Dual boot with XP/2000/NT and install linux/windows whenever You want

This is for those people who have dumped Windows 98 and adopted Windows 2000/NT/XP as their os’s and want linux to dual boot with these.

CAUTION : This how to wont work with Windows 98/95/ME . Actually i haven’t used ME and so i don’t know.Anyways this will only work with those Windows versions which use ntloader to boot.

There are a few pre requisites.

a) a linux boot disk/live cd
b) Use Windows 2000/NT/Xp and one of its partitions must be FAT (other than NTFS)
c) You should really know basics like partition naming in Linux and mounting.

Problem :

Installing / re installing Linux/Windows 2000/XP/NT whenever You want , without managing to mess up the MBR.

Scenario 1.

Installing Linux along with an existing windows installation .

I.Setting Up partitions

If You don’t have a linux partition , make space for it , by repartitioning my disk.

Ideally You would free up a partition and divide it into two , one part for swap space , the other part for the installation.swap space partition size = 2 times that of your RAM

In the non ideal case that is , if you cant free up a whole partition you would first defragment the drive and then create two new partitions from it using PQMagic , so you don’t loose data and you get two more drives. the new partition’s size will be as above

II.Installing Linux

Now you can go about installing your linux system. Here the issue to be taken care of is installing the boot loader (LILO/GRUB) to the proper place

Usually the installation program will ask u were to load the boot loader. default choice would be on the MBR. Now DON’T GO FOR THIS . If u want to go my way , don’t go for it. Instead , get the installer to install the boot loader onto the root partition.Also note down the root partition’s name , ie) the ‘/dev/hda*’ where * is 1,4,5 etc.
If possible create a boot disk

III. Setting up the system to boot windows too.

now when you reboot , you will go directly to the NT/XP/2000 boot menu.

Don’t worry , your Linux installation is safely sitting there.

Now boot using the linux boot disk / live cd

mount the non NTFS windows partition using the following commands

mkdir /mnt/windowsdrive
mount /dev/hda* /mnt/windowsdrive

where * is 1,4,5 etc.

Now use this command to get first 512 bytes of your root partition

dd if=/dev/hdaN of=/mnt/windowsdrive/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1

replace /dev/hdaN with your Linux root partition name (/dev/hda something) .I had asked you to note it down , hadn’t I?

now boot to windows. find out the bootsect.lnx file from which ever drive u wrote it to using the previous command.Copy it to C:\

open boot.ini and add the following line to its end

c:\bootsect.lnx=”Linux”

Reboot

Now you will see “Linux” showing up in your Windows boot menu.

When u choose linux it will load the linux boot loader (LILO/Grub which ever u installed.)

You may want to remove the “Windows” choice from the linux boot loader’s menu. There is no harm if u leave it there

Scenario 2.

Installing Windows NT/2000/XP along with an existing Linux installation .

1.Setup partitions.

Don’t touch the linux partitions. No other precaution needed. also make the windows partition bootable.

2.Install Windows NT/2000/XP. Let it over write the MBR

3.Follow step III of Scenario 1.

Thats all

Celebrating Software Freedom Day

hmmm…  Today is our day!! yup.. Software freedom day.. So, you may wonder, why Venky is talking about the software freedom!… Coz I deserve to post atleast a paragraph since I finished my RHCE

huh.. RHCE is RedHat Certified Computer Engineer.. That was a wonder ful course where I learnt about that Tux and live with that for more than a year…

zeee, Software freedom day is celebrated to insist the freedom in software usage and not to depend on the properiatry softwares provided by Microsoft, Adobe , so and so..
For each software like this, we have an alternative in Linux.. But we replace the original with more than 3 softwares like Office can be replaced with Open Office, Neo Office, SiagOfiice, etc..
Thats where the problem lies..

When any person is given with umpteen number of options, he may struggle to choose one..
So the opensource developers should follow some standards to put the combine efforts in replacing the properitory softwares with not more than 2 softwares…

Happy Software freedom day..

Hug a developer : I’m one among them

10 tips to keep your Tux safe

Linux itself is secure.. but, here is the caution for keeping it more secure

1. Locking the screen and logging out is important
Most people forget that the Linux desktop is a multi-user environment. Because of this, you can log out of your desktop and others can log in. Not only does that mean that others could be using your desktop, it also means you can, and should, log out when you’re finished working.

If you are the only user on your system, you can lock your screen instead. Locking your screen simply means that a password will be required to get back into the desktop. The difference here is that you can leave applications running and lock the desktop. When you unlock the desktop, those same programs will still be running.

2. Hiding files and folders is a quick fix
In ‘Linux land’, files and folders are hidden by adding a ‘.’ before the name; so, for example, the file ‘test’ will appear in a file browser, whereas ‘.test’ will not. Most people don’t know that running the command ‘ls-a’ will show hidden files and folders.

