[bootneck02]

I have just downloaded Linux Mint 13 Mate 64 edition bit and burnt it onto a DVD and want to dual boot with Windows 7. I have also downloaded and printed the Official user guide, but embarrassed to admit I do not understand the instructions. I have two drives a C and a D both are Samsung 150 GB drives and wish to use the C drive as the dual boot. On page 14 of the guide it describes how to install when you get to Installation Type there two options (1) Erase disc and install Linux Mint (2) Something Else, which I have clicked on and there is the problem as it shows both drives but not annotated as C or D but a jumble of numbers and letters. Would the top of the listed two be what I would know as the C drive and the second be the D drive? Once I know which is which I think I will be able to partition and install by following the instructions. I am thinking of having a partition of 30GB for Linux would that be enough. also on my D drive I have my music collection which was downloaded by Windows Media Player will Linux be able to read those files and play them?

[floppybootstomp]

I'm not entirely sure about this as I usually install Linux distros to a hard disk all to themselves (physically swappable disk caddies) but you definitely don't want option 1

As I recall Linux will list your disks C & D as hdd 0 and hdd 1 so if that's what you're seeing then yes, what you assume is correct.

Mint is a very user friendly distro and in my experience if you want to dual boot just go with the auto options.

Mint will be able to play your audio files, I believe several media players are installed by default and more can be installed from the repository. Same goes for video files.

Whatever you do, take your time, disk sizes should be given and this should help you identify your C & D drives.

[bootneck02]

Thanks for the info floppy I will have another look at it tomorrow as getting a little cream crackered as we had my daughter and partner down today for a visit.

[Urmas]

Originally Posted by floppybootstomp

Whatever you do, take your time, disk sizes should be given and this should help you identify your C & D drives.

This is an excellent piece of advice!

As I recall Linux will list your disks C & D as hdd 0 and hdd 1...

Not quite [but close.]

"Physical" drives (that is, those Samsungs in this case) will be listed as "sda" and "sdb". The partitions on those disks will be sda1, sda2, sda3.... and sdb1, sdb2, sdb3... respectively.

HEREⁱ is a VERY good illustrated guide for "Installing Ubuntu in Hard Disk Two" — close enough. The Ubuntu version [Mint is based on Ubuntu, so the install process is the same] is a couple of years old, so the installer looks a bit different these days. But the process is the same.

Here is Mint 13 in my VirtualBox (with some "extra eye candy" — thanks to Vincent van Gogh... and four litres of beer. )

<-- Clicky Clicky



ⁱAn excellent resource:
http://members.iinet.net/~herman546/

[floppybootstomp]

Ah yes, sda. Well, it was late and the Merlot was flowing

[Urmas]

You were not wrong... just feeling nostalgic — must've been that Merlot.

Used to be that hda was used for IDE drives and sda was used for SCSI drives. Nowadays, all drives are treated as SCSI devices.

[bootneck02]

Thanks guy's for your input, certainly I also enjoy a slurp of Merlot. I will have a go at installing tomorrow or rather today as tomorrow has already come.

[bootneck02]

Well it has been a frustrating day. I first downloaded Mint and it went straight to my F drive which is a back up drive, I disconnected that and have now got to sort that out hopefully it has not buggered up the backups. Then on the second attempt it downloaded on to my D drive where all my music is on and would not boot, disconnected that and finally it went on my C drive and is working ok as far as I can tell. I have downloaded Partition Wizard Home Edition and have sorted out the D drive and now going to look at the F drive. My advice to anyone who thinks of downloading Mint make sure only have the C drive hooked up and only reconnect the other drives once you have ensured that Mint has completed downloading. But thankfully it is all peaches and cream now

[floppybootstomp]

Not quite sure what you're doing there bootneck but when I download something I usually get the choice where I want to save it to - don't you?

I'm using Mint 12 KDE atm and I downloaded it to a storage drive then burnt the distro (in ISO form) to a DVD and used that for my install.

A blank DVD-R typically costs about 10p and the convenience it offers for installation is certainly worth ten of our new pence. In my opinion

From your post above I gather you have Mint installed ok now - is that so? Dual boot ok?

[bootneck02]

Well now theres a thing I wrote the last message to you, now I am on the wifes PC ad I rebooted my PC and the message I have got is as follows:- error: no such partision.
grub rescue.

HELP cannot log in to anything