Thread: SUSE Linux and Windows

Well, I want to mess around with this linux stuff but I know next to nothing about it. I have Windows XP and an empty, FAT32 formatted, 80G drive that I want to put SUSE Linux 10.1 on.

So basically, what do I do?

Do I install it with Windows running, or do I put the disc in at start up? What's the procedure here? I want both Windows and Linux at the same time.
Does anyone know if Linux supports other languages well? I have my current Windows system set up for English, Japanese, Mandarin, and Russian and would love to do that on Linux.

Does SUSE come with security stuff? Should I stay off the internet with it?

I could go on, and on but that seems ok for now.

APC has some good tutorials on dual boot OS

http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_w...lled_first.htm

Ubuntu is a fairly well liked version of Linux and can be downloaded as a ISO file that will fit on a standard CD.

There seem to be two general approaches, usually easier starting with Windows (say XP) then adding Ubuntu (in this example)

A method; Defrag the main drive, boot from the Ubuntu CD, modify the windows partition to make space for Ubuntu, install to the partition as per instructions or

B method; use Vista "shrink fit" feature from Vista to make space, boot from Ubuntu CD, follow instruction.

When you turn the machine on it will present an option to either boot into Ubuntu (default) or XP. Vista

The web link might have specific instructions for SUSE Linux or the answer forum might have a discussion there. Good luck!

Right, well I got it installed.

After dinking around for a while I managed to get internet but that's about it.

Now I'm at a complete loss on how to run files. Something to do with a "root" which means absolutely nothing to me and I can't seem to find any explanations that make sense.

So here's an example of something I tried to do.

My Linux system is on it's own hard drive separate from my Windows system. While in Linux I went over to my other hard drive and tried to run an application (it was a chess application for the FICS). I got some crazy error that made no sense to me.

How do you run .exe files? Apparently it's not as easy as a simple double click.

Another problem I had was with the media player which came with the Linux setup. I would load mp3s and would seem to be playing them but there would be no sound.

I've also noticed that Linux has access to my Windows folders but Windows does not have access to the Linux stuff.

HELP ME!!

Yes, Linux doesn't treat *.exe files like windows. These won't run. Linux/Ubuntu uses a "synaptic package manager" for example. This organizers all s/w from Linux sites. I guess this allows all s/w upgrades and creations to be managed centrally. Although you can install *.tar etc files directly after download this is confusing and problematic. It is easier to open your "terminal window" in accessories and type

sudo gedit install "software name"

where "software name" is the name given to the s/w you want to install, no extension. If Linux sites contain this, the Linus system will install the s/w for you.

There are many Linux user groups that explain these approaches - I suggest Ubuntu as it's popular and has many forums where people discuss Linux and hassles. Any Ubuntu approach will probably suit "SUSE" if it doesn't have its own forum (I've never looked )

The media player is probably missing some codecs - these have to be downloaded. In Ubuntu the default media player will ask you to do this - say yes, and it does it for you. Then the player will work - DVD, AVI and mp3 players use the same approach. The codecs may be "third party, restricted" but it's your option to proceed.

I am not an expert on Linux by any means and like you I thought I'd have a play with it one day. In some ways its a real pain to deal with and windows is superior when it comes to installing programs from any source. Linux is very protectionist in what it "accepts" as it needs to impose standards on what people create. However it has a lot of free s/w and people can modify s/w from source code if they want.

Many windows programs have Linux "equivalents" e.g. word processors but not all. MathCAD for example has no equivalent (even approximate) although MATLAB has a similar script based equivalent called Octave. Some "equivalents" are quite frankly rubbish - circuit analysis programs fall in this category. MicroCap/windows for example is easy, intuitive and powerful. Linux equivalents are limited, non intuitive and poorly represented with examples on their use.

But then you get what you don't pay for!

Originally Posted by DaBOB

Well, I want to mess around with this linux stuff but I know next to nothing about it. I have Windows XP and an empty, FAT32 formatted, 80G drive that I want to put SUSE Linux 10.1 on.

So basically, what do I do?

Do I install it with Windows running, or do I put the disc in at start up? What's the procedure here? I want both Windows and Linux at the same time.
Does anyone know if Linux supports other languages well? I have my current Windows system set up for English, Japanese, Mandarin, and Russian and would love to do that on Linux.

Does SUSE come with security stuff? Should I stay off the internet with it?

I could go on, and on but that seems ok for now.

Yes, you put in the Disc at startup, and let your computer boot off of it (unless Suse is *verry* weird). With Fedora, when your install is finished, it'll automatically write "grub" to the boot sector which will let you choose between OSes at boot-time, with a particular one as the default, which you can change inside Linux.
Yes, Linux does suppot many languages, they've added something called "SCIM" - something to do with input for them to X Windows, in all recent distros, so, all those you mentioned *should* be there.

All Linux-es will have iptables, which is how you put a firewall on your Ethernet socket, so yes, security is there, provided you learn how to use it.

Originally Posted by DaBOB

How do you run .exe files? Apparently it's not as easy as a simple double click.

You can run .exe files in Linux using Wine, a windows emulator. It's really useful. To get it(assuming you're using Ubuntu with a Gnome environment), go to Applications<Add/Remove. Then search for "Wine" and install it.

Thanks ClassyELF. I tried this on another notebook using Ubuntu but the s/w had download problems. I selected open source etc. I like the concept of a windows emulator though. Do you have any suggestions for getting Wine to download and install?

If it will do this and provide an adequate windows OS for s/w like MathCAD and MicroCap under Ubuntu then I think I'll be hooked!

Originally Posted by Vaedrah

Do you have any suggestions for getting Wine to download and install?

Np!
Try typing in "sudo apt-get install wine" in the terminal. Then type in your password. That should install it for you.

Thanks a bunch for all your help. I've been reading everything. I've got Linux installed and just managed to get that Wine program installed.

So I've run into the next problem. The programs start but then I get an error. For example I have the, rather old, game Deus Ex on my Windows system. I went into the files and tried to play it with Wine and it started but then I got an error that made no sense to me whatsoever. I also tried a chess game and WMP.

If I had to make a guess I would say it's because these programs are installed on the Windows system instead of the Linux one. Does this sound right? Could I install these programs on Linux using the Wine program?

Or am I just way off?

Obviously sudo apt-get install wine still gets fetch message errors. This is odd.

I would like to have a windows emulator on Ubuntu so I will persevere. My other notebook is XP/Ubuntu but this one is Vista. The hardware is good but I don't like Vista!

I prefer to run Ubuntu on this machine but it may be impossible to reinstall Vista later on. Restoration DVDs where not provided but even though I made some. I seriously doubt that Vista does not need to be on the machine for the restoration to work. Ubuntu seems to find notebooks difficult when their are 4 partitions. My expectation is that putting Ubuntu on this machine will be its final OS change.

XP was OK, XP and Ubuntu works well. Vista is problematic and doesn't support common s/w e.g. printers. Notebooks and Vista is a real complexification again!

If I find a Ubuntu / windows workaround I'll post back