More on Linux


Tip
Too much confusion over the installation of Linux has prompted me to write you this letter. I have been using Linux now for about three years, and have recently installed two completely new systems all the way up to X-Windows, using both Slackware and RedHat releases.
First point: Linux is not for the fainthearted. If you are brave, however, you stand to learn an incredible amount about how your PC operates under both DOS and Unix by installing it.
Second point: back up your PC before doing a Linux installation. I know that this is very difficult for some people, and I tend to not always practice what I preach, but if you are unsure at all about installing Linux, this is an important step.
OK, now to expel the myths. Partitioning your hard drive is not necessary to install Linux, but it is recommended. There is a file system known as UMSDOS that will install Linux in a subdirectory on your MS-DOS/Windows partition, but there is an (apparently) noticeable lack of performance in using this method. I have tried this with a small Linux system and found it to work without incident. The best bet, however, is to partition your hard drive using a tool available on most Linux CDs known as FIPS (First non-destructive Interactive Partition Splitting program). This allows you to partition your hard drive without losing information, following a defrag -- read the instructions carefully. This is also useful information for people other than Linux users, as a tool like this has been the dream of many PC users for years. And it works -- I have used FIPS on two PCs of differing architecture with complete success.
Linux does support CD-ROMs, no matter what speed, but only certain types (nearly all). The most important thing to do in order to make a Linux installation recognise your CD-ROM is to go out and buy a recent release of Linux (or download one). The new Slackware boot disk/root disk combinations for ATAPI-compliant CD-ROMs (nearly all modern non-SCSI CDs are ATAPI compliant) recognised my CD-ROM instantly, whereas previous versions of Linux gave me no joy.
I personally installed both Slackware and RedHat releases (the two most common) of Linux from the Infomagic Linux Developer's Resource, dated September 1996, but any modern release should do. In fact, both of these releases even took care of mounting my CD-ROM on each boot-up, so I don't have to do it manually (like Ken Yiu's description), or do crazy stuff like edit my /etc/fstab file, which I'm 90 per cent likely to break the first time I touch.
A point to note, however, is that I had to tell RedHat where my CD-ROM drive lived (/dev/hdd) before it recognised it, whereas Slackware found it on its own. On top of this, Linux recognises MS-DOS partitions so that you can access all your DOS partitions as well; it doesn't seem to recognise NTFS partitions (I could be wrong), although I believe it does recognise HPFS for OS/2. Again, Slackware took care of my /etc/fstab file, so that my DOS partitions are automatically mounted on boot-up, whereas with RedHat I had to do this manually (see below).
Getting all your add-ons (such as sound cards) to function properly will probably require the compilation of a new kernel, and this can be a bit tricky. The thing to remember is that you may not get everything right the first time, but you will definitely learn from trying. If you persevere (like I did) you should be playing Doom under X-Windows in the not-too-distant future.
Multi-boot systems (for booting DOS/Windows, NT, OS/2, whatever, and Linux) are also available, and work. Most commonly used is LILO (LInux LOader), but I am unsure how well this copes with OS/2's boot loader, or that of NT for that matter. I personally use NT's boot loader to select between NT and Win95, and then use a multi-boot menu under Win95 to select between Win95, a DOS command prompt, or a DOS-resident Linux loading program, Loadlin. If multi-boot systems scare the hell out of you, it's OK to just boot Linux from a floppy disk -- so long as you don't admit this to your friends.
Every installation CD of Linux that I have seen comes with a heap of documentation; in fact some would claim that there is too much. I strongly recommend that you read a lot of it before jumping in.
Although the modern Linux releases are about 1,000 times easier to install than those of three years ago, it's not your average Windows upgrade. The on-line documentation you get with your CD is also going to be heaps more accurate than what I, or any other person, may tell you.
I have never considered myself a Linux expert, but I do enjoy learning new things about my PC and about different operating systems. At present Linux is beginning to boom as people start becoming more and more curious about real 32-bit operating systems. I am not an anti-DOS/Windows type (like many Linux users), but some of the things I have done on X-Windows do make you stop and wonder.
In short, if you want to learn a lot of interesting stuff about your PC, then Linux is for you. Many people tout the RedHat distribution as being the easiest to install, but in my opinion this is just not the case; new users should go for a modern release of Slackware -- with its new installation interface it does most of the hard work for you.
Enjoy, and good luck.
PS. Below is a copy of my /etc/fstab file, which is used to take care of mounting drives automatically at boot-up time.

#
# /etc/fstab
#

/dev/hda3 / ext2 defaults 1 1
/proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy ext2 defaults,noauto 0 0
/dev/hda1 /dosc msdos defaults 1 1
/dev/hdb1 /dosd msdos defaults 1 1
/dev/cdrom /cdrom iso9660 ro 0 0
/dev/hda4 none swap sw
- James Vincent

Category: Linux
Issue: Dec 1996
Pages: 174-176

These Web pages are produced by Australian PC World © 1997 IDG Communications