On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 10:42:31 +0100 "Knut Willy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I am a novice at Linux. Never used it, but want to teach myself. fair enough. good luck. > > 1. Have a Windows-98 PC, which has internet connection. > Do not intend to use Linux on this one. > Afraid of having two operating systems on same machine. no need to be afraid, but it's your machine; you shouldn't anything with it that you don't want to do. > > 2. Have a portable Compaq PC, (Windows-95) on which I intend to > install Linux. > This Compaq has no internet connection, no CD station. Only a A: > station for 1,44 mb diskettes. > > 3. My intention is to do all downloading on the Win-98 PC, and then > copy everything over to the Compaq, using diskettes. that, while do-able, can get really tedious. if you could set up a cable (serial or parallel) between the two machines, it would make the process much easier. > > 4. I read somewhere that Debian Linux is the best choice for a novice > learner. And also that one does not need to install EVERYTHING from > Linux. > Just a small starter package will do. A minimum package. first, whoever wrote that debian is the best choice for a novice was smoking out of the wrong end of his pipe. more competent commentators have said that it's not necessarily the linux to start with, but the one to end up with. very few tend to go with debian from the start, which doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a go. i'm sure there must be some here who did stick with it from the first try. if you're primarily interested in a linux distro that's easy to use, you might want to check out mandrake, which really holds your hand in every aspect of the installation. while that sounds like a good thing, it can end up feeling very restrictive, especially as one becomes more familiar with what a linux distribution should and can provide. that said, mandrake is a good place to start. as far as enabling a minimal installation, most linux distros will let you trim the system, but if you want to run x, i.e. have a windows similar gui, you're going to need about 500megs of space, depending on which window manager you end up using. the thing with debian is that the learning curve is pretty steep. if you're determined to go ahead--and please don't think that i'm trying to discourage you--then, along with whatever steps you undertake to get the system loaded, use the web to read as much as you can about what you're getting into. debian is not an out-of-the-box solution, but, if you can handle the initial frustration, the reward is getting the best linux available, with the best support from this list. that's something else to keep in mind, that most debian users end up spending a portion of almost every day, reading and writing to this list. > > 5. Is it possible to go ahead as I have mentioned above? i think the best answer overall would be to say, yes, it's theoretically possible, although a bit more information about the compaq and about what you mean by "minimal" would make it easier to be more supportive. ben -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
