Laptop, Vista, Linux, Multimedia Workstation?

J

janisgeiger

Guest
Hi.

This is, probably, some kind of a mental art project I'm doing.


I own a Samsung R505 PC Laptop
(AMD Athlon(tm) X2 Dual-Core QL-62)
ATI Radeon HD 3400, a Realtek 272 built in sound card

And more importantly a 320 GB hard disk, partitioned and to be re-partitioned.

I'm planning to use it for more advanced multimedia production and I'm a bit in a mist about how to set it up properly.

I'm thinking about how to setup my system in a good way to be able to work with video and audio in the best way my laptop can offer.

Any help would be appreciated, as though it's a bit complicated what I'm thinking of.


I'm currently running on Ubuntu 10.04, first partition, currently the only OS on the system, no errors or similar concerning graphics and audio.

0- Ubuntu 10.04

Now I have 3 other partitions, unsure how to proceed and where to put them:

1- Multimedia/Video/Images
2- Main Audio Recording / Work Partition
3- External Music to listen to

4-Trash, Software, Documents

Now first, before I proceed moving GB of space, I would like to install Vista on a partition next to Ubuntu/Linux,
to be of use for Photoshop CS 5, as well as FL Studio, as well as other audio production software and have no limitations about Vista or software coded for Windows in general. I used to have it installed already via dual boot, but it just was too big in size, so now I want to use VLite to make it slimweight, as I hate Vista, not being my main OS, taking up >20GB of space.

Concerns: Advicable to install it inside Virtual Box, and would my audio / graphic software run properly?

- I would like the use Photoshop CS 5 without any flaws / crashs, also in general graphically and sonically more intense programs like Fl Studio or audio-wise some other Windows based audio production software. (just got a free copy of some basic version of a Sony Audio Software for example, which of course, runs only on Windows/Mac)

So: Would it be advicable to install and run Vista (slimweight, using vLite) inside Virtual Box, according to my plans? Not advicable because too unstable? Or would it be better to install it slimweight on its own.


Second concerns:

I have the idea to keep every OS as small as possible, thus installing software onto another partition. the system only as a base, to launch the applications on top of it.

As I will be using Vista as well, +I'm not too sure about which Linux distribution I will finally use, I would like to have a place on a seperate partition than the OS for “Software”

Is this advicable at all, or will the software run slower if it isn't installed inside the system partition?

Is this way of working even compatible with linux at all? Eg: Using Vista I just installed the software onto another partition, being able to use it in Linux using Wine without too much searching as well.
Now If i use multiple Linux OS, is it possible to install the software on a second, more central drive to be accessed by all of them? like, for example, a software synthesizer, or a program like Audacity or Ardour. This would make it easier for me, if the software would run in the same way.
For example, I could try out boot cd/dvds and launch an application from my “external” partition. Or does this depend on the "kernel" or similar, meaning, every software has to be installed/implemented into its "own" linux? I would be fine if I just had too implement some new libraries or “sth.” to that specific linux, but not really the whole software again, also meaning, my configuration inside the preferences of that specific software.

Further use: To keep an eye on my software (the size of), to have it mentally dettached from the OS, not having to run different installations of the same program, for the same task, being able to integrate software and files between different OS as easy as possible.


Third concerns

I've read about the downfall of speed in “hard drive access” and that it's adviced to put the partition that you actually work with and save your files to – e.g. recording audio to - the closest to the beginning as possible. It doesn't seem crazy important to me, in fact I've never really noticed it (my audio work partition used to be exactly at the END of the whole drive) but now that I've read it, why not start trying to set up my laptop in a better way.

This also concerns my video partition, as I will be working with it in the future and maybe experiment with different things and maybe it might get extreme and ruthless, intense for the hard drive and everything else.


So now I am sometimes completely unsure where to put what, video first, audio first, vista inside virtual box, software inside system partition etc.


If someone understands my plans, has some experience or could give some advice, on the speed issue, where to place what, about Vista, Photoshop, other more demanding software inside Virtual Box, it would be great, otherwise hopefully I will figure out more in time.

Cheers, Janis



ps: or should I throw my pc hardware into a trash can and buy myself a mac?
 


Currently running on various machines

Linux Mint 11 (Kernel 3.2)

Linux Mint 10 (Kernel 3.2)

Linux Mint 9 LTS (Kernel 3.2)

Linux Mint Debian Edition (Squeeze, Kernel 3.2)

Windows 7 Professional SP1

Windows 7 Ultimate SP1
 

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