UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I have been using linux now for about 6 months. I like it although it was quite a learning process. Pretty simple for the most part. Here is my prob...

The first time I installed linux on my computer it went in just fine, no problems.
It did eventually crash though and I had to re-install it. This happened a few times and every time I re-installed it, it became harder to do. Takes longer, more probs...etc. Also it got harder to install/operate/run almost everything on it. I now cannot install it at all. I am stuck running this program from an ubuntu live disc. I have been trying to download a disc wiper to clean this disc good and try again. I cannot get this or anything for that matter to download and WORK.

There is probably a very simple explination for this. RIGHT? I think I need to wipe this disc and start over...

Can anyone help me out here???

Thank you,
Treb

Use fdisk to delete all the partitions on your harddisk, boot from the live CD and then us su or sudo to run it.

As a recommendation, don't just choose a default install now, you should have a pretty good idea of the shape of a linux installation.

You need

a boot partition near the start of the disk

a swap partition

a root partition

With ubuntu I use either the "alternate" or "server" disk to do my installation and basically treat it as a debian system.

Another option you may consider is virtual PCs (such as VMWare). Install vmware player, and then download one out of the many Linux virtual appliances available online. Once you "play" it, Linux starts up running in the console window. No install. No mess.

Of course if you would like to install yourself instead of relying on third party appliances, you will need VMWare server, but it is also free. Then you can install Linux as you normally would except you do not install to a real partition but to a virtual disk, that you can easily remove as you like. That's what I am doing on an office desktop.

If you have a fast PC, that is generally not a problem. I have a new laptop with Vista preinstalled and the existing partitioning as shipped makes it tedious for repartitioning for Linux unless I am to reinstall everything. Although vmware PCs is not a real installation, at least that works with minimal mess (and I found it more convenient to switch between Windows and Linux this way compared with dual-boot) and it gives me an opportunity to try a new distro every week without reinstall and reinstall and without burning new DVDs all the time .....