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Mandapanda82

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As I may have said in my intro I trying to install Linux on two different machines and I'm feeling a little out of my element. On the first machine I'd like to install Linux mint on a second drive. I know this sounds straight forward to most but the first question about mounted and unmounted made me feel like I know nothing about computers. I could use some help and I'm sorry if this is not where I'm supposed to post this.
 


AFAIK the Linux Mint installer asks you on which drive you want to install it. Pick your second hdd and you're good to go. Nothing to worry about mountpoints, etc. The installer will take care of it.

Windows uses drive letters. Linux doesn't. Linux consists of one big directory structure, in which different partitions can be 'mounted' (in other words: incorporated into the directory structure).

Let's say you want your user documents and your programs on different partitions. You can create one partition as your root (/) filesystem (you must have a root filesystem). The create another partition with mountpoint /home. All files in your /home directory will now reside on another partition (or hard drive).

Nixie Pixel explains:
 
I think I understand what your saying but when I just tried it again, I couldn't get to the part where it allowed me to pick the second drive. I got stuck when it said the following disk have mounted partitions: /dev/sda, /dev/sdb and asked what I wanted to do. Should I wipe the second drive, is that's what confusing it ?
 
/dev/sda is your first hard drive, /dev/sdb the second, /dev/sdc the third, and so on (these can be internal hard disks, but also removable storage or USB thumb drives)

The partitions are /dev/sda1, /dev/sda2, etc.

/dev/sdb is your second harddrive (or if you have only one harddisk, it can also removable drive, like a dvd player or usb thumb drive)

I suspect you are running the LiveCD which automatically mounts existing partitions (I assume you have Windows partitions on those disks?).

If I'm correct the installer should ask you:
Do you want the installer to try to unmount the partitions on these disks before continuing? If you leave them mounted, you will not be able to create, delete, or resize partitions on these disks, but you may be able to install existing partitions there.
You can safely answer "Yes" to this question. Then you can select the disk you want to install your new Linux Mint system on.
 
Okay, I check later and I'm sorry if these sound like dumb question this whole system is throwing me for loop. I feel like I know nothing about computers.
So is there a way to be certain which is the first drive and which is the second. Since one drive has windows and is my primary and the other one has windows but will become Linux or I've been think Ubuntu maybe easier for such a beginner like me, it seems.
 
No sweat. Everyone has to start somewhere.
You can be absolutely certain that if you have two hard disks in your computer that sda is the first and sdb is the second.

You will also encounter this when you are going to install Ubuntu. I like the Unity interface very much, that's why I am running Ubuntu myself, but if you want a more classic desktop, Mint is a very good choice.
 
So I think my have killed the Ubuntu, sometime after it installed the OS. I interrupted it while it was updating and then I got a alot of error messages. I did a hard restart and thankfully I had unplugged my Windows main drive so it was uneffected. I unplugged the Ubuntu drive and am back in my main Windows drive. I think I'll try again this weekend when I can read up on what to do. I may just have to wipe the drive and start over.
 
Most of the time this will suffice:
Code:
sudo apt-get -f install
Do keep in mind that when you remove a disk, /dev/sdb suddenly becomes /dev/sda. It is not recommended to swap around disks after installation, unless you know exactly what you are doing. Also, Ubuntu won't mess up your Windows installation.
 
F.Y.I you may have to run that command in a TTY (i.e. ctrl + alt + F1) if you get stuck in the splash screen for some reason. Or you may get dropped in the TTY automatically if the graphics don't work.
 
Most of the time this will suffice:
Code:
sudo apt-get -f install
Do keep in mind that when you remove a disk, /dev/sdb suddenly becomes /dev/sda. It is not recommended to swap around disks after installation, unless you know exactly what you are doing. Also, Ubuntu won't mess up your Windows installation.


So I thought I'd give you an update. Just in case you were wondering, I tried and succeed install Ubuntu on my net book. It wasn't going to be a huge lose if i killed it since it was slowing done and all I was using it was for a network printer access. Which bring me to my first problem, I installed Ubuntu and it works fine accept I can't install the driver for my Lexmark printer x5300. I saw mention of one on the web and I've been checking other post but haven't found the answer or the actual driver. If this isn't the place to post it, I'll move it to that place. But I figured I'd start here since you were a great help with my other question.
 
you can try this:
Code:
sudo apt-get install printer-driver-c2050
 
I'm afraid Lexmark printers are very badly supported in Linux. :(
I have heard many opinions on this. The most frequent reply when talking about Lexmark printers on Linux is simply "Get an HP printer".

So, if the generic drivers are not working, chances are you are not going to get the printer to work nicely every. Sorry.
 
that's the same thing I had heard, i was just hoping it was old news and they had since fixed it. but thanks for the help.
 
If you can find the drivers... I can't find any as of right now.
 

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