redhat 9 will only take up maybe 1-2 gigs of space for a full install. if your second hd is completely clear and there is no partitions on it the when you pop in the cd and reboot the computer. (first make sure you bios is set to boot from the cdrom) and then the install will tell you what to do. redhat is very nOObie freindly so you shouldnt have any problems installing it. and it even will set up the partitions for you i believe all you have to do is accept them and they will be done the way redhat has said for them to be. and for a nOObie i would recommend either you try redhat9 which you have, mandrake, or suse they are the easiest to install. hope this helps

edit: no you will need more then 700 mb to get redhat up and running. if you do a full install which i recommend for you or when it askes in the redhat install chose the desktop install this will give you what you want. and it will take 1-2 gigs.

I wouldn't let RedHat do the auto partitioning. Last time I ran Anaconda (the Red Hat installer), it wanted to erase everything on my drive and use the entire space to install itself. I'd recommend using Disk Druid, which is included in the Red Hat installer. You can customize how much disk space you want your Red Hat installation to use.

But personally, I do like the recommendations of some of the other members here. Both Knoppix and Mepis Linux have LiveCD discs available for you to run, allowing you to try out a very good Linux system before actually installing it. As a matter of fact, I know that with Knoppix, you can even make a floppy disk that acts as a "persistent home folder", so you can keep your settings even after a reboot. In fact, Mandrake has just released an edition that includes a USB flash drive in the boxed set so you can save your files:

MandrakeMove: a portable Linux distro

Okay.As I told before that I had 6 giga of free space on my d drive and I just wanted to install redhat-no application downloads or internet browsing-should it take 1-2 giga? well,if 1-2 giga was enough,i would have 4 gigabyte left.There's only one question left for me.Is it possible to install linux just like a software in my d drive or do I need to re-partition my c,d,a,e drives ? Do I need to make a new partition inside my d drive ?


"if your second hd is completely clear and there is no partitions on it "-I don't have a 2nd hard drive I have two drives within one hard drive,that is.

Delete the "d" partition, and use the linux installer (of whichever flavor you choose) to create a SWAP partition and a EXT3 partition. (EXT3 or RiserFS or bla bla bla) ;-)

Will I lose all the d drive data after that ? I don't want to lose data.
I read the redhat 9.0 multi-booting installation guide from redhat.com and they tell me to defragment drive d and then copy all the data I want to save in the other drive.I think I need a non-destructive repartitioning tool here.how is it possible for me to do a minial install of redhat 9.0..do I need to choose the auto-mode or use disk-druid manual mode to do a minimal install with only kde environment ?The last time I installed xp , I didn't need to create a new drive/ inside the c drive.But the installation guide is saying something like that.

Keep It Short & Simple (KISS)

Aquire a newer Knoppix CD (for $4.99 Burning and mailing online at Cheapbytes - KISS). Then make a quick copy for all your friends. It's encouraged.

*IF* you have DSL or better you could download it and burn it but that's not nearly as simple (you may pay more for the broadband.

You can always get back money but you can NEVER get back time. It is my hope the Linux will be developed to SAVE us time. That does NOT take away our ability to mold it if we dare.

Awe then, at the best example of Linux progress. Knoppix!

Know that Linux ease of use and "time savings" are NOT up to par yet but is impressively close. So you might want to get on the band wagon early. (If that's why you are doing this).

Note that Xandros is rated the easiest for newbies. Though, you get limited applications for paying more cash. The stripped down and stripped down again version is about $40+. It's not really an open distribution then is it IMHO.

It's BASICALY the same open source Linux stuff with thier easy of use additions which they want to get rich off of. If you want to pay them though, I got no problem. I wouldn't. I prefer Knoppix. It is better for the long haul (Beware of temparary solutions).

Progress like Knoppix (built on Debian sharing) has raised the bar almost to the top. That is what encourages Linux based OS acceptance (and a better standard). Not pricing or support charges with RedHat, Xandros, Lindows or Lycoris. Set your computer free.

Know that these distribution are basiaclly the same stuff in a million (or more) different ways. Choice is good. So my point is choose wisely what you install. This stuff is NOT quite ready for prime time yet. So KISS.

PSSSSSSSSSSST! The secret is, you can install the Knoppix CD demo onto your faster harddrive with it's knoppix script. But it's a beta script. It works for me but you'll need to read up on partitions and answer the few question wisely.

IT INSTALLS A TESTED DEBIAN UPDATED DISTRO IN AN AVERAGE OF 20 MINUTES !!!!!!! 40 max I believe. That's a big deal. It usually takes a NEWBIE TWO WEEKS to install debian "stable" and that's Outdated. Then the complexity problem multiplies fast in an effort to upgrade. (But thank God for Debian the foundation of the open source movement. Succes through sharing and it is working)!

So DON'T go get fancy with it for a few weeks after install. I HAD to KNOW what would happen if I upgraded it even more. DON'T! Just wait for the next modern Knoppix rendition and remember I told you so.

You might load say.... A B C and G. But if you load A H I X Y Z and so on, then guess what? Nobody has that "setup" and you are in uncharted waters. Sure everyone sytem is different and that's why it's a PC but start simple.

May we all have a better infornation system through sharing.

P.S. I'm all for capitalism (God bless you and my USA). I just don't pay for bits and bytes.

www.linuxiso.org is a good place to get linux iso's for download