Ubuntu/Debain and WinXP Home

[M4A1]

Hey guys, I'm new to Linux and I'm thinking about switching over.... I currently have a HP laptop with WinXP Home on it and I just ordered the free CDs that Ubuntu gives you...

I'm curious if there's a way to choose what OS you want to load up before each time? Or maybe if you can have the option of at least booting up two differnet OS (in an indirect way if possible)...

Also, if I get Debian or any other distro, is it hard to install? Thanks a lot.

 

[macdude425]

Yeah, the Linux installer will load GRUB or LILO, which let you pick your OS at startup.

The Debian installer isn't that hard, but compared to the Red Hat installer, Anaconda, it's a little bare and lacking.

(NOTE: This does not mean that I promote, or even like for that matter, Red Hat, Fedora, etc. While the installer is incredible, most everything else sucks.)

 

[void]

Ubuntu is a really easy install, it'll put GRUB on as your bootloader and Gnome as your desktop enviroment. It can partition you HD (the hardest part of the install) if you want, but I'd suggest you defrag before doing that, or you can do it using something else. It will only ask for the time settings and keyboard layout I think. It is a very simple install. Almost all hardware will be detected, but be warned some may not. I suggest you use the LiveCD (I think comes with the ordered CD) to check what hardware is detected.

 

[M4A1]

So what exactly is the process of installing Linux? Once I get the CDs, will they have instructions? I really want to use a good Linux distro becuase I love using it at the PODs in my college... nice, easy, and stable.

 

[M4A1]

I have a problem - I am using the LiveCD for Ubuntu (the latest on on their website) and it won't recognize my user interface or something -- it installs almost everything else, then it says "let Ubuntu find the graphical user interface" or something, then it doesn't work -- any ideas?