About to install Linux, got a few questions

[tuzz]

Hey, I am just about to install Redhat Linux 7.3 on my system, have partitioned my harddrive so that Win2k has 8gb, Linux has 8gb and the rest is my docs and games and other stuff. I need to install it for a uni subject I am taking this semester. Anyways, I have a few questions you guys should be able to answer:

1. Can Linux 'see' FAT32 partitions? What about NTFS? I heard Redhat 7.3 can't see NTFS partitions but Redhat 8.0 can, however I have to install 7.3 as thats what we're using at uni. Currently my C drive is NTFS with win2k, my D drive is FAT32 with my docs and stuff, and my E drive is spare and ready to install Linux. Is this an ok setup?

2. I also heard Linux takes a snapshot of your system when first installing and will tailor the OS to run optimally with your sytem, and my lecturer advised us to upgrade our systems now if we have been thinking about it, prior to installing Linux. That way, Linux will be able to use our available resources. So I was wondering, would an extra 512 MB RAM be useful, as I already have 512 MB in my system in a single stick. I am thinking of upgrading this in the future as I do a lot of programming and usually have lots of applications open, however I haven't noticed any slowdown yet due to a lack of RAM. My motherboard is also a nForce2 so it will be able to take advantage of two sticks of memory, and memory prices look to have flattened out at least for the near future. Also I am running Windows 2000 Professional as my Windows OS and Win2k can definately take advantage of the extra RAM. Any thoughts?

 

[asb002]

Linux can 'see' FAT32 and NTFS partitions, but it cannot write to NTFS properly. Your setup is fine, but the 'E' drive will need to be deleted. You can do this in Red Hat install. I'm not sure if 7.3 can mount NTFS, if not, you can just recompile the kernel with NTFS support. What do you mean by 'snapshot'? RedHat does configure itself so it will work with your comp, if thats what you mean.

 

[GandalfGrey]

512 mb for redhat 7.3 should be fine.

I don't believe that Redhat 7.3 can see NTFS partitions by default (someone correct me on this?) and it may require you to recompile your kernel, which is actually a (relativly) painless procedure.

 

[Flatline]

512Mb is more than enough for just about any 'nix (depending, of course, on what you're doing with the machine)

NTFS is not natively supported by RedHat, but you can just follow some simple instructions and install support with an RPM if you go to this SITE

Happy hunting!

 

[tdgx]

Like the others said, 512MB is plenty for Redhat. I've got a RH 9 box with 512MB and even with Samba, apache, nfs server, Mozilla, etc., its only using around 200MB of RAM and no swap, just with very minor tweaking.

 

[asb002]

You could, of course, upgrade to a higher version of Red Hat and not only get native NTFS support, but other added bonuses.

 

[Flatline]

A newer version of RedHat would NOT give him native NTFS support; not even RH9 does it "out of the box" because of the "dubious legality" of it.

 

[asb002]

Really? I had no idea. I've been rather annoyed about RedHat's "dubious legality" crap, even removing MP3 support. In that case then, use the NTFS RPM, or use a real distro, not concerned with 'dubious legality'.

EDIT: Wow, that's a lot of Tuxes in this thread.

 

[Flatline]

Just for giggles, I'll add one more tux :beer:

 

[asb002]

:beer:

 

[tuzz]

OK I was just thinking 512MB would be enough anyway. What is a 'RPM'? Is that a name for those packages you can install to add extra functionality? Where can you get them from? From the RH CD's?

 

[asb002]

RPM stands for RedHat Package Manager, and they are the things in RedHat that install programs. They can be found on your RH cds, and on the internet, for extra functionality.

 

[Reel]

I think your lecturer's comments more apply to other hardware than RAM. RAM is not such a big deal to upgrade and have a computer continue running fine but other peripherals such as video cards, sound cards, etc require drivers that might make upgrading a bit more complicated than you would expect.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: asb002
Really? I had no idea. I've been rather annoyed about RedHat's "dubious legality" crap, even removing MP3 support. In that case then, use the NTFS RPM, or use a real distro, not concerned with 'dubious legality'.

EDIT: Wow, that's a lot of Tuxes in this thread.

I have to agree that XMMS w/o MP3 support is retarded. At leastit's easy to fix.

 

[GiLtY]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: asb002
Really? I had no idea. I've been rather annoyed about RedHat's "dubious legality" crap, even removing MP3 support. In that case then, use the NTFS RPM, or use a real distro, not concerned with 'dubious legality'.

EDIT: Wow, that's a lot of Tuxes in this thread.

I have to agree that XMMS w/o MP3 support is retarded. At leastit's easy to fix.

Yeah, RH removed it b/c of legal issues (not sure the exact detail).

Why can't you install RH8.0? Unless you are doing the learning in class on a RH7.3, but even then the basic CLI commands are the same.

--GiLtY

 

[tuzz]

ReelC00L: well yeah I think my lecturer was talking about other peripherals, he did mention the video card and other cards that plug into your PCI slots, but he did also mention RAM. But I think it was more directed to those with say 64MB RAM wanting to use their comp as a server.

GiLtY: I can install 8.0 but have been told its a bit buggy with how it handles packages, or something like that. And we are being tested on 7.3 in the labs, we have been given all the 7.3 CD's and resources for 7.3 so its a lot easier to use 7.3. Besides, the newer versions should be easy to pick up once I'm used to 7.3