First Timers for Linux!

[whenyournex2me]

So this is a thread I wanted to start for my own record, and for others, whom never had any experience what so ever with Linux, such as myself. I will be spending my weekend sorting our Linux on one of my formated hd's.

I start with a simple question,

Can my Linux distro download file, which is an iso image, be compressed, so it can fit on a cd-r?

Do I need to get a dvd-r for this image file, because my cd-r is not large enough, says windows when I tried to burn all four distros that I had dl'd to a cd-r?

[whenyournex2me]

I also have a thumb drive with all four distros that I decided I would try, placed in a folder named Linux. Would this be a reason I cannot get a boot from the thumb drive?

[whenyournex2me]

Right, So I am currently burning each iso to its own dvd-r. I asked the radio shack employee a week ago about the dvd-r allowing iso and she said she did not think so, that is why I asked. But as it turns out, they work fine. So I got 4 dvd-r's each with its own iso image burned to them and one dvd-r with all 4 iso's as a back up. :P on to the next stage. I didnt want to use a usb stick for the install or back up, so I will skip the last post in regards to the boot of linux from a folder on a usb stick cause dvd-r work fine for the image. now, once the last image is burned I will attempt to install to the formated hd I have.

[grumpydaddy]

Quick link for you if you go the usb flash drive route: Universal USB Installer ? Easy as 1 2 3 | USB Pen Drive Linux

It does not get any simpler.

A lot depends on what you intend to use this rig for but there are a number of smaller distro's for lesser machines that work great on bigger faster rigs because they can be completely run in memory.

[whenyournex2me]

Right o, thanks for the link. I did manage to get mint cinnamon installed but I was a bit sleepy and took a nap, the computer was running mint on my secondary hd fine, though when I woke up, it wouldnt recover from sleep and I had to push my reset button, and it wouldnt boot at all, said couldnt find bootmgr. I checked bios settings and made sure the hd was to boot first, which it was, and tried again with no luck. not sure what is up, so im back in windows now, up from my nap, and will format that drive just to see another distro work. I may do this for all four versions I have installed, and will get it sooner or later. Ill check out that link as well, Im pretty sure the files need to not be in a folder at the top of the tree, but lets see what it says. Mint looks nice! I like it, it loaded fast I have to say! the computer did not reboot after I installed it, which may be the reason it wouldnt boot after I manually reset the computer. hmmm.

[realneil]

Mint is a good one. Linux installs much faster from a USB drive.