So, if you have folders or files you don’t want your co-workers to see, simply add the dot to the beginning of the file or folder name. You can do this from the command line like so: mv test .test.

3. A good password is a must
Your password on a Linux PC is your golden key. If you give that password out or if you use a weak password, your golden key could become everyone’s golden key.

And if you’re using a distribution like Ubuntu, that password will give users much more access than, say, Fedora. To that end, make sure your password is strong. There are many password generators you can use, such as Automated Password Generator.

4. Installing file-sharing applications is a slippery slope
I know many Linux users are prone to file-sharing. If you want to run that risk at home, that’s your call. But, when at work, you not only open yourself, or your company, up to lawsuits, you open your desktop machine up to other users who might have access to sensitive data on your work PC. So, as a rule, do not install file-sharing tools.

5. Updating your machine regularly is wise
Linux isn’t Windows. With Windows, you get security updates when Microsoft releases them, which could be many months away. With Linux, a security update can come minutes or hours after a security flaw is detected. With both KDE and Gnome, there are update applets for the panel. I always recommend having them up and running so you know when updates are made available. Don’t put off security updates. There is a reason they come out.

6. Installing virus protection is actually useful in Linux
Believe it or not, virus protection in Linux has its place. Of course, the chances of a virus causing problems on your Linux machine are slim to none. But those emails you forward to others’ Windows machines could cause problems. With a good virus-protection tool, such as ClamAV, you can ensure that email going out of your machine doesn’t contain anything nasty that could come back to haunt you or your company.

7. SELinux is there for a reason
SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux) was created by the US National Security Agency. It helps lock down access control to applications, and does so very well.

Certainly, SELinux can sometimes be a pain. In some cases, it might take a hit out of your system performance, or you might find some applications a struggle to install. However, the security comfort you gain by using SELinux (or AppArmor) far outweighs the negatives. During the Fedora installation, you get the chance to enable SELinux.

8. Creating /home in a separate partition is safer
The default Linux installation places your /home directory right in the root of your system. This is fine but, firstly, it is standard, so anyone gaining access to your machine knows right where your data is; and, secondly, if your machine goes down for good, your data might be gone.

To solve this problem, you can place /home on a different hard drive or partition altogether (making it a partition in and of itself). This is not a task for the weak of heart, but it is one worth undertaking if you’re very concerned about your data.

9. Using a non-standard desktop is worth its weight in gold
Not only do the alternative desktops (Enlightenment, Blackbox, Fluxbox, etc) give you a whole new look and feel for your PC, they offer simple security from prying eyes you may never have considered.

I have deployed Fluxbox on kiosk machines when I wanted a machine that could do one thing: Browse the network. This can be easily achieved. Create a single mouse menu (or desktop icon) for the application you want to use. Unless the user knows how to get back to the command line (by logging out or hitting ctrl-alt-f*, where * is a desktop other than the one you are using), they will not be able to start up any application other than the one offered.

Since most users have no idea how to move around in these desktops anyway, they aren’t going to have the slightest idea how to get to your files. It is simple pseudo-security.

10. Stopping services is best
This is a desktop machine. It’s not a server. So why are you running services like httpd, ftpd, and sshd? You shouldn’t need them and they only pose a security risk, unless you know how to lock them down. So don’t run them. Check your /etc/inetd.conf file and make sure that all unnecessary services are commented out. It is a simple but effective method.

Change never changes : Transform your windows

If you’re bored of having to look at the same kind of icons and eyecandy everytime, you can download and install these free transformation packs, and transform XP to look like any other OS.

(Note: Some of the listed transformation packs are quite extensive so please read installation guidelines carefully)

Vista Transformation Pack [Download]

Vista Transformation Pack does all kinds of appearance tweaks, and makes Windows XP look like Vista. From icons, transparency to new sounds, this pack does it all to make your XP look like Windows Vista.

Mac OS Transformation Pack [Download]

[bigger image]

Transforms XP to look like Mac OS X 10.5. Some important components like Windows Explorer and other shell files are patched to mimic Mac OS X appearance. Work only with Windows XP SP2 (English version).

FlyakiteOSX [Download]

Again, make your windows look like Mac OS X. However, it’s much more comprehensive than the above one. This enhancement utility does everything from registry tweaks, visual styles, sounds, icons to imitate the appearance of Mac OS X. See other screenshots here. If you’re using iTunes then make sure to deselect ‘iTunes Multi-Pugin’ option (under ‘Software’) in the installation wizard.

Fedora Transformation Pack [Download]

This tool is intended for making XP resemble the Fedora Linux Distro. Though the utility just packs a simple visual style, it does include icons, screensavers and wallpapers, and other Fedora-like skins for programs.

