New with Linux.. Help?
Forum: DSL Embedded
Topic: New with Linux.. Help?
started by: Mightymegit
Posted by Mightymegit on Aug. 07 2006,08:21
Hey everyone i'm 15 and I've been interested in Linux for a while now, but I know nothing about it.. Where does everyone think would be a good start for me? I'm currentlly running a Windows laptop (WINXP), any help would be nice! Just tell me what I need to download to get started, and also DSL wont messup my windows operating system will it? Thanks!!
Posted by green on Aug. 07 2006,20:59
Go here:< http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/damnsmall/current/ >
download this:
dsl-3.0.1.iso
Use your CD burning software to make a "CD image" which is different than just making a regular data or music CD.
You can read this for further info regarding making a CD image:
< http://damnsmalllinux.org/wiki/index.php/Burning_a_Bootable_CD >
Once you have burned DSL to CD as an image, make sure your computer will boot from CD. You can check that in the BIOS settings of your computer. Or, you can just put the CD in the CD-ROM device and then reboot the computer to see if it will work.
DSL will not mess up your XP install. Try not to mount your hard drive (NTFS) and you will be just fine.
If you have 128Mb of RAM or more, you can run DSL in RAM, which makes it lightening fast. To do that, boot with the DSL CD in the CD-ROM device, when it gets to the boot prompt,
type this:
dsl toram
Otherwise, play with the "Live DSL CD" until you get used to the idea of running DSL, then you can start doing other things with it.
Have fun!
Posted by Mightymegit on Aug. 07 2006,21:51
Heh thanks for the help, I'm downloading that right now! Also what do you mean try not to mount it, I know you can mount cd images to a virtual drive but, just don't do it with this right? And if I do this will it mess something up? Thanks!
Posted by 1-3-3-7 on Aug. 07 2006,21:57
Yeah don't mount it, you have to use a physical CD, I don't think it will damage your computer though 
It will not mess up your windows settings as long as you DONT install it to the harddrive. Just run it off the live cd, and play around with it. If it gets a bit out of hand, just reboot.
The entire OS runs off your CDROM drive and ram, and if you have a lot of ram, you can multitask without problems.
So just put the DSL cd in your cdrom drive, and restart, and you should boot into linux, if it doesnt boot, then go to your BIOS and put CDROM as the 1st boot device, and if that still doesnt allow the cd to boot, then maybe the cd is corrupted, so redownload it.
Spidertools.com has a manual for DSL, I purchased it, and found it to be useful. That would be a good purchase after you've used DSL for a few weeks and feel comfortable with it.
Posted by Mightymegit on Aug. 07 2006,22:05
Ok awesome thanks! I will be using the 'dsl toram' that the guy before was talking about since I have 1Gig of ram. Thanks for your help, just wanted to make sure I don't mess up my windows installation.
**EDIT** Check page 2
Posted by Mightymegit on Aug. 07 2006,23:04
Well of course this can't be easy, i'm running a emachines laptop and at startup with the cd in the drive I push F10 ( Which brings up the boot menu ) It askes me for what I want to boot from.. I choose the name of my Cd-Rom and then it continues.... But it continues to load windows normaly..? I have also went into the bios and changed what I think is my CDROM to the top of boot order list.. Heh anyone have anything for me to try? Thanks, I also checked the CD and all is there. And when I burned teh CD I told it to write at X8Thanks!
Posted by Mightymegit on Aug. 08 2006,05:44
*Bump* Anybody have any ideas? I'm not sure why it wont boot from CD I changed the boot order ( I think ) And it just goes on with booting Windows, no errors or anything. Thanks!
Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Aug. 08 2006,05:52
Sounds either- your computer needs to use syslinux version
or
- you did not burn your CD properly (you need to burn it as a CD Image)
Posted by Mightymegit on Aug. 08 2006,17:30
Heh i figured out my problem, it turnes out that the ISO that I downloaded from one of the sites didnt match the MD5 so I redownloaded like 3 till i found the one that was not corrupt, but i'm still having a problem, I get it to boot up and all and I am in DSL, but my wireless internet wont work, what do I need to do to get the wireless to work? Thanks!!P.S. I'm almost done bugging your guys ;)
Posted by xmikeox on Aug. 08 2006,19:17
Did we really have to know that your 15? im 16.. it's nothing special to be a teenager and use linux.I would assume that your wireless internet is not encrypted which when I used dsl it automatically connected to our network on boot because I don't have ours secured.
Look at your network card. Is it blinking, is there no light on? this usually will tell you what's up as far as hardware goes. Mine shows a steady green light when everything is ok.
If there is more than one network around where you live you may have to confirm your network in 'wiconfig'. which is what I have to do.
Try to provide somemore details so we can all help you somemore and I wish you the best of luck with dsl.
-mike
Posted by Mightymegit on Aug. 08 2006,20:44
Heh sorry I just put my age, not sure why.Heres somemore info, my wireless card is built in the laptop,
Also DSL doesnt detect it, and it also doesnt work with wired internet either. My network is secured with a WEP key which I can turn off if that means getting this to work, also, there are no wireless networks close to my house. So I'm thinking my wireless card isn't being detected.. But that doesnt explain why wired internet doesnt work. If ya need any more information that might help out just ask! Thanks in advance!
Posted by xmikeox on Aug. 09 2006,00:51
Oh there is like no way I could get ours to work with WPA it's sorta difficult to explain maybe even routing using a cord would still leave it encryted if its going through the same router, I would suggest unencryting your network completly just to see whats going on- like I said this is the only way mine will work for me myself and my mother BUT we have an RV park right next to our house day after day people would be getting on our l.a.n like 3-6 ppl at a time, so I turned off ssid broadcast which limits anyone from getting in unless they know the I.d to our network. if you don't understand a word you just read than give me your yahoo, icq, or msn or something