Linux For Netbook

mechi

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I would like to install a linux OS on my eee netbook as a dual boot with windows xp which is what the netbook currently has. What distro would you guys recommend? I was thinking Mint xfce, or would something more lighter work better? The netbook has 1g of ram
 


Thanks for the links and recommendation. I've never installed linux on a computer before so I don't know how easy it would be to install MX, the instructions I've come across on installing MX all say you need to make a partition, which I don't know how. I know that with Mint there is an option to "install alongside windows" so the partition is made for me. I take it that MX doesn't have an option like that?
 
When I installed MX a few weeks ago I didn't see the install alongside windows option.

Before you can install MX alongside your Windows os you will first have to shrink your Windows partition to make room for the Linux install.

To do that go into 'Disk Management' and shrink the partition say maybe 1/2.

When creating the partitions for MX click on the 'free space' OR 'unallocated space' and make an ext4 journaling file system partition. Than create a 1-2 GB linux-swap partition.
Make the ext4 bootable by right clicking on the partition> manage flags>boot.


Instructions and walk thru for MX Linux
 
Make sure that you don't click on your Windows partitions while creating your partitions for your MX install.

Write down your username and passwords so you won't be locked out of your fresh installation.
 
Disk management doesn't give me an option for shrinking partitions, I think it's an xp thing. Even if it did I would have no idea what I'm doing.
 
Disk management doesn't give me an option for shrinking partitions, I think it's an xp thing. Even if it did I would have no idea what I'm doing.
Since there isn't Disk Management than you will have to use a third party tool like g-parted.

Gparted is a partition manager that will help you to resize your Windows partition.
Basically you click on the partition that you want to shrink and tell g-parted to resize it.
Make sure you have a backup of your system first before proceeding.

Do you want to keep XP?
 
Yes I want to keep XP Isn't Gparted used in Linux?
Yes Gparted is used in Linux and you should be able to use it to shrink your XP partition.

If using Windows XP (or an older Windows OS), you should use GParted partition manager to shrink the Windows partition.


You can make a LIve USB of Gparted or burn the .iso to a CD/DVD and run it LIve on your netbook.

To change the settings so that the Live Gparted media will boot you will have to go into the BIOS on your netbook and make either USB the first boot choice or make the CDROM drive the first choice in the boot Menu.
 
When your netbook first boots up it should show you what key to press to get into the BIOS.

IF not post the exact name and model of your netbook and I'll look for it.
 
Disk management doesn't give me an option for shrinking partitions, I think it's an xp thing. Even if it did I would have no idea what I'm doing.
to do a "belt and braces " i would do a "defrag" first before gparted shrink; which will be available in xp menu. it can't do any harm.
 
thinking about it, if you do that then when you access it via Gparted it should show you roughly what room xp is actually taking up and thus allow a little space. Theres no updates but you still might to install software
 
Thanks for the links, I understand partitions a little better now but it is still confusing to me. So it would be the C drive that I would resize by making an extended partition and then within the extended partition I make a logical partition on which linux would be installed? Would I need to make the swap partition in Gparted as well or is that done on installation?

I run puppy linux off a usb drive on the netbook, here's a screen shot of my netbooks partitions in Gparted and how they look in Disk Management on XP. There is a partition labeled PE, anyone know what that is? When I click on it there is a "Delete" option, so I'm assuming it's not that important and safe to delete?

5048


Disk Manager:

5049
 
You're welcome.

What you want to do is shrink your Windows partition.
Shrink/Resize the /dev/sda1 ntfs 144.12 GiB partition about 1/2 which is 72 GB.

So create a ext4 70 GB partition for your MX install and than with the left over free space create a 2 GB swap partition.
After you create those 2 partitions tell gparted to apply the changes.

When that finishes right click on the ext4 partition and look in the drop down menu for 'manage flags'.
Than choose 'boot' and add it to the ext4 partition. IF done right you will see the word boot and the far right of that partition.

No, do not delete the /dev/sda2 fat32 PE partition. It might be part of the hidden/recovery partition or some other files that Windows needs to boot.

You won't need an extended partition. Make all of your partitions Primary NOT logical.
 
Thank you very much for the detailed instructions. I'm confused about the primary partitions, I thought that there can only be 4 and since the 3 already there are primary wouldn't I need to make an extended partition, at least for one of the partitions to be created?
 
I am late to the party, had an unfortunate 10 days internet outage.

Welcome @mechi

The PE partition is a Recovery partition, do not delete it yet.

I have to leave for my Aussie Friday evening, back on deck tomorrow.

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
 
Thank you very much for the detailed instructions. I'm confused about the primary partitions, I thought that there can only be 4 and since the 3 already there are primary wouldn't I need to make an extended partition, at least for one of the partitions to be created?
You only need 2 partitions for your MX Linux installation.

Create one ext4 partition for the MX Linux install and one linux-swap partition.

If you want to create more partitions than that I guess you could create an extended partition but don't take my word for it do some research on extended partitions.

Here's the documentation for how to create an extended partition.
 
Why does gparted have a triangular warning beside 2 of the partitions in the pic I posted earlier?
 
Why does gparted have a triangular warning beside 2 of the partitions in the pic I posted earlier?
It could mean that gparted had trouble reading that partition.
Try right clicking on the partition and than click on 'information'.

More information here:
 

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