Siggy is taking the plunge into Linux

[siggy]

For those of you that were holding your breath. You can now breathe. I have a machine I can put Linux on. I have Linux Red Hat 7.1.

First question.....How do I get Windows off of it completely?

[Rick_Deadly]

When you install Linux, you will have the option to delete the entire hadr drive (Partition) and install Linux onto the entire hard drive. You don't have to prepare anything before the install.

Good luck.

[siggy]

Kool. Thanks Rick.

[siggy]

I can't get the internal cd-rom drive to work.

Question 2. Can I install it with an external CD-Rom Drive?

[siggy]

Question 3: where are all the Penguins when Siggy needs help??

Boo, hoo. :(

I have been playing with this #$@#$# machine for over an hour and I am no further along then I was when I started. Except I know that the screen and the internal CDrom are not working. argh.

::venting mode off::

I could really use a hug.:(

[Rick_Deadly]

Hi Siggy:

Is this a laptop?
Was the internal CD-ROM working in Windows?
Does the BIOS allow setting the internal CD-ROM to a "boot" device?

If you can't use the CD-ROM to boot with, you can make a Linux boot floopy (Using the Linux CD-ROM.) on any other computer (Assuming you have a second computer running.).

There is a directory on the Linux CD called "DOSUTILS". In the directory is a utility called "rawrite.exe". Use this utility to create a Linux boot floppy.

If required, I can provide more detailed information.

bye, Rick

[siggy]

Yes it is a laptop.
No I don't think the CDRom was working to start with.
I dont know even how to get to the Bios.
I do have another computer. ( This one that I am on now) I found the rawrite.exe and it wants to know "enter disk image source file name"

[siggy]

Well from what I am reading so far; I need to have a minimum of 32mb of ram, perferable 64mb. The laptop only has 16. So I will need to tackle that issue first. How do I find out what kind of Ram to buy?

[kirek]

siggy,




you should be able to install with only 16MB RAM. If you try running X-Windows it will be a little slow though.









the disk image source file(s) you need (I think) are in a images directory on the RH disk. If I remember right you need atleast the 'boot.img' image.









what kind of laptop do you have? If you go to http://www.crucial.com they have a pretty extensive database of memory types for different mfgs.



If you need any help let me know.

-kirek

[siggy]

It is a Sager Laptop 862. Not on Crucials list.

This just keeps getting better and better. :(

[Daniel, Laura, and Nora]

Go Siggy! Don't give up now. If this little crank-powered laptop were your main machine I would feel your stress in a vaguely Clintonian way. But this is fun! Really! It is the fun of having your 1964 Toronado transmission spread on the garage floor, or the fun of gluing the flag on your toothpick Eiffel Tower.

At the very least, your travails are a hoot for the rest of us.

Carry on!

Daniel

[siggy]

Thanks daniel I feel much better.....NOT. I would rather be working on a transmission. Then at least I would know what I was doing. argh.....

[kirek]

Sorry to tell you this Siggy but Sager's website is a little lame. They have very little info about your laptop. (Assuming I was looking at the right one, NP8620)
You could try the Support request form here (https://www.sagernotebook.com/pages/rma_request.html). They may be able to give you more info about memory and stuff.
Hope this helps.
-kirek :)

[siggy]

Thanks for looking Kirek. I know that I have Murphys law right here with me. But I am a trooper and refuse to give up. I have genome v.99 loaded on it now. All I need is to get a gene on it to crunch and it will at least be earning its keep until I can get it up to par.

<<HUGS>>

[MechCD]

check for standard SODIMM notebook ram, it should werk, check the manual fer yer laptop to see what kind of ram it takes, it might need soem lappy form of SIMMs

[siggy]

No manual. No litttle instruction booklet. I thought I could just stick the Linux CD in and install it, ya know LIKE WINDOWS. Boy was I wrong. Apperently being a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist would help.

I have Genome running on it now (in windows) so it is no a total wash out. Maybe I can get a gene out of it about once a week.:D

[MechCD]

Hmmm, no manual......

Linux shouldn't be this hard to install.

Did ya make a boot disk? Can you have the CD-ROM and the floppy installed in the laptop at the same time?

don't worry bout the ram, we can fix that later

[siggy]

No I did not make a boot disk.

The internal CDRom is not working but I can have the external CDRom and the floppy at the same time.

