Replies

Thanks to both of you for your knowledge and advice. I registered and downloaded all the files available for VMWare Server and will copy them to CD.

But your further explaination of it’s use substantiated my understanding from their site. It’s a virtual running of two Os’s and will thus require more memory and system resources. On my Turion 64 laptop with 512Mb RAM, I just don’t see the value. And being retired and on a limited budget, I’m not about to upgrade my RAM (both sockets are used for the 512Mb, so I’d have to buy two 512Mb chips) unless I have to. I think what I’ll do is, after the 1st of the year, get a partition manager then set a larger partition for Linux and run dual-boot.

My online sessions and ordinary PC use will be Linux and necessary stuff like Corel or Quicken will be Windows. I’m not into gaming so that isn’t an issue.

The only issue with Linux so far (beyond what I’ve noted) is in networking. And I doubt that’s Linux. I have this laptop networked with another PC in the basement, Which runs Windows 2000, and which I use for copying records/tapes to CDs. I use Network Magic for networking these two PC’s because it’s easy to work with (although I used to have a Novell CNA license). With NetMagic, I can’t get the Linux partition recognized when booted. I’m sure it’s a NetMagic issue, but haven’t taken the time to investigate.

That’s the other issue I’ll have to address after the holidays.

I can’t get the Linux partition recognized when booted.

That doesn't sound like a network problem to me. That sounds like a file system format incompatibility.

Windows only knows windows file formats, such as FAT and NTFS. When I want to move files around on my dual boot system, I have to be in the Linux boot. Linux has excellent support for FAT format file systems, and improving support for NTFS.

I have always kept one partition in FAT format, for moving files back and forth between the Windows world and the Linux world; though with the latest improvements allowing write access, not just read-only access, from Linux to NTFS partitions, one could directly access the main Windows partition (the C: drive) when in the Linux boot.

get a partition manager then set a larger partition for Linux and run dual-boot.

The latest mainline Linux distributions, such as SUSE and Ubuntu, come with a partitioner built in, which I find adequate if you can make sense of it.

I still use a separate partition product, preferring 7tools Partition Manager the last few years. My previous recommended partition, Partition Magic has gone down hill, in my view, the last few years. Partition Magic was originally made by the PowerQuest corporation but is now owned by Symantec.

For example on the SUSE 10.3 that I am typing on right now, off the "YaST2 Control Center"(the yellow handled wrench on the green circle) menu, it is at System->Partitioner.

That partitioner also shows up in the installer, when people are adding Linux to an existing Windows only system, to help them through the steps in making room on their disk for the Linux partition.

Net Magic should make a Linux version of its networking software. It has one for Mac. What should be added is Codweavers has Crossover, which is similar to WINE. It basically fools Linux into thinking its Windows, allowing some Windows programs to run in Linux like they are in a virtual Windows environment. The number of such programs one needs to run in Linux are few and between.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

Regarding sharing files between Linux and Windows, you can use SAMBA, which makes the Linux box look like a Windows workgroup server, or even a member server in a domain.

You’re right about VMWare, it’s one of those things that likes as much memory as you can throw at it. If you only have 512MB of RAM, it’s probably not going to work very well, if at all. I thing that VMWare workstation is tuned to work with less RAM on the host, but it’s NOT free. And I guess I’m spoiled: I use it at home on a system that’s got 3.5GB of usable RAM, and at work with a system that’s got 2GB (I’ve got 2 licenses, one of my own, one that my company owns).

Novell CNA, huh? I really miss working with Novell on a regular basis. I worked with it since v2.0a, and got my CNE in 1989! Earlier this year I let nearly all my Novell certifications lapse. I think that technically I’m still a Master CNE in NetWare, Messaging, and Network Management, but I worked for 4 1/2 years as a Novell instructor, and it was something of a shock to realize that my Certified Novell Instructor cert was gone. At one time I was authorized to teach 22 Novell courses. While (IMHO) Novell has got some of the best network software available (in a number of ways, they’re YEARS ahead of Microsoft), they’ve lost so much market share that I simply couldn’t get a job in Kansas City. So I now work in a nearly 100% Microsoft Windows environment (1 Novell server doing file and print services, 245 Windows servers, including 120 Terminal Services servers). The only thing that we use Linux for is network management and security.

Mark