[NTLUG:Discuss] Install Fest Instructions

[Wayne Walker]

Instead of taking newbies straight into dual boot, why not set them up
with a virtual Machine (VMware Player on Windows, or something else)?
Then they can experiment totheir heart's content with linux, including
in full screen mode where it's "just like the real thing" without ever
endangering their needed Windows install and with the added benefit of
being able to run both OS's at the same time and share files between them
(via SMB).

This would also be MUCH easier to install in most cases.  Then after
they've decided they really want to take the plunge, help them go dual
boot or switch to linux with a windows VM.

Wayne

On Sat, Sep 27, 2008 at 06:52:50PM -0500, Chuck Graf wrote:
> Hi.  I am Chuck; the guy that usually shows up for the 9AM InstallFest.
> Lately we have been seeing allot of dial-boot installs on recent model
> laptops.  Frequently these systems will not boot into the MS system after
> the install.  Sometimes this is related to the process of shrinking the NTFS
> partition, and sometimes it is a product of writing to the MBR.  In some
> cases it can take allot of work to fix.
> 
> The typical attitude is "Here is my pristine laptop that I just bought.
> Lets install an entirely new OS on it, but whatever you do, DON'T mess up my
> precious XP system.  All my financial records are in Quicken, and all the
> kids pictures for the last 10 years.  I never back anything up. I must have
> the laptop for work on Monday, so don't mess it up!!".
> 
> This gets old after a while.  And if you feel that recovering a hosed MS
> partition is always trivial, please come see us some Saturday morning.
> 
> One thing that would help is if the person knows what to expect when they
> arrive at the InstallFest, and a few facts about dual booting.  I wrote a
> tutorial that help.  Maybe it could go on the NTLUG LIP webpage at
> http://www.ntlug.org/Main/LIP.  The tutorial is here:
> http://cfgraf.com/Linux/InstallFest.html
> 
> The tutorial is probably way too long.  People may not read it.  It is not
> great HTML (I did it in OpenOffice.org).  But we can refer to it when
> someone shows up with the "Attitude", as in "Didn't you read the webpage?".
> There are some boxes we really should not touch.
> 
> What do you think?  Add?  Delete?  And thank you for listening to my rant.
> Returning to lurk mode now, awaiting input.
> 
> Chuck
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss

-- 

Wayne Walker

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