Linux for n00bs, by n00bs!
by krazykrakr01

Fresh Install:(continued)

OK. Now that the suse cd has booted we will be asked if we want to boot from the harddrive, start the install, three special installs that I know nothing about, rescue system, firmware test, and memory test. Just pick the installation. If there is a read me option, READ IT! The first thing you learn about linux is that the read me file is your friend. Sometimes your best friend. Now it will load a default kernel for installing the operating system. You can push esc to get a glimpse in to the world of linux. Don't be afraid. You will learn more about computers just running a linux operating system on a daily basis than you ever will with windows. It will ask us what language we want to use. Then you have to agree to Novell's licensing agreement. Then it will probe your hardware. 

Next it will ask us if we want to do an update or a fresh install. Pick fresh install. This will load the install files. Set your time zone. Then pick if you want a Gnome desktop or a KDE desktop. If you want both we can pick one now and pick the other one when we get to the last screen before the install. Gnome is more like windows and kde is linux. I started out liking Gnome, but now prefer KDE. It's all up to personal preference. If you want to become a good linux user, I would suggest learning KDE.

Once you pick your desktop you will go to the overview. First, if we haven't partitioned our drive, choose partitions. Then we will be asked which harddrive we want to partition. If you only have one then it's easy. If you have more than one, pick the letter of the drive you want to partition. For an example I will put what I have on my harddrive. I have hda1 as a primary partition that is formatted ntfs with windows vista on it. Then I have hda2 as a primary partition formatted ntfs that is a vista recovery partition (what it does, only Bill knows). Then I have hda3 as a primary partition formatted fat32 (to store data to be seen in windows and linux). Then I have hda4 which is a primary partition for the linux installs. Out of this primary partition I have hda5 as a logical partition formatted linux swap (suggested size-twice installed RAM for older computers, same size of installed RAM for newer computers with more RAM). Then I have hda6 as a logical partition formatted ext3 for the suse install. Then I have hda7 as a logical partition for the vector install. Suse doesn't seem to be able to work with reisrfs or whatever the name of the other linux file system is (don't know why?). REMEMBER, only use the free space we made in the windows logical disk manager. If you use anything but free space, you will be overwriting your windows install (and I don't think that is what you are trying to do, but I could be wrong).

Now that your harddrive is set up, click on the software tab to bring up the list of software to be installed. This is where you tell it to install Gnome and KDE by making sure both are checked. Read the list and check or uncheck anything you want or don't want. IMPORTANT-please make sure you understand the responsibility of running a server before you install it. If you do not, it could get you in all kinds of trouble. Especially if you don't have it secured and some hacker or spammer gets ahold of it. All crimes commited by them you will be charged for and I'm pretty sure it will be up to you to prove that it wasn't you. If you don't know how to run a server, learn a little bit and install it later. Most servers are up and running out of the box so it will be up to you to figure out how to shut it down if you install it for later.