A couple of linux questions

AHarvey

AHarvey

AHarvey

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Hi,

I am looking at putting a linux distro on my protable HDD in order to run it at work. Before you ask, I have no idea with Linux, total noob but would really like to make the move.

However we use Office 2007 and OpenOffice doesn't open these docs yet, is it possible to run office 2007 in linux with a windows emulator?
 
Hmm I'll check OO3 out later, I tried with 2 and no luck. You had to download a program to convert them but you could only save as office 2003 docs.

Also, and suggestions for a noob friendly distro? Knoppix or ubuntu?
 
Ubuntu. Join the noob army and all burn together. :D
You'll get the most help and no one will call you out for being a nub if you post about it!

But seriously, Knoppix is also based on Debian, like Ubuntu, and the current release has Open Office 3 packed in.
I'd give that a try first.
 
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AHarvey said:
Hmm I'll check OO3 out later, I tried with 2 and no luck. You had to download a program to convert them but you could only save as office 2003 docs.

Also, and suggestions for a noob friendly distro? Knoppix or ubuntu?
Click to expand...

Yep OO3 has native support for .docx and it works fine. I still don't feel OO can compete with MS though, so I end up using MS Office in a windows virtual machine. Agree with the above, check out Ubuntu first.
 
So, I've downloaded Ubuntu 8.10 i386, burned it to CD and tried it in a works Dell PC.

It boots from CD and loads the unbuntu screen, I've checked the CD and it was verified. However, whenever I try and load from it, it just ends up on a black screen and I actually have to pull the power cable to reset the PC.

Any suggestions?
 
ok, so, I've formatted my 250GB portable HDD with XP so there is nothing there.

How do I go about formatting & partitioning it so I can use it to dual boot Ubuntu and XP.

Obviously I need FAT32 for the XP side and would like to keep around 170GB for that, but what file type do i need to format it for linux?
 
First off you don't need a FAT32 partition. NTFS is now well-supported and is a much better filesystem, if only for support of files larger than 2 GiB. Format that using the Windows formatter.

On the Linux side ext3 is a fine choice. You can format that using the Ubuntu installer.

So first partition the disk with the Windows partitioner or a 3rd party tool. Format one partition as NTFS and leave the rest unformatted. With the Ubuntu installer carve up the rest as you like. Set aside a small amount, about 1 GiB, for your Linux swap partition and format the rest as ext3.

Since it's removable media you should be mindful of where the bootloader will go. By default Ubuntu will want to overwrite the Windows bootloader with its own so you have the option of choosing which to boot when you power the machine on. Since the removable might not be present you shouldn't let it do this since you'd have to have it present to boot either OS.

I would use the BIOS boot priority to switch in this case. Install Ubuntu on the removable and have it put its bootloader on the removable disk. When the disk isn't present you'll boot into Windows using its original bootloader and it will be none the wiser. When it is present the BIOS should see it and it'll give you the option of either.

The installer should also see your NTFS partitions and mount those automagically.
 
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hmm, seems I am screwed.

One of the lads here said he knew what he was doing so I said fair enough and he went ahead and partitioned with the Ubuntu CD in LIVE mode and created a 30GB ext3 for Ubuntu and a 5GB Swap file. Then Installed it.

Upon resetting the PC it goes past the bios screen and then goes to a black screen with a flashing cursor and does nothing.

I removed the portable drive and tried booting windows and I just get a GRUB Error 21 message. So I can't load Ubuntu or XP :(

Any way of sorting this via the Ubuntu live CD?

I am just going to wait until I get home and install it myself on a PC with no other HDD in it. However, I now need to fix this work PC that he has messed up!
 
He needed to put GRUB on the external disk rather than on your primary disks MBR (hence the GRUB message without external disk plugged in).
 
AHarvey said:
One of the lads here said he knew what he was doing so I said fair enough and he went ahead and partitioned with the Ubuntu CD in LIVE mode and created a 30GB ext3 for Ubuntu and a 5GB Swap file. Then Installed it.
Click to expand...
Seems he exaggerated when he said he knew what he was doing.

Also, you don't need a 5GB swap... that's way too much. Again, I'm not so sure this guy really knows what he's doing.

Brummie's advice sounds good to me - should get you back up and running in no time.
 
yeah, problem is, no XP disk :p

I gathered he didn't know what he was doing once it went **** up :D

oh well, looks like I will just have to speak to the IT tomorrow! :(

All I've got here is the Ubuntu live/install CD :/
 
problem is I have no blank CD's :D

However, I have found this:

http://thepete.com/fixing-your-mbr-...-more-fun-with-installing-ubuntu-on-netbooks/

I am running from the LIVE CD with the portable HDD plugged in, as even though it doesn't boot from it the Live CD still recognises it.

I have downloaded the ms-sys app as stated, unzipped to the desktop but I have no idea how to install with Linux :( Plus, I need to install and run it from the HDD.

I should then be able to fix this then :D
 
hmm, not worked due to permissions etc :(

Found a dell rescue disk but wont let me fixmbr, keeps telling me it isn't recognised as an internal or external command ?

looks like I'll have to wait til tomoz.

thanks for the help everyone :D
 
sorry, i got caught up doing the chores that need doing before the week starts again tomorrow.

Not sure about fixmbr comand not being recognised. I seem to remember that you can also do a fdisk /mbr so maybe that would've worked.

As for the ms-sys app that you mentioned, I'd never heard of it until now, so thanks for sharing :)

I've not tried it (I'm on my Mac at the moment and cba rebooting), but you should find that if you make the program "runnable" by using the chmod command with the +x parameter, e.g. chmod +x ms-sys.sh (replacing the ms-sys.sh with whatever it's really called) then itshould work. You might need to execute the program as root, by appending the sudo command, in order to get access to the boot of the hard drive you're trying to fix.

Anyway, this is all by-the-by now as I guess you'll get your IT guys to fix it with a Windows CD tomorrow.

Hope it hasn't put you off using Linux though.
 
The IT lad isn't in today so I am going to try and repair it myself, I am sure I've had to do this before.

Got a few CD's to try out and all night :D

Nope, this hasn't put me off Linux at all! I will learn to use it properly!!!!! :)
 
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