Tortanick
08-22-2006, 11:14 PM
Just thought I'd post any tips that pop into my head here.
/home AKA: personal Jesus! if you're on windows chances are you're documents and the settings of your better coded apps reside in C:\documents and settings\username\... and chances are you've backed it up one time or another before reformating the system.
In linux C:\documents and settings\ is called /home/ and unlike windows having apps save per user settings thier is the rule, not the exception. And linux is no stranger to multiple partitons, all distros will give you the chance to set up a seprate partiton for /home! Your settings and files will survive reformatings, distro changes and can easily be shared if you dual boot between a desktop and specalised distro, or your perfered distro and the family's. Just be aware that its NOT a good idea to have the same user on two distros. the problem is that hidden files in the /home/user control system settings and will cause issues if used on a diffrent distro.
I'm not to sure why, but there is no way of playing css encrpyted DVDs without propriatory software. (and I'm not to sure about propriatory software). The good news is a highly effective piece of code allows you to crack the encrpytion called libdvdcss. And its legal in the UK (not the US though).
Because libdvdcsd is illegal in the US few, if any distros will install it by default. refer to your distro's instructions for setting up encrpyted DVD playback. Its rarely hard.
mounting ISOs, no special software is needed, you just add it to any part of the file system you want with this command:
mount -o loop -t iso9660 /folder/name.iso /mount/point/
mount/point/ should be an empty folder. Requires root permissions.
This assumes you have the correct kernal modules, chances are you have.
surviving with sensible security: if you're from Windows chances are you've grown accustomed to being able to open C:\windows and delete any file you want. In linux you can't unless you're root and who wants to switch users repeatedly?
An easy way round this is to use sudo bash to get a terminal window, for that window all commands will be performed as root, alternatively you can open a file browser widnow with sudo {your file browser}
chainloading: every linux distro will ship with a boot loader, probably GRUB but perhaps LILO, and in some cases it may want to update this bootloader. E.G. if you install a 686 optimized kernel in the ubuntu’s grub will be modified to display an option for both the 383 and 686 kernals. Giving each distro control over its bootloader will possibly make you’re life easier, and couldn’t make it harder.
If your root partition for your second distro is in the third partition of the first hard drive, log into whatever distro controls the MBR grub and edit menu.list add the following
title whatever # the replace whatever visible menu option
rootnoverify (hd0,2) # replace hd0,2 with the relevant HD/partition, remember grub counts from zero
chainloader +1 #copy exactly
And you’re done, no matter what crazy customizations the distro dose you can still boot into it as easily as if it was the only distro.
Note I recommend using debian for the distro that controls the MBR, its solid, stable, easy to install, and without any extras absolutely tiny. If you want to actually use debian install two copies.
extended partitions: with linux any good practitioner can create extended partitions, provided you don’t have 4 primary partitions. I think this gives you a enormous 64 max partitions. Whatever it is, chances are you won’t be using all of them. Note: less partitions are aloud on a SCSI drive
/home AKA: personal Jesus! if you're on windows chances are you're documents and the settings of your better coded apps reside in C:\documents and settings\username\... and chances are you've backed it up one time or another before reformating the system.
In linux C:\documents and settings\ is called /home/ and unlike windows having apps save per user settings thier is the rule, not the exception. And linux is no stranger to multiple partitons, all distros will give you the chance to set up a seprate partiton for /home! Your settings and files will survive reformatings, distro changes and can easily be shared if you dual boot between a desktop and specalised distro, or your perfered distro and the family's. Just be aware that its NOT a good idea to have the same user on two distros. the problem is that hidden files in the /home/user control system settings and will cause issues if used on a diffrent distro.
I'm not to sure why, but there is no way of playing css encrpyted DVDs without propriatory software. (and I'm not to sure about propriatory software). The good news is a highly effective piece of code allows you to crack the encrpytion called libdvdcss. And its legal in the UK (not the US though).
Because libdvdcsd is illegal in the US few, if any distros will install it by default. refer to your distro's instructions for setting up encrpyted DVD playback. Its rarely hard.
mounting ISOs, no special software is needed, you just add it to any part of the file system you want with this command:
mount -o loop -t iso9660 /folder/name.iso /mount/point/
mount/point/ should be an empty folder. Requires root permissions.
This assumes you have the correct kernal modules, chances are you have.
surviving with sensible security: if you're from Windows chances are you've grown accustomed to being able to open C:\windows and delete any file you want. In linux you can't unless you're root and who wants to switch users repeatedly?
An easy way round this is to use sudo bash to get a terminal window, for that window all commands will be performed as root, alternatively you can open a file browser widnow with sudo {your file browser}
chainloading: every linux distro will ship with a boot loader, probably GRUB but perhaps LILO, and in some cases it may want to update this bootloader. E.G. if you install a 686 optimized kernel in the ubuntu’s grub will be modified to display an option for both the 383 and 686 kernals. Giving each distro control over its bootloader will possibly make you’re life easier, and couldn’t make it harder.
If your root partition for your second distro is in the third partition of the first hard drive, log into whatever distro controls the MBR grub and edit menu.list add the following
title whatever # the replace whatever visible menu option
rootnoverify (hd0,2) # replace hd0,2 with the relevant HD/partition, remember grub counts from zero
chainloader +1 #copy exactly
And you’re done, no matter what crazy customizations the distro dose you can still boot into it as easily as if it was the only distro.
Note I recommend using debian for the distro that controls the MBR, its solid, stable, easy to install, and without any extras absolutely tiny. If you want to actually use debian install two copies.
extended partitions: with linux any good practitioner can create extended partitions, provided you don’t have 4 primary partitions. I think this gives you a enormous 64 max partitions. Whatever it is, chances are you won’t be using all of them. Note: less partitions are aloud on a SCSI drive