Linix problems-Install/Config

I've been having a lot of problems trying to install Linux on my two machines, and the problems are quite wierd. The first thing is, on my Win XP box, I cannot boot into the install discs for Linux, with several distributions. I've enabled CD Boot in BIOS, and it saved. I have no clue what else to do here.

On a WinME, upgraded from 98SE, I managed to install it, at the cost of all of my files (I had to format first, it wouldn't partition happily.) However, I can't seem to dial out unless I am on Root. I went to root to change the settings to give my user names permission (I don't like being on root for normal shtuff), but I cannot seem to find the proper option/setting. This was using Red Hat 7.0. Perhaps someone can help me get these security problems changed soon!

Also, does anyone know why I can't boot into the Linux discs on Win XP? Thanks! :-)

I had a similar problem once doing a SuSE install when attempting to boot fm CD. I would suggest going back to your bios settings and make sure your CD is at the top of the boot
order. It should not make a difference however it did on my machine for whatever weird reason. I am not a RedHat user however did you bone yourself when setting up the security
portion of it??? Go back through your security settings ie: your f/w.
HTH/HAND

For the internet, you might have to install tpcwrapper to enable your user accounts to connect without giving them excessive persmissions.

if i understood you correctly you can't boot with your linux cd. why do you not just boot with the boot discs? normally they should be with your linux distribution. just boot from them. some bios do not detect the cd rom properly. may be this is the problem why you can't boot with it. if you boot from the discs minix (or something...) is started and installs your cd. then it prompts you to insert the install cd from your distribution....

As meister has said just boot from diskette.

Read this documentation from redhat.com showing you how to create a boot disk from your cd.

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/l...EPS-MAKE-DISKS

Are you dialling out? Using a GUI or command line?

When i was on a dial up connection, i just booted into a GUI as a normal user then when i opened up the network configuration utility to dial up i just entered the root password when prompted!

Cheers

r3b00+

I cannot boot from diskette, because I cannot get it installed on my XP Machine!! I try to boot into the installation CDs, and I find myself meeting failure every time!

Wow, in My OSs class i had, this lady in there tried to use the Free distribution of red hat we got with our books and she was on XP, it wouldnt do anything, and yea, as for you dialing out, you should be able to get it so you get a prompt asking you to type in the root password, that should work just fine, and i hope you have less trouble than i did with red hat, lol if not you could always try another type, mandrake is based on red hat and is fairly more easy in my opinion and Suse is awesome. Well have fun.


EDIT: what does it say when you try booting with the CDs? im curiouse about your error.

It doesn't say anything when I try to boot with the CDs. It ignores them, despite any changes I make in BIOS!

Ok, on the CD there should be a way to make boot floppies, like rawrite or something, read up on that and make some boot floppies and then maybe you can start the install with floppies and move it to CD after a while into the install.

Thanks, I'll check it out!

I just wanted to do a quick update...I went back to the BIOS and made the needed changes to boot from CD (Again). I rebooted...it didn't work. I look in BIOS...the changes didn't save. It took me about fifteen minutes of searching, but an option had been set up so that the BIOS would not save changes unelss I went through a certain prompt first. Strange, but...

Anyways, thanks for everyone's help with this bizarre problem!

I hate to come into a discussion late like this, but I've been away for a while. I'm glad you solved your problem, but....

It does bear pointing out just for the record, though, that Red Hat 7.0 is about 4 major versions old and was incredibly flaky. Red Hat took a lot of flack from the Linux community for that, and they lost a good many long-time users to other distros over that one. Unless there is some compelling reason not to, I would look into upgrading to 8.0. If you don't have broadband, you can get the CDs from cheapbytes.com for about $2. Even a step up to 7.1 or 7.2 would save you a lot of headaches, just for the bug fixes if nothing else.

Just my .02. ;)

I appeciate you pointing this out! I just never felt the need to get new versions of Linux when I couldn't get the old ones installed! I plan on downloading an upgrade/new version/different distro as soon as I find the time, and can borrow some broadband.

Any suggestions for someone switching over from Windoze? Phat Linux and Lindows both look decent, but I figure I might want to dive all the way in. Mandrake also seems intriguing, since it is supposed to be user friendly, but what other options can you recommend?

(I also do have Dragon Linux right now..a mini-ish Linux distro)

Thanks for all your help!