And so it begins, installing Linux tonight, last minute questions.

[Phil Schaffner]

On Fri, 2005-01-28 at 21:05 -0600, Gain Paolo Mureddu wrote:
> Kyle Lagonegro (Student-Lagone37) wrote:
> 
> >I'm not sure the card...  To be honest with you it was installed when I got the computer, the most I know about it is how to install the Ethernet Controller Driver, so I am a little worried about that.  And as for the "Out of the Box" I downloaded my Linux, so I have no box or instruction manual, just a college campus full of computers is I so need to get help, although it's like -10 degrees out and I'd rather not be traveling tonight, but is need be, I will be.
> >
> >  
> >
> Congratulations!! A quick check-list:
> 
> 1.- Network, as you already know, this will be the most difficult part 
> of it (if at all), so it would be nice to have the right information 
> before hand. Do you use DHCP or static IP? What DNS or resolved through 
> DHCP? Gateway? etc.
> 2.- If your NIC is embeded into your motherbaord, most likely it will be 
> beautifully supported, check the driver in Windows HW manager, and have 
> it handy, just in case.
> 3.- Regarding multimedia, you are also mostly covered, though you can 
> work this out after installation has completed, should there be any 
> problems. Same goes for video card support.

All good advice.  Unless you lack disk space, I'd not burn the Windoze
bridge just yet.  Can always blow it away later and recycle the
partition.

To see if your network is likely to work, boot from the install disk and
specify "linux askmethod" at the boot prompt, then select a network
installation method.  The installer will then try to configure the NIC.

Another approach would be to try a CD-based distro (looks like you got
over the cd-burning hurdle :-) such as Knoppix (Debian-based - mentioned
earlier in the thread) or Basilisk (Fedora-based
http://www.linux4all.de/livecd/basilisk/1.40/index.htm).  These will let
you test-drive Linux on your hardware without installing anything.

Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of free software.

Phil