[Rick_Deadly]

Ok Siggy...

Assuming your CDROM is the "D:" drive you should have these files on your Linux CDROM:
"D:\dosutils\rawrite.exe", and
"D:\images\boot.img".

1) Put a formatted floppy in the A: drive (Not a system disk.).
2) Open Windows Explorer.
3) Double-click on "D:\dosutils\rawrite.exe".
4) It will ask you for the image file.
(At one point it may ask for the "target drive" and you will respond with "a:" and press enter.)
5) Type in "D:\images\boot.img" and press enter.
6) It will make the Linux boot floppy.

I don't know if it will recognize an external CDROM (When you boot with the floppy) and read the CD, but you'll never know till you try :)

[siggy]

Thanks Rick. Does it make a difference if I use a different computer for these steps? This computer is much faster than the laptop. Or should I use the laptop to make the disk?

[MechCD]

for this step, no it doesn't matter.
Have ya read the intro section on the manual on the CD? :D it might help ya figure stuff out a lil.

We're still here ta help, but i'm kinda not in great condition at the moment, and after school (and homewerk) i kinda shut me brain off and relax / sleep :D

[dnar]

Looks like your in good hands here Ann, good work lads!
:D


PS. Do NOT throw the laptop out the window.... :confused:

[Rick_Deadly]

Originally posted by siggy
Thanks Rick. Does it make a difference if I use a different computer for these steps? This computer is much faster than the laptop. Or should I use the laptop to make the disk?

It does not matter, you can do it on any computer you want. I just made a Linux boot floppy on my Win98SE machine to make sure I was not misleading you.

When you are ready to try the install, put the Linux CD in the external CDROM and boot with the floppy. If your laptop is setup up to boot from the floppy before the HD, the Linux "boot" menu will show up.

Keep trucking :)

[siggy]

Well I have a boot disk now. But I am afraid to put it in the laptop. I mean IT IS crunching. Is it worth giving that up? How long will it take before I can have it crunching again in Linux? And how do I get a gene on a no network laptop with Linux when my other machine is Windows?

[Rick_Deadly]

Wait a bit, maybe Dnar can tell you if the input/output files are the same on a Linux and Windows Genome install. I would imagine they are and only the executables and libraries are different.

If they are the same, it will just be a matter of copying the same files in and out that you copy now.

[dnar]

Be carefull. The input files must be copied using FTP ASCII mode to convert the end of line character to CR/LF pairs. Best to wait for the end of a unit....

[kirek]

Hey siggy,





Now that you have the boot disk, you should be okay. BUT you may have to specify to install from a different cdrom. Is your external cdrom a parallel port one? If the default boot.img does not recognize it you may have to make another floppy using rawrite with the drivers.img file and load drivers for you external cdrom. But I'm not even sure if that will work.


Definately wait until the end of the work unit before you try anything.


By the way, how did you get the existing Genome work unit onto the laptop in windows? Just wondering, cause if you have a modem in the laptop we can probably get that working too.





Also I was wondering did you use the external cdrom to install windows?









I know we get this to work. :)











Later,





-kirek

[siggy]

The external CDRom is pluged into the slot like the modem. I think it is called a PCMCIA slot but don't quote me.

As far as the gemone copying in windows. I have Genome in 2 directories on my TB. 1st directory runs 24/7. 2nd directory is just for copies. I activated the 2nd directory to go get an ID and a gene to crunch. I played for a while trying to figure out which files it needed to work, then said the heck with it and WinZipped the whole 2nd directory on to a floppy and unzipped it on the laptop. The laptop is -nonetting. Then when I need to dump I figure I will zip it from the laptop back to the 2nd directory and have the 2nd directory upload the results.

I tryed reading the old threads on this subject but I could not get it to work. I think I had version issue too. (gene in one version, exe in another version) But there was one file that was too big for a floppy so I just zipped the whole directory.

AS for Windows on the laptop. It is a second (or third) hand computer and windows 98 was already on it.

It is about the slowest crunching computer I have seen yet. It has only done 4 sequences in a 12 hour period. Thats what 90 hours per gene. :(

[kirek]

Originally posted by siggy

The external CDRom is pluged into the slot like the modem. I think it is called a PCMCIA slot but don't quote me.



Cool, you should be able to get linux installed with just the boot disk. If you are still interested. ;)



later,

-kirek