Author Topic: advice for linux newbie  (Read 6248 times)

Lord C

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Re: advice for linux newbie
« Reply #75 on: 29 April 2005, 23:06 »
Quote from: Jenda
I have a very important question.

When installing a dual boot* (for those of us who do not have the courage to make the plunge (into freedom)) on a system with a single unpartitioned drive, is there a way to partition it with minimal risk of data loss?

If not, my friend needs to backup his whole disk. He doesn't have a burner, and doesn't know anyone in the area who has an external one. He has a fairly decent internet connection. I have a burner, and we have two flash drives, with a total of 384 MB. No external HDDs in sight. Any Ideas?

*Ubuntu/Win2k


I doubt the disk is unpartitioned, otherwise there would be no data to lose ;)

Programs like Partition Magic are good for partitioning, although personally I usually use the Ubuntu installer/fdisk.
Windows [n.]
A thirty-two bit extension and GUI shell to a sixteen bit patch to an eight bit operating system originally coded for a four bit microprocessor and sold by a two-bit company that can't stand one bit of competition.

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BobTheHob

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Re: advice for linux newbie
« Reply #76 on: 30 April 2005, 01:12 »
Quote from: Jenda
I have a very important question.

When installing a dual boot* (for those of us who do not have the courage to make the plunge (into freedom)) on a system with a single unpartitioned drive, is there a way to partition it with minimal risk of data loss?

If not, my friend needs to backup his whole disk. He doesn't have a burner, and doesn't know anyone in the area who has an external one. He has a fairly decent internet connection. I have a burner, and we have two flash drives, with a total of 384 MB. No external HDDs in sight. Any Ideas?

*Ubuntu/Win2k
If you have or can get ahold of a knoppix disk, it comes with a utility you can use called "QtParted". You can do pretty much everything you can with partition magic, but without haveing to buy or crack the application, cuz its free :) . Just resize the win partition and leave the free space, don't make the linux partition in QtParted. You could if you wanted to, but it would prob be easier to just let the linux installer use the freespace.
The meaning of my username "BobTheHob":
It is well known that "Bob" is a nickname for robert in modern times, a lesser known nickname for robert is that of "Hob". Hob is a nickname for robert from the "Middle English" dialect. This is the version of english spoken and written around the late middle ages. Thus my username can be percieved like "RobertTheRobert" which is redundant. As I always like to say "Simplicity in redundancy, and elegance in simplicity".

Jenda

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Re: advice for linux newbie
« Reply #77 on: 30 April 2005, 02:43 »
OK, thanks for the efforts. But can I run QtParted from his Windows 2000? And is it safe?

Of course it's partitioned. My bad. But it only has one partition.

BobTheHob

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Re: advice for linux newbie
« Reply #78 on: 30 April 2005, 03:02 »
Quote from: Jenda
OK, thanks for the efforts. But can I run QtParted from his Windows 2000? And is it safe?

Of course it's partitioned. My bad. But it only has one partition.
Its very safe, but unfortunatly only for linux.
The meaning of my username "BobTheHob":
It is well known that "Bob" is a nickname for robert in modern times, a lesser known nickname for robert is that of "Hob". Hob is a nickname for robert from the "Middle English" dialect. This is the version of english spoken and written around the late middle ages. Thus my username can be percieved like "RobertTheRobert" which is redundant. As I always like to say "Simplicity in redundancy, and elegance in simplicity".

Jenda

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Re: advice for linux newbie
« Reply #79 on: 30 April 2005, 17:14 »
Quote from: BobTheHob
Its very safe, but unfortunatly only for linux.

Well, the thing is, he doesn't have the install CD for Windows, and he is the type who is used to many Windows things (MSN, Limewire). So he won't do it if there's a risk of losig Windows. Or not yet. Even though he knows about Jabber and that LW works under Linux as well.

And I have another friend, who would like to try dual boot, and he has the same problem. He's a gamer, and has a huge HDD, with some windows or another. So, does partition magic or QtParted damage the data on the existing partition?