Ubuntu Transformation Pack [Download]

This pack contains visual styles, icons and other patches that can give the brownish Ubuntu look to Windows XP. If you just can’t get Ubuntu working on your PC, but still love its looks, you can download this pack. [via]

Uninstall Linux

Several times we face this problem… I was asked frequently by my friend Anbu about this… Lemme explain how to get rid of Linux without reinstalling windows

Requirements:
You need a windows 98 startup disk or windows 98 bootable floppy . [Get it]

How to do it:
1. Boot up in Windows xp.

2. Start>>control panel>>administrative tools>>computer management

3. Go to disk management under “storage”

4. Select your hard disk and then the linux partition.

5. Delete the linux partition this will delete linux and grub.

6. Now reboot your laptop with windows 98 start up disc or floppy and type the command “fixmbr” .

7. Above command will repair ur bootloader and rewrite ntldr which will replace corrupted grub.

8.thats it done now boot your laptop normally it will be booted by default in windows xp.

Linux Training Session II

Download : Linux Training – Session II – Basic Linux Commands (Download PDF)

Topics

• Command Line Basics
  • Shell Variables
  • Executing Commands
  • Command sequences
  • Command history
  • Applying commands recursively

• Working with directories
  • Listing contents of the working directory
  • Creating directories
  • Moving in directories
  • Removing directories

• File Manipulations
  • Display file – more, less, cat
  • Copy file – cp
  • Rename/Move file – mv
  • Remove files – rm
  • Find file – find
  • Copying files between machines – scp, rsync

Linux on slow computers Episode 2

The 2nd experiment that I did was install Xubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron on my Pentium 3 256MB Ram. Comparatively to Vector Linux Standard Edition(XFCE), I liked Xubuntu better as to add/install softwares were easier and spiced up with graphics compared to Vector Linux which looked plain and old.

Speed was almost the same at first, but after I’ve downloaded and installed the softwares I needed to run on the computer (eg. Open Office, Mplayer and so on), it was slightly slower compared to Vector Linux. That’s the price we pay for graphics I guess. Overall, I would choose Vector Linux as it was faster but wait…. when I installed Vector Linux on my computer, I logged in using a different desktop environment which was Fluxbox. It was way faster and not bad looking. It will be hard at first to get used to it, but I do enjoy the speed and the graphics are ok. It has the AWN kind of dock or a dock like MAC, not exactly the same but almost and it is fast not slow like AWN.

I guess the nest would be Linux Mint(fluxbox) and Fluxbuntu. Why? It’s because it is based on Ubuntu so that means it would be easier to handle compared to Slackware and others which most people don’t want to learn. If you’re more into technology then you should try out something harder like downloading debian, gentoo, slackware or any other major distros and start from the basics.

Screenshot of Xubuntu:

Xubuntu File Management : Thunar

Linux on slow computer Episode 1

Well, I’m back at home now and I’m on holidays so I’m too free and decided to look out for old computers to try out linux and I found a Pentium III 800 MHZ 256MB Ram with 10GB hard disk (IDE).

I tried out Vector Linux (STD) on it. For those who don’t have a clue about vector linux, you can visit www.vectorlinux.com, it is based on Slackware, installation is in text mode and it is not that easy for a beginner (let me remind you to read the manual 1st before you try installing), XFCE interface, uses XMMS to play music, MPlayer and Xine to play videos and I must say they changed the skins and made it as default which is pretty impressive as they definately look better than downloading it yoursef with very ugly skin as default for MPlayer. I’ve never liked MPlayer because of the looks. I don’t need a very good looking player but at least lookable.

As for internet browsers, it comes with Firefox, Opera and Seamonkey. Well I sticked with Opera as it was the fastest loadin, Pidgin to connect to MSN, AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, GoogleTalk and so on. They did a good job in creating VASM (Vector Linux’s Administration and System Menu) – a graphical tool which helps configure systems and network adminitrations. K3B, Xfburn is the burning tools, ripperX and X264 is the audio and video ripper. It comes with Adobe Reader 8, Abiword(replacement for MS Word), Gnumeric Spreadsheet, Scribus and a calculator.

It comes with one of my favourite games as well, Mega Mario. It was quite good. It was running fast, graphical boot (I didn’t get that with Ubuntu), it had the basic need mostly I would say. You could even make the panels and windows transparent(like Vista effect) and it didn’t become slow. I rather install this than have any Windows installed in it. Thanks to people that created it. There are few versions on Vector Linux, but I used the standard edition as it was the fastest available for my computer because I like speed. I could have installed the KDE version but I’m not a fan of KDE so i decided to install the XFCE instead. Thank you. Next I’ll try Xubuntu. Till then.

Vector Linux Std 5.9