[SOLVED] Questions/problems with installing Mageia 3

[isadora]

I always seem to have big problems when trying to install linux distros. My knowledge regarding partitions, ext. boot, grub, and all the other incomprehensible questions/choices a newb has to make during install is very confusing.
mount/unmount. I have read a great deal on this subject but still find it confusing.. Its not as if one can try, resart and try again several times especially when they are concerned about losing existing windows os. I have previously lost win 7 when installing ubuntu. But I still love linux

Anyway HDD 160GB OS with windows XP & Mageia 2. installed. Inserted mag. 3 disk and choose install. I expected a screen box showing windows/mag2/ swap/ free space. Basically I wanted to delete mageia 2 and resize the windows partition because of this I did not take the install alongside windows option. This appeared:
ext 4, windows/ swap/ X? (cant remember this one) and empty. I choose ext 4 but Drake said too small, as I was unsure I just choose Auto install but again drake said not enough space, I then choose windows and was asked to select a file system, but no options appeared, however another text appeared with a command "/. did this. taken back to select file but no options given. I assume the file selection would be choices of fat 16, fat 32 or NTFS. here we got stuck. could not select file or go back or forward so switched off the laptop and extracted the disk.

Now cant boot into windows or mageia. get error 22 Dont know if i have lost windows or not yet. I can use the live CD to do fdisk ( sorry havent got time just now) to check and get back. I used various tests on a hiren Boot disk and none could find any data on the HDD

My data is all saved and i have an XP installation disk so losing XP windows is not a problem but I would really like to gain some understanding of these things.

All help greatly appreciated. Thanks

[wintpe]

if you are going to experiment with something you are not fully understanding
its a good idea to take a system backup.

Ive posted this time and time again to people to use clonezilla to backup their disks.

you can experiment all you like with this, and learn to choose the options that work, by experimentation

with the full knowledge that you can recover from any mistake you make.

theres nothing incomprehensible about about the questions or choices.

but like a typical englishman in france, if you dont learn the language, you wont get far.

regards peter

[doktor5000]

Some hints: Please don't use UPPERCASE as that is considered shouting.

And please read the documentation for the installer: http://doc.mageia.org/

[justnewb]

Sorry, some of the forums I use request uppercase headings. Thank you both for your help.

(theres nothing incomprehensible about about the questions or choices.) Again im really sorry, I have found many aspects of linux brilliant but I struggle to get my head around a few. Sometimes I feel that I have been given my very first PC and tried to learn to operate it with a spanish phrase book. (Im English)

Thanks for the concilla suggestion. I will do that in future, although until I actually burn a system disk Im a bit unsure of how beneficial it will be compared to just reinstalling. Also I have never burned an ISO before as I buy CD/DVD's from the Linux shop.)

Thanks for the link Doktor, I have downloaded several tutorials from various linux sites & Ubuntu in particular, I have purchased several books on the subject but I found your link the easiest to understand. Well I did right up to almost the last page when I was again forced to re-question my understanding. despite finding linux confusing & frustrating at time I enjoy the challenge, the learning and the Linux operating Systems.
I tried to re-install windows and twice it shut down shortly after beginning to install the downloaded files. No problem. I installed mageia instead, but Im having problems with the wifi connection. I know thats a new thread under a new topic so I will place it in networking/internet.
I really appreciate the help. Thank you.

[Lebarhon]

Hello justnewb,

Did you think to the wiki ?
https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Installation ... th_Windows
https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Newcomers_start_here

[ghmitch]

I would also recommend you look over "rute". It is very dated, but it gives an overview of many things basic to Linux. You don't need to read the whole book, but rather just go to the parts where you have questions and it can give you an understanding that will be a foundation for understanding modern Linux.

http://wireless.ictp.trieste.it/school_2003/docs/linux/rute.pdf

Also check out the Linux Documentation Project for up to date information on generic Linux.

http://www.tldp.org/


For example, here is an excerpt from rute regarding "mounting":

The question of how to access files on an arbitrary disk (without C:, D:, etc., notation, of course) is answered here.
In UNIX, there is only one root file system that spans many disks. Different directories may actually exist on a different physical disk.
To bind a directory to a physical device (like a partition or a CD-ROM) so that the device’s file system can be read is called mounting the device.

[justnewb]

Thanks guys. lebarhon I continually refer to installation and newcomer wiki and on the installation side i tried to follow it as a tutorial so thanks a lot. failed but I will keep trying.
hi Mitch. have also had a look at your links; Liked this: In UNIX, there is only one root file system that spans many disks.Simple, easy to visualize & understand. Ref Mnt: does this mean that if a partition is unmounted it cannot be read utilised or changed in any way until it is mounted. If that is the case and a user wants to install linux alongside windows.(assuming they are not going to resize the windows partition) would it not be easier just to unmount windows until boot loading action is required. Just yes or no will do thanks. Discussions not allowed. many of my questions are basic to the point of being silly and for the sake of my own self respect ive got to sort them myself.
The problem is that its so interesting I get involved in the reading and have little time left for the doing. lol

Thank you both very much.

[ghmitch]

does this mean that if a partition is unmounted it cannot be read utilised or changed in any way until it is mounted

No. There are "low level" applications that can read data from and write data to an unmounted drive by addressing the drive itself rather than the directory structure.

Sorry for violating the rules on this answer, but a simple yes/no would not make much sense. - George

The problem is that its so interesting I get involved in the reading and have little time left for the doing. lol

Learning by doing is the best way. That means you read up on it and then put try it out, even if it is just baby steps. In no time it starts to become easier and clearer. And we are here to help if you run into any roadblocks. But the more you can learn on your own with the books, the faster you will move forward.