Im new to linux but lets see if i got this straight.

[Jmatt]

Im not going to lie, pretty much all that I wasnt linux for is to use beryl. So I think im going to go with ubuntu 7.04. After I install it on my partition im going to need nvidia drivers then im going to need to get xgl.I have an 8800gtx so XgL is what i want right? After they are installed im going to download beryl svn then install it. Is this all i need or am I missing something.

[Moncader]

Number one, don't use XGL, with nvidia you can use nvidia's built in rendering system, so you don't need XGL. Also if you are completely new to linux, "im going to download beryl svn then install it" is easier said than done :) However if you follow tutorials posted in many places, then it should be fairly simple.

[Jmatt]

well ya, im going to use an auto install script for beryl

[Jmatt]

one more thing, I have 2 computers on my network, both come through the router, one comp has windows xp and my comp has 2 partitions, one with vista and the new partition is going to be for ubuntu, will the router/network set up interfere with linux or anything like that.

[stardotstar]

[quote:ce6f9]
will the router/network set up interfere with linux or anything like that.
[/quote:ce6f9]

No, not in any sense that I can derive from your post.

[Jupiter]

one more thing, I have 2 computers on my network, both come through the router, one comp has windows xp and my comp has 2 partitions, one with vista and the new partition is going to be for ubuntu, will the router/network set up interfere with linux or anything like that.


uhm,,, i think your gonna need to make linux your primary partition
and vista secondary for dual booting from grub menu

also it is easier to just use nvidia/beryl BUT
xgl/beryl is a little faster "when it works right"
also MUCH better graphics quality with nvidia/beryl

[Jmatt]

oh i really wasnt planning on making it my primary partition, i just wanted to fool around with beryl

[Jupiter]

oh i really wasnt planning on making it my primary partition, i just wanted to fool around with beryl



windows doesn't know how to read a linux partition
so how are you planning to boot to your linux?

on the other hand, linux can read a windows partition
AND you can setup linux/grub to boot to either partition

of course it is much easier just to install linux on any old
small H.D. and dual boot that way

[Jmatt]

?, i was unaware of that, i thought linux came with a boot loader that allows me to boot from either partition

[Jupiter]

?, i was unaware of that, i thought linux came with a boot loader that allows me to boot from either partition

yes it does
but if windows is your primary partition are you going to put your
linux boot loader on that partition? hmm

[Jmatt]

but dont i put my boot loader in my linux partition so i can boot either partition from linux?

[Jupiter]

but dont i put my boot loader in my linux partition so i can boot either partition from linux?


isn't that what i was saying... and of course you know that your boot
loader whether windows or linux, needs to be in the primary partition,,, right

since vista won't boot linux,,, then like i said, linux has to be your
primary partition, right... so your boot loader is in the primary "active"
partition

it is probably best explained in the "dual boot" documentation for your
distro

[Estel]

If you just want to fool around with it (though you'd always have an option of keeping ;)), just use the Live CD, on which Beryl ought to work for Ubuntu 7.04

[Vodkaneat]

Under Win2k and XP you can install both linux and the linux boot loader to your secondary partition, then export the linux bootloader to a file and use it from the windows boot.ini - examples of doing this are abound on google but a heres a link : http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux/gr ... HOWTO.html (http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux/grub-w2k-HOWTO.html)

I haven't any experience doing this from Vista tho, I would hope it's possible...

[some-guy]

reboot the computer, if you see grub(you'll know it when you see it) then your OK :) ,
if you don't your gonna have to reinstall ubuntu on a primary partition :( .

i say, go with nvidia drivers, i your comp supports vista, it'll be more than enough for beryl. :D

i use opensuse, so i cant help you with installing beryl :(

[lord_alan]

Read-up a bit about grub before starting. You "can" install the grub bootloader on any partition.... And you may not have to interfere with your M$oft install.

Al

[gummybearx]

cant u put grub in the MBR? to avoid that nonsense?
also, i thought u could put grub on the partition with linux, as long as that partition has the boot flag, and is a primary partition.

maybe im wrong, but....

[houkouonchi]

Wow, people obviously don't know how boot loaders work, Almost always (to prevent issues) you will install your boot loader to the MBR. you *DEFINITELY* want windows to be your primary partition if ti is all on one drive as windows will not install unless it detects it can boot (IE primary partition) because it is stupid like that. In order to get windows on my system on the second partition I had to install it on another drive and mirror the partition over just because it refused to install (telling me to boot it had to be the primary partition). Since it loads off your MBR and loads the actual boot loader from the second partition (if it is setup correctly) then it will be able to boot either partition. The partition order doesn't really matter from grub's perspective but like I said for me windows would not install unless it was the primary partition.

My system has 13 hard-drives in my system, so trust me I when I say I have a lot of experience with messing around with boot loaders.

And gummybearx is right, it installs on the MBR and the partition only has to be flagged as bootable.

[Magnus Wendt]

Ok.. lots of confusing information here.. I'll try to make things clearer..

but first some bonus info ;)
you can have up to 4 primary partitions on a hard drive. If you need more than that you can make one of the partitions an extended partition which is basically a link to a new partition table containg additional logical partitoions. Your current Windows installation is on a primary partition and you can put linux on a second primary partition.

If you allready have Windows on your harddrive you can resize that partition and create a linux partition on the same drive. (Just make sure you shut down windows properly before resizing. Don't hibernate for instance..)

Ubuntu will install a boot manager on the linux partition, but it will be bootstrapped from the Master Boot Record of the harddrive. It will be set up to dual boot Windows and Linux from the start. You won't have to do that yourself.. Dual booting Linux and Windows is a piece of cake. Ubuntu does all the work for you if Windows is allready instralled.