newest kid on the block

[captain-sensible]

ok lets give you a ballpark idea. if i was to install slackware i first download an iso so i go to
http://bear.alienbase.nl/mirrors/slackware/slackware64-current-iso/ and see a list . First question how do i download. on this site if i left mouse click on link i get a download for
slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso

other sites you may need to right mouse click ,"save link as " . So you have an iso file in downloads. Now you need software or use inbuilt to get it onto a usb stick.
I use dd command because i'm on linux. for windows users its rufus or similar:

Slant - UNetbootin vs Rufus detailed comparison as of 2021

Comparison of UNetbootin vs Rufus detailed comparison as of 2021 and their Pros/Cons

www.slant.co

so objective is to get an iso for an install onto usb stick

 

[wizardfromoz]

Just to qualify a couple of points:

1. The .iso is not to be actually "put" on the stick, now downloaded to it. It is downloaded to your hard drive, and then "burned" to the stick using specific software, just as you would burning music or video to a CD or DVD.

And just as with them, all space is consumed by the burned software - doesn't matter if it is a 4 GB stick or a 32 GB stick, all space will be allocated to the Linux.

2. The environment (your D drive?) must be formatted to EXT4 (native Linux format) rather than Windows NTFS or FAT32. This can be done with the installer, which also makes the stick bootable.

When the installation is complete, you reboot the computer and you will have Linux on your hard drive.

I would advocate that you read through Brian's @Condobloke 's pinned article in "Mint" here

https://www.linux.org/threads/how-to-try-linux-mint-on-your-windows-pc.20993/

... and ask any and all questions. The only dumb questions are those not asked

Thanks to all your help its been an frightening and amazing experience for an 76 yr old codger.

... Charlie Corder, whom you met at #7 on page 1, is 85 years young.

Cheers

Wizard

BTW @captain-sensible ... amazing some of the parallels we share, albeit half a world apart. In 1972 aged 14 - 15, I was in a computer club at school, where we used Minitran (Monash University Fortran) and punch cards. I was not very good at it, lol.

 

[hacodo75]

THANKS for explanation. There are more coincidenses yet. 71 was the year I came to UK from St. Kilda where I lived for several years and learned English [I am of German extraction] and lived here ever since.

 

[captain-sensible]

BTW @captain-sensible ... amazing some of the parallels we share, albeit half a world apart. In 1972 aged 14 - 15, I was in a computer club at school, where we used Minitran (Monash University Fortran) and punch cards. I was not very good at it, lol.

@wizardfromoz
in my case computer science was a module of an OND science qualification at Durham technical college, i was doing .It all went over my head and i couldn't see at the time how big computing was going to be. There were no screens in those days, so it was a case of tedious hours spent typing or own cards, stick them in a hopper only to see a few lines of text printed out on an IBM 1132. When the lecturer started talking Boolean && OR i thought either he was mad or on drugs.

 

[Nik-Ken-Bah]

When the lecturer started talking Boolean && OR i thought either he was mad or on drugs.

Yeah Boolean can seem a bit weird and strange.
When you and the Wizardfromoz were doing that I was earning a living as a Linesman working for the PMG.

 

[Condobloke]

the PMG.. !!??.....that 'organisation' is now referred to as F****** Telstra

'69 to '71, I was immersed in gaining Diplomas in all things Agriculture

 

[Nik-Ken-Bah]

.that 'organisation' is now referred to as F****** Telstra

That it be back then it wasn't to bad to work for, but now I wouldn't give you quids to work for them. Nor would me bro and his comment about it would be unprintable in polite society.

 

[hacodo75]

captain-sensible - are you around? could we do something tutorial?? I have looked at the suggested iso - sites. Haven't got a clue what the difference is so I go along with whotever. slackware…...iso . What do I need to do next?>?

 

[captain-sensible]

Hi @hacodo75

@Condobloke and mods have more all round Linux knowledge; i'm not bad at slackware but to be honest isn't for newcomers. tell you what I will do . I will get hold of my wifes Windows 10 if i get a chance later and see best approaches for you.. how about that ?

