[NTLUG:Discuss] Install Fest Instructions

[Robert Pearson]

On Sun, Sep 28, 2008 at 3:17 PM, Wayne Walker <wwalker at bybent.com> wrote:
> Instead of taking newbies straight into dual boot, why not set them up
> with a virtual Machine (VMware Player on Windows, or something else)?
> Then they can experiment totheir heart's content with linux, including
> in full screen mode where it's "just like the real thing" without ever
> endangering their needed Windows install and with the added benefit of
> being able to run both OS's at the same time and share files between them
> (via SMB).
>
> This would also be MUCH easier to install in most cases.  Then after
> they've decided they really want to take the plunge, help them go dual
> boot or switch to linux with a windows VM.
>
> Wayne
>

Excellent idea!
Perhaps the newbies would be willing to pay for the flash drive since
the software and install are free?
Micro Center is selling 4 GB flash drives for $11.99 or less (my info
is a few weeks old).
I picked 4 GB out of the air since PCLinuxOS sells a 4 GB KINGSTON
DATATRAVELER  for $22.00.
They will install PCLinuxOS on this 4 GB flash drive and sell it for $42.00.
http://www.linpc.us/

This begs the question of "Why not put everything on the flash under
VMware (Server preferred)?".
You can buy a really fast 16 GB rugged flash drive for around $60.
"Fast, tough pocket storage - September 23rd, 2008"
http://blogs.zdnet.com/storage/?p=358

Couldn't you then run on any machine?
Second question "Can you run VMware Player under an OS running under
VMware Server?
I know you can't run them on the same OS.

Robert


> On Sat, Sep 27, 2008 at 06:52:50PM -0500, Chuck Graf wrote:
>> Hi.  I am Chuck; the guy that usually shows up for the 9AM InstallFest.
>> Lately we have been seeing allot of dial-boot installs on recent model
>> laptops.  Frequently these systems will not boot into the MS system after
>> the install.  Sometimes this is related to the process of shrinking the NTFS
>> partition, and sometimes it is a product of writing to the MBR.  In some
>> cases it can take allot of work to fix.
>>
>> The typical attitude is "Here is my pristine laptop that I just bought.
>> Lets install an entirely new OS on it, but whatever you do, DON'T mess up my
>> precious XP system.  All my financial records are in Quicken, and all the
>> kids pictures for the last 10 years.  I never back anything up. I must have
>> the laptop for work on Monday, so don't mess it up!!".
>>
>> This gets old after a while.  And if you feel that recovering a hosed MS
>> partition is always trivial, please come see us some Saturday morning.
>>
>> One thing that would help is if the person knows what to expect when they
>> arrive at the InstallFest, and a few facts about dual booting.  I wrote a
>> tutorial that help.  Maybe it could go on the NTLUG LIP webpage at
>> http://www.ntlug.org/Main/LIP.  The tutorial is here:
>> http://cfgraf.com/Linux/InstallFest.html
>>
>> The tutorial is probably way too long.  People may not read it.  It is not
>> great HTML (I did it in OpenOffice.org).  But we can refer to it when
>> someone shows up with the "Attitude", as in "Didn't you read the webpage?".
>> There are some boxes we really should not touch.
>>
>> What do you think?  Add?  Delete?  And thank you for listening to my rant.
>> Returning to lurk mode now, awaiting input.
>>
>> Chuck
>> _______________________________________________
>> http://www.ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>
> --
>
> Wayne Walker
>
> wwalker at bybent.com                    Do you use Linux?!
> http://www.bybent.com                 Get Counted!  http://counter.li.org/
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