Nothing fixes the 137GB limit! Nothing!

[Canterwood]

Originally posted by: Muftobration
Hopefully XP will solve all my HDD problems without creating too many more in other departments.

I doubt it.

The XP installer is practically the same as 2000, so if you can't cope now, you'll probably still going to have trouble.

Also, you better have either SP1 or SP2 slipstreamed or you're going to still have the same problems with the 137GB limit.

 

[Muftobration]

It's all ok now! It must have been my win2k disk, because winXP installed fine. I'm using it right now. All of my previously "damaged" partitions in win2k show up fin in XP and I've never been happier with a computer!

 

[Seeruk]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
I must say that this thread is extremely entertaining simply because it contradicts the whole "Windows is so easy" crap we see in 1/3 of the Linux threads.

I think its entertaining that you think so when he aint even got to installing windows at that stage.... the problem is entirely partitioning tools and is like me saying Linux Distro A,B or C is ****** to install because Qparted is being crap...

Anyhoooo


Glad you are sorted at last Mufto

 

[Nothinman]

I think its entertaining that you think so when he aint even got to installing windows at that stage.... the problem is entirely partitioning tools and is like me saying Linux Distro A,B or C is ****** to install because Qparted is being crap...

But the problem is Windows, the Windows installer uses the NT kernel and you need some level of service packs installed before it'll properly use LBA48 so you end up in a chicken-egg predicament. And people do make comparisons like that because the tools provided with the OS/distribution reflect on that OS/distribution.

 

[hooflung]

So much for Windows being an easy Install.

For the record I installed 2kSP4 on my amd athlon xp 2800+, Nforce 2 400, New 60gig Maxtor, Geforce 6600, Dlink Gigabit Nic, Via Envy HT-S sound and it took ~ 2 hours because of the forced format through install ( I wanted to time this install from start to fin ) then the SP 4 install, then Direct X 9c, then the chipset drivers, then the patching of criticals, then the install of IE6 SP 1, then the patching of criticals pertaining to after IE6 SP 1, then the Drivers 1 by 1. This didn't include software for safely browsing the net and checking email safely.

So much for being easy or fast. Ubuntu installs in 17 minutes top to bottom with everything supported out the box and surfing the web safely. But lets not have this thread digress....

 

[Canterwood]

Its all relative really. Windows 2000 is an older OS.

I know when I installed Suse 9.2, there was a mass of patches and fixes to install during setup, which is very time consuming.

Ubuntu is a far more modern OS, so you'd expect there to be less patching/driver searching to do.

 

[Seeruk]

Originally posted by: hooflung
So much for Windows being an easy Install.

For the record I installed 2kSP4 on my amd athlon xp 2800+, Nforce 2 400, New 60gig Maxtor, Geforce 6600, Dlink Gigabit Nic, Via Envy HT-S sound and it took ~ 2 hours because of the forced format through install ( I wanted to time this install from start to fin ) then the SP 4 install, then Direct X 9c, then the chipset drivers, then the patching of criticals, then the install of IE6 SP 1, then the patching of criticals pertaining to after IE6 SP 1, then the Drivers 1 by 1. This didn't include software for safely browsing the net and checking email safely.

So much for being easy or fast. Ubuntu installs in 17 minutes top to bottom with everything supported out the box and surfing the web safely. But lets not have this thread digress....

Thats funny .... I coulda sworn I just downloaded 18 updates from a fresh install of Ubuntu last night. And at the end of it I still had 20+ more updates to do just to be able to listen to music and watch DVD's......

Yet my Win DVD has SP2 and all security updates slipstreamed as well as the installs of all my other apps. It's answer file means I boot the PC choose a partition and dissapear for an hour to come back to a fully configured PC and with all security patches applied.

Yup thats right switch on PC press [Any Key] [Down Arrow] [Enter] Voila!

Point being there are just as many updates to do a distro older than a a week or two yet windows XP is 5 years old! With less than 20 minutes effort the slipstreamed DVD means I avoid all the crap involved with installs.... But I am genuinely interested to know whether a similar 'slipstreamed' 'answer file' DVD is possible to create with any Distros out there? It would come in handy

 

[nweaver]

how long did it take you to make that DVD?

I can do the same thing with Ubuntu (or any other linux OS). Compare apples to apples, either slipstream/tweak both install scripts, or do a regular image. Install XP Pro (with or without SP2, either way) and see how many reboots it takes, and you will STILL HAVE TO INSTALL A PROGRAM TO WATCH DVD'S...how is that any different then Ubuntu?

 

[Seeruk]

Originally posted by: nweaver
how long did it take you to make that DVD?

With less than 20 minutes effort the slipstreamed DVD means I avoid all the crap involved with installs....

I wasnt very clear I know

Install XP Pro... with.... SP2....and see how many reboots it takes

Once

Thats the beauty and I believe the same number as a Ubuntu install before the updates that will require at least one reboot as well.

I can do the same thing with Ubuntu (or any other linux OS). Compare apples to apples, either slipstream/tweak both install scripts, or do a regular image

How? - I would like to learn. For windows I just use nlite to slipstream and tweak. Then a batch file to run silent installs of all the applications. Is there anything similar (to nlite) for linux? What methods do you use? Is it documented anywhere?

and you will STILL HAVE TO INSTALL A PROGRAM TO WATCH DVD'S

Media Player is installed with Windows XP (Unless you have the new ghey european version where it was forcibly removed by the courts in the 'interest of users'

 

[nweaver]

mediaplayer requires a software decoder be installed for it to play DVD's (won't do it out of box, works after winddvd or powerdvd is installed) At least thats the way it was last time I bothered to check...