 

[captain-sensible]

Ok There are "more than one way to skin..." oh forgot we are now all PC.

So there are several ways to install Linux. best thing to do @hacodo75 is try all of them until one works. So lets try the first. I just tried this out first on my daughters laptop then my wife. It was the most stressful 40 minutes this year.

First my daughters laptop would not let me do anything because an admin rights user was not set up. So you may need to do that.

Ok hold tight here we go..


first go to http://unetbootin.github.io/

 

[captain-sensible]

Near top left there is a download for Windows- i just tried it and it works for Windows 10.
You will get unetbootin-windows-677.exe file in downloads.

You can try mouse double click or right click , run as admin. Either way that software installs, and should then be available from menu, or straight away ,if windows says launch now.

 

[captain-sensible]

When you launch unetbootin there are two ways to use it. See attached image.
Put a virgin 2-4 gig usb stick that you buy from shops and put into a usb slot on pc.


The first way is that you leave the top radio button (top left) and then to the right of it , you have drop downs to choose distro and , and a second one to choose any version variants. They might be xfce , kde etc.

So looking at image i have chosen salix , xfce. Salix is only around 1 gig and xfce desktop is light. At bottom you can see it has seen my usb stick and is giving it a label d. So all you have to do is check its the usb stick at d and not your hard drive and left click the "ok" button. What it then does is download what you need to your stick.

 

[captain-sensible]

after clicking ok you should see a change of unetbootin display to ..see attached. That shows progress. if all went well it will complete to 4 with no errors. At that point you can boot from the usb stick ,from a pc that you want to install salixos or other it on.

 

[hacodo75]

thanks c-s , I can see you I have been mighty busy. I hope you haven't spoilt someone os. especially on my account. I presently have a massive cold/cough I sound more like a dog than human, am a bit slow.
Thanks for all your hard work, no doubt you do all this after work.
let me go back and get my bearings. So when I start downloading unetbootin do I have the stick in position?

 

[hacodo75]

I am getting the hang of it, but I think I will try in the morning, I am a morning person and it will work better when I;m bright. But having gone a second time through your description, I can see the sequence of it. I will also get another flash drive, smaller in capacity. Perhaps I can report advancement tomorrow. Many thanks again for guiding me with such patience. H

 

[captain-sensible]

There is no rush, so take your time. Also you flagged up something to my memory. I didn't install to any of the laptops. That just did a prompt to my memory that when you boot from the stick it may well be that the OS will run from the usb stick only ie "a live version" some may be live and maybe also can install. But here is the main point- it doesn't matter; all you have to do to take a few steps with Linux is use it , whether live or not , play around and get comfortable with it . you can for instance try opening a command terminal and put in a few simple commands. its all going to help

 

[hacodo75]

Something jogged my memory this am. Wizardfromoz in #22 mentioned the Linux drive needs to be formatted in EXT4. How do I get that done, please?

 

[Nik-Ken-Bah]

Wizardfromoz in #22 mentioned the Linux drive needs to be formatted in EXT4. How do I get that done, please?

G'day Harald
ext4 is a Linux file format.
When you stick your USB stick into your machine it should show up in your computer file system using windows right click on it, a menu box will appear and look down it and there just a single word Format.
I just checked on my windows M/C and the only choices that windows gives you are Fat 32 , exFat 32 and NTFS file formats. And I looked at the Unetbootin page and they say to fix some problems that may occur is to reformat the USB stick as FAT32. So going by that I would format the USB stick as FAT32.
The more knowledgeable ones may have a different solution.

 

[hacodo75]

I now tried all kays to get to BIOS but sofar not achieved. What am I doing wrong? I start with Restart and during the process press a key, right? Or do I have to go from Command prompt? And if so, where is that nowadays?

 

[captain-sensible]

When computer is starting up it should actually state to enter bios use key etc ,otherwise try on keyboard those nearest screen esc, F1 , F2, F8,F9,F10