Very Computer

Hi,

I would like to install Linux (Slackware, particularly, unless someone
want to suggest another package) onto a computer that is running Win95.

All the installation/getting started documents I've read deal with
installing Linux onto DOS systems, and I would like to know if there
are some subtle gotcha's that I need to be aware of.

For example, installing Win95 after you have a Linux system running
will apparently mess up your LILO.  So I wonder if the reverse ---
installing Linux after Win95 can*up your Win95 --- would also be true.

Another issue is the file system compatibility.  I know that you can
read and write to DOS file system from Linux.  Would I be able to do
the same for Win95 with its slightly different filesystem (with long
filenames and such)?  I have no idea about these technical details at
all so I apologize if this seems to be a stupid question to you.

Thanks,
Ed
--

Computer Science Dept.       http://www.veryComputer.com/
University of Rochester; Rochester, NY 14627-0226   (716)275-1448

In article

Quote:

>Hi,

>I would like to install Linux (Slackware,

particularly, unless someone

Quote:>want to suggest another package) onto a computer that
is running Win95.

>All the installation/getting started documents I've
read deal with
>installing Linux onto DOS systems, and I would like
to know if there
>are some subtle gotcha's that I need to be aware of.

>For example, installing Win95 after you have a Linux
system running
>will apparently mess up your LILO.  So I wonder if
the reverse ---
>installing Linux after Win95 can*up your Win95

--- would also be true.

Quote:

>Another issue is the file system compatibility.  I
know that you can
>read and write to DOS file system from Linux.  Would
I be able to do
>the same for Win95 with its slightly different

filesystem (with long

Quote:>filenames and such)?  I have no idea about these

technical details at
http://www.veryComputer.com/

Quote:>University of Rochester; Rochester, NY 14627-0226  

(716)275-1448

I'd like to do the same thing, but I think I've gotten
a little further. I had Windows3.1/DOS on my system in
one partition and Linux(Slakware) in another. I used
LOADLIN to boot into Linux when needed from DOS. I
used BOOT.SYS to set up a menu option to boot into
Linux when the machine was turned on. I could access
my DOS partition from Linux as /dosc. Everything
worked fine.

Now Ive got Win95 on the partition I had Win3.1/DOS
on. Ive created a batch file to boot into Linux from
the Win95 desktop. I chose the option to go into MSDOS
mode in the Advanced section of the batch files
properties.

Is this OK? If I double click on my batch file, it
goes into DOS mode, runs LOADLIN and voila, I'm in
Linux. I can even see my C drive when in Linux since I
started with Win3.1/DOS. I'm worried about messing up
Win95 by booting into Linux from the Desktop. Can
anyone confirm that this is fine?

Thanks,

Manuel Flores

I would not think that you would have a problem. Here are some steps you
might want to follow.

1.  Get a Linux Cd set of you don't already have one. Infomagic makes an
excellent one.

2.  Get the program called fips( it will be on the cd).  It splits you
partition for you w/out you losing all your data.  Be sure to defrag you
HD 1st.

3.  Get an old REAL dos boot disk, on win95 *and put fips on it.  
then boot from it and split your partition.  

4.  reboot.

5.  then go ahead with the linux install

best of luck.  Ryan Langford

I'm not a pro, so don't blame me when it all might blow up in your face!!
Hopefully it won't.

I would not think that you would have a problem. Here are some steps you
might want to follow.

1.  Get a Linux Cd set of you don't already have one. Infomagic makes an
excellent one.

2.  Get the program called fips( it will be on the cd).  It splits you
partition for you w/out you losing all your data.  Be sure to defrag you
HD 1st.

3.  Get an old REAL dos boot disk, on win95 *and put fips on it.  
then boot from it and split your partition.  

4.  reboot.

5.  then go ahead with the linux install

best of luck.  Ryan Langford

I'm not a pro, so don't blame me when it all might blow up in your face!!
Hopefully it won't.

One question, did your Win95 disk tools work afterwards?

I used DOS fdisk to reduce my partition size, loaded DOS & Win95
for dual boot because some games' sound doesn't work under 95 with
my card. I then used Linux fdisk to generate Linux native & swap
partitions.

Now Win95 works faultlessly except the disk tools such as defrag,
scandisk etc., which is going to be a problem one day!
Suggestions are welcome

*Stuff deleted*

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Anyone know of a defragmenter that works?  The Symantec junk that came
with my Dell has never functioned properly.

If anyone cares, the latest version of FIPS is 1.4 and includes
enhancements that may be important to some users.  The August InfoMagic
release of Slackware 2.3 includes FIPS 1.1, which was already dated in
August.

 _________________________ __________________________________________
| Kyle Ferrio             | Time Remaining until Divided Loyalties:
| University of Michigan  | 6 days, 8 hours, 40 minutes
| Randall Laboratory      | That's right, I see B5 on Tuesdays.

Hi,

: I would like to install Linux (Slackware, particularly, unless someone
: want to suggest another package) onto a computer that is running Win95.

I'm a Linux newbie but I managed to install Linux onto a Win95 PC
without any problems at all -- I used fips to create a linux partition
and then followed the DOS instructions.

I've also been able to mount and access the Win95 partitions in Linux
with no problems.

: All the installation/getting started documents I've read deal with
: installing Linux onto DOS systems, and I would like to know if there
: are some subtle gotcha's that I need to be aware of.

So, AFAIK, there are no gotchas (insert standard disclaimer here).

Ben

--
Ben Sloman, Postgraduate: Compilers for Parallel Machines, Reading University