How can I install Linux and keep my Windows installation? If you use Microsoft fdisk to repartition, you'll have to reinstall Windows. Fortunately there are disk repartitioning utilities available, such as Powerquest's Partition Magic. Use it to resize your Windows partition. For 8 GB or less hard drives, resize the Windows partition so as to leave about half the drive space for Linux. For drives over 8 GB, resize the Windows partition so that it ends about 6-7 GB into the hard drive (make sure LILO can look for the Linux boot below 8 GB (1024 cylinders) because only the very latest versions of LILO can go over that even though the Linux CAN fit in a larger hard drive. Install Linux at the end. You can also use Partition Magic to preformat the Linux native and Linux swap partitions.

What do I put in for mount points during install? All you need to put in is / for the Linux native partition. In the Unix world, this is the root directory. If you have other file systems you want to be able to read while in your Unix session, you just to put in /win for example, to mount your Windows partition.

I want to install RedHat Linux on a hard drive over 8 GB Disk Druid won't do this. Use fdisk instead. Ignore the warning message about LILO. As long as you START somewhere around 7 GB into the drive you'll be ok. Create a new primary partition (#2), taking up most of the remaining cylinders (leave about 40). Create another primary partition (#3), taking up the rest. Change this partition's system id to Linux swap. Write out the partition table and exit. Then proceed to set your mount points.

How do I fill out the domain, hostname and IP address fields? If you don't have a domain name just use localdomain. Then use a unique machine name in front of the dot that is in front of the domain name. For a beginning small network set the IP address to 192.168.0.x where x is a number unique to the machine and between 1 and 254 inclusive. Set the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0 and backspace out the default gateway and primary nameserver.

Can I skip creating a bootdisk? Only at your own peril. If LILO doesn't work and you don't have some other bootloader working, you won't be able to boot into Linux without it.

Where should I put LILO? In virtually every case it should be in the master boot record. Only put it on the first sector of the boot partition if you're using some other program in the master boot loader, like the OS/2 bootloader, in which case you put LILO on the first sector of the Linux partition, and let the OS/2 bootloader point to it. The Windows-NT and Windows-2000 bootloaders DO NOT occupy the master boot record, so put LILO in the master boot record if using these operating systems. It's also possible to let the NT bootloader or even a DOS (or Windows-9x) multi-configuration file handle the choices, but it's much harder to set up. It's easier to let LILO have first crack, then let the Microsoft boot program do the rest. If you'd prefer the non-Linux system to be the default, it's possible to set that up also.

Problems getting Xconfigurator to work Do not use versions of Linux that FORCE a graphic install (Corel Linux comes to mind). The Xconfigurator is a difficult program and chances are that your distribution comes with a better program to configure X-windows. For SuSE users, either do a text install (start with disk 2) OR do a graphic install, but DO NOT startx on the initial install. In either case, run Sax later. It's very good at configuring video, and can detect video card and monitor settings. For RedHat, just type Setup (shut down X if it's running!) and choose the Xconfiguration option. If you get the card right, sometimes playing with the monitor settings works.

Should I have Linux automatically start in graphic mode? By all means NO! One of the MAJOR problems with Windows is that the graphic interface is FORCIBLY tied to the operating system. You don't want to repeat that folly. You want the graphic interface to be there when you need it, but to be able to kill it and restart it if it has problems WITHOUT having to reboot.

How do start and stop the graphic mode (X-windows)? To start the graphic mode type startx. To stop it, Ctl-Alt-Backspace will instantly kill the X-server. Upon restarting X, usually any problems go away.

No sound Redhat users need to merely type sndconfig at a console. If it's a PnP card, it may automatically be detected and configured. Some non-PNP cards require some configuration, but it's a lot easier than Windows (find files, copy files, reboot). Under Linux the card usually works right away once configured. If you've got a SoundBlaster Live card or something else fancy and have troubles still, THEN you can go to the newsgroups.