what steps for fresh install of linux OS?

Hello,
what steps would you take when doing a fresh install of a linux distro.
state distro,steps and installation type for example livecd,live dvd,cd,dvd or network install
im quite interested in what partitions people setup. like do your normally use a /tmp partition etc
i have only installed linux on test machines for now. but i normally do the following. distro=opensuse 11,network install.
1.delete unneeded partitions. normally my test box is used for both windows and linux testing.
2.create partitions
20GB for /
loads of space for /home
2Gb swap partition

3.change regional settings and keyboard layout to UK
4.left all other settings as default. such as one user, put in rootpassword etc
5.update system
6.installed multimedia stuff such as codecs,flash, java etc. link

 

Kinda depends on whether I want to let the distro do the partitioning, or do it manually. Manually, I usually just allocate 1 gig for swap, 4-6 gigs for the root partition (/), and then whatever remains for /home, or sometimes I put /home on another HD.

Lately I just clean of the HD by loading Win disk and nuking all partitions on that drive, then I run the distro and let it auto-partition as it likes. But it really depends on your needs, how long you're keeping it, and so on. I change things almost weekly here, so I don't pay too much attention to the partitioning.

I have an 80 gig drive with Win ntfs for data. That I never touch, and I have my images on it.

Anyway, most distros will fit on a 5 gig / partition, and swap can be 1-2 gigs as needed. The rest is free for /home.

Then again, if you're dual booting and Win is already on the HD, then you'll need enough free space for a Linux partitions. Sometimes the distro will make the space for you and create the partition, sometimes you have to be prepared and do it before hand.

They're all a little different, so it's mostly a matter of playing it by ear and adapting to things as they unfold....

 

My favorite is Ubuntu (Gnome) Live CD. Ubiquity generally sets up an ext 2 swap (generally twice the size of your available Ram) and ext 3 for /. You have options to either resize an existing Windows install or use the entire disc. I always use the entire disc (since I've never duel booted before). After installing Ubuntu head on over to Gnome Look dot org and pick up some terrific themes (you can make it look almost exactly like Vista should you wish) that totally change the over all look and feel of the Desktop and system.

BTW, I tried Suse 11 (Gnome) very recently and liked it quite well but could not stand the default Menu Bar (the documents sections just would not work properly). I also tried Fedora 9 recently too...quite nice as well. Both installed very easily.

Kind of nice getting back into the Linux world once again. The hard part is remembering all those commands that I use to know by heart.

Later...

 

Just installed Kubuntu 8.04 KDE4/Remix tonight. Seems quite nice, and I am pretty much hooked now on KDE4. Quite slick. The install was to a wiped HD, clean. It defaulted to setting up a 1 gig swap partition and the remaining 29 gigs for /, which of course included /home and everything else. That's fine I guess. Adding some apps now. Nothing too much to tweak, everything works if you put on the right apps. I'd like to see more distros using KDE4, but I guess it's still considered pretty new and perhaps not quite stable enough. I have as yet seen very few bugs or issues though. For me it has been good to date, on both SUSE 11 and now Kubuntu.

 

Hello,

First, you got all my tutorials that can help you with all those questions.

But generally, it's simple:

1. Start booting from CD.
2. Begin installation (whether directly or from live CD).
3. Make partitions or use existing ones: 1-2GB swap, home and root as needed, but 20GB is enough for root, home as big as you like.
4. Complete installation.
5. Install drivers, if needed.
6. Update from repos.
7. That's it!

Mrk

 

Hey Kerodo,
i had the KDE4 desktop fully crash out on me a few times. i was adding some widgets from the orange button in the right hand corner and it crashes out. i know its not very mature atm so its understandable.
i dono if i could of rescued it or not. i dont really know any linux commands.
i do prefer KDE over Gnome. once KDE4 is more stable i will reinstall my test machine with it. for now i will stick with KDE3.

 

Yep, I guess people are having various experiences with KDE4, so far I have been very lucky and it is running well here for me. No crashes, only one minor bug in the Kubuntu KDE4 relating to saving screen resolution. In SUSE 11, it ran well also, with no issues at all that I could find. Maybe I should poke and probe around more and see if I can find some problems...