still maintaining a production machines. That is how I run Linux. A downside of a Linux Virtual Machine in VMware (not Windows) is that you must install the VMware Tools, and you must have matching kernel source and binaries for this to happen. Another non-novice task.

Tread carefully. ... jdhurst

[ibmuser]

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep the Windows system going I have all sorts of software that I need to keep using. Will give linux a go, but I like the virtual setup you mentioned to learn from.

[Nathan]

Or install Cygwin

http://www.cygwin.com/

A linux layer for windows! (Prefer fedora myself though!)

[Bob Collins]

All good suggestions, but have you given FreeBSD a thought? It is `like' Linux, although it is older, more mature, and close to the Bell Labs Unix. I run it on both a 600X and a T22.

Almost all the same things are available, however updates are easier, so too are application installs.

Finally, the code-base of FreeBSD is closely controlled as to who can commit changes, and therefore keeps the system very clean and with few dependency issues like you will have in a Linux environment.

Sorry to throw a wrench in the works, but if you are looking for *nix-like thing, there are some other good, if not better choices, and no I am not trying to start a flame war, just offering another opinion for the OP to consider. And yes, I have used all maner of Linux in the past and I still prefer FreeBSD.

[GreenLight]

All good suggestions, but have you given FreeBSD a thought? It is `like' Linux, although it is older, more mature, and close to the Bell Labs Unix. I run it on both a 600X and a T22.

Bob, I am going to be getting a T42 soon, and I plan to dual boot WinXP and FreeBSD. I know that your T22 is different from the T42, but what kind of issues might I have to look out for? I have enough experience with FreeBSD to deal with (most of) the issues, but am wondering what I have to "look forward to" 8^)

[Bob Collins]

Offhand I cannot really think of anything. My Intel on-board 10/100 Nic was readily found by FBSD. My add-in PCMCIA wireless card required some tuning, but nothing significant. Everything else was fine too except adding the sound driver into a custom kernel, but that is trivial. I added device pcm to the kernel config file recompiled and there it was.

I think the TPs are well suited to most any OS, as there are quite a number of TPs out there and they seem to have a pretty good support in the open source community. Obviously with IBM's push on Linux, it would make sense to try Linux on the TP, I just prefer FBSD.

All the hardware seems to either be found easily or configured easily. The one hang up I do read about on the mobile FreeBSD mailing list is the hibernation, suspend support. I think -current has better support for such things, but is definitely not ready for prime time.

Honestly I have no issues with FreeBSD, other than a couple of software issues, like AutoCAD and ESRI's ArcView for FreeBSD. If those two were native to FBSD or even Linux, I would swap all my systems to FBSD and *MAYBE* Linux.

[Guest]

Or install Cygwin

http://www.cygwin.com/

A linux layer for windows! (Prefer fedora myself though!)

It is nice, but so deprecated that no updates have been provided for quite a long time.

[GreenLight]

Or install Cygwin

http://www.cygwin.com/

A linux layer for windows! (Prefer fedora myself though!)

It is nice, but so deprecated that no updates have been provided for quite a long time.

That is complete nonsense (Bill - please somehow stop guests from posting).
The latest version of cygwin was released on 5/25/2004

[FxXP]

I used cygwin before, but whats the point of running a *nix layer on Windows? It's not a real *nix kernel or distrobution, more like emulation.

[vjacob]

I'd like to give linux a go on a thinkpad x31. How best to start? I know that's a rather general and vague question, but any links to web pages or installation concerns I should be aware of?

I suggest Mandrake, Knoppix, or the like if you are a first time user.

If you are more experienced or just like not seing GUIs all the time, try Debian.

I recommend Gentoo if you _enjoy_ reading documentation (I use gentoo