You can slipstream installs in linux, write a shellscript to do what you want, copy it to your startup scripts during install and on reboot it will run. apt-get install <<application>>

I haven't tried to do much with the Ubuntu installer, more of a Gentoo guy. Gentoo would be very easy to automate/slipstream. Plus, you don't have to slipstream the updates into it, as it grabs the latest files from the web.

My question about time, is how long did it take you to build the slipstreamed disk (install nlite, copy source, modify files) and write the batch files to install your apps? If you are going to compare your NLITE slipstreamed xp install to Ubuntu, you gotta find a slipstreamed version. otherwise, you need to look at stock installs, stock Ubuntu versus Stock XP Pr (maybe even with SP2 already on disk). Windows is at LEAST 4 reboots to finish the install and get all critical updates, probably more.


Linux is MUCH better about updating stuff and not requiring a reboot. I only reboot when I have a new kernel, and I don't worry about updating to every minor version change, so I reboot very rarely, and I think that (except for kernel) there isnt' anything in Ubuntu's updates that would require a reboot.

 

[Seeruk]

Originally posted by: nweaver
mediaplayer requires a software decoder be installed for it to play DVD's (won't do it out of box, works after winddvd or powerdvd is installed) At least thats the way it was last time I bothered to check...

Correct.... slipstreamed

You can slipstream installs in linux, write a shellscript to do what you want, copy it to your startup scripts during install and on reboot it will run. apt-get install <<application>>

and if you are not a coder? i know the odd bits of shellscript from here and there.... but nowhere near enough to achieve such a thing.

My question about time, is how long did it take you to build the slipstreamed disk (install nlite, copy source, modify files) and write the batch files to install your apps?

20 MINUTES!!!!

If you are going to compare your NLITE slipstreamed xp install to Ubuntu, you gotta find a slipstreamed version. otherwise, you need to look at stock installs, stock Ubuntu versus Stock XP Pr (maybe even with SP2 already on disk). Windows is at LEAST 4 reboots to finish the install and get all critical updates, probably more.

Im sorry ... but at the end of ubuntu 5.04's lifespan at which time the distro was an astonishing 6 months old you needed about 4-5 reboots too and close to 100 updates just to core files before you start adding anything as fancy as dvd/mp3 capabilities. WinXP is down to one additional reboot after base install I think as MP and DX do not need to be done seperately. Maybe 2 if you arent using a SP2 disc. Still I don't think I will be suing MS for that minute of my life back...

Linux is MUCH better about updating stuff and not requiring a reboot. I only reboot when I have a new kernel, and I don't worry about updating to every minor version change, so I reboot very rarely, and I think that (except for kernel) there isnt' anything in Ubuntu's updates that would require a reboot

Maybe... but tbh when a reboot takes 3 times longer I think it probably evens out


OMG how off topic has this got???????

 

[TGS]

Off topic: Seeruk, I think the point they are driving at with your time to create the disk is it did not take you 20 minutes to find out what apps/drivers you needed to add to a slipstream DVD. Along with finding out how to make a slipstream disk, and how to add your own files, adding an answer file, etc...

Perhaps when you did all the research, and figured a list of things to put on the medium did it take you that long. You can do the same with any linux distribution, or you can get the latest off the web at run time. Which takes a bit longer, but at least you are guaranteeing that you will be upto date. Which is a moot point, once a patch comes out that supersedes a patch on the slipstreamed disk.

 

[nweaver]

Last time I did an XP pro (with SP2 on disk) install it was 5 reboots (iirc) with MP10, .net, .net SP, DX, and driver installs. Sure you can slipstream them onto the cd, but like I said, same goes for linux. As far as being a coder to write shell scripts...compare batch files. Batch is a horrible language, and I think shell is a few steps above. Still no perl though. And while I could be a "scripter" I am FAR from a coder.

anyway, I don't know about Ubuntu, but my Debian netinstall of testing branch was boot up on cd->install->reboot->update, no reboot required. And installing mediaplayers shouldn't require a reboot. ANything short of a kernal change shouldnt' require a reboot.

I am a gentoo fanboy, but I am learning (quickly) to love Debian

 

[Seeruk]

Seriously its nothing complicated....

Make a $OEM folder... Make a $1 folder - throw all the files and drivers you need in there.
Drivers will then be used in the install process (Catalysts being slighlty more complicated) and you batch file is literally nothing more than a list of paths/filenames with almost all installers for programs including a /s switch to install silently. Office takes about 5 minutes to prepare an MSI file but there is nothing there that my Dad couldnt do and he is a dumbass when it comes to computers! (Sorry again Dad! )

OK lets admit that maybe 3-4 years ago I spent 10 minutes reading up on the subject

As a fan of Ubuntu I guess it makes me a fan of Debian too Although I think there may be war soon!

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: Canterwood

Originally posted by: Muftobration
Hopefully XP will solve all my HDD problems without creating too many more in other departments.

I doubt it.

The XP installer is practically the same as 2000, so if you can't cope now, you'll probably still going to have trouble.

Also, you better have either SP1 or SP2 slipstreamed or you're going to still have the same problems with the 137GB limit.

I own a 7200.8 250gb partitioned like this:

16gb XP 32-bit
16gb XP 64-bit
100gb junk
100gb junk 2

Basically when I install Windows, I see the first 3 only. C, D, E. Once I install SP2, the 4th partition magically appears.

No fear! XP will do it. SP1 and later fixes the problem.

I don't even worry about data disappearing since I have all movies and media on my F drive (2nd 100gb partition), and it's all intact still.

 

[tjmjr]

Did you try a try a Dynamic Drive Overlay (DDO) on the hard drive to support the full capacity of the drive?

For example Maxtor