Old Vaio and Windows installation

[zalle]

Hi,

this is my first post since I am trying to install Vector Linux for the first time.

Here's the deal, I've got a Vaio N505SN, Pentium II 400, 64mb ram, without cd-rom. I'm used to Ubuntu, so I thought Vector Linux would be ideal to use it wireless for the web and light office work. Am I right?

I'm trying to install the windows version. I've got Windows 2000 professional and started it up with a WIN98 floppy disk into DOS.

I follow the procedure (installing version standard 5.0, IDE kernel) and I get this message (or something like this):

FAT: bogus logical sector size 0
UMSDOS: msdos_read:super failed, mount aborted.
FAT: bogus logical sector size 0
FAT: bogus logical sector size 0
sh-2021: reiserfs_read_super: can not find reiserfs on ramdisk(1,0)
Kernel panic: VFS: Unable o mount root fs on 01:00

What is wrong here? Can you guys help me be a +part of this community?

Thanks

Alex

[hata_ph]

I'm trying to install the windows version. I've got Windows 2000 professional and started it up with a WIN98 floppy disk into DOS.

are you trying to install VL or Win2K?
or are you trying to duel boot VL and win2K together?

[zalle]

Trying to install VL, and I would like to dual boot.

[hata_ph]

try this

http://www.vectorlinux.com/forum2/index.php?topic=2714.0

[zalle]

Does that mean I have to partition the drive before the install? I thought VL had a partitioner like ubuntu...

I have Windows installed, should I:
1 - Partition the HD
2 - Install VL

Is this the way? Is there a free partitioner that I can download and put into a floppy disk drive?

Thanks

[hata_ph]

there is some free software out there that you can try like partition logic
try search it from the net......
I use partition magic.......but not sure whether it is free or not........
http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/partitioneditors.shtml

or you can start all over again..........
use the VL 5.8 GOLD to boot....use cfdisk to make the windows partiton and VL partition...........
then install windows first then install VL.........I never try it this way but I think it will work.....

[lagagnon]

Does that mean I have to partition the drive before the install?

You only have to do that if you do not have a free partition on which to install VL. If you have Windows on that hard drive and want to keep it and you have not made other partitions then you need to free up hard drive space beforehand by reducing the size of the Windows partition FIRST, to give you free hard drive space (because a default MS install will take up the whole drive).

For that task I suggest using the GParted Live CD or Sytem Rescue CD (search Google for them).

I thought VL had a partitioner like ubuntu...

It does have a partitioner during the install process but you first of all need free hard drive space as I explained above.

[MikeCindi]

Not that lagagnon was unclear...GParted (http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php) is included with System Rescue CD (http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page) which is a much larger download (and a subversion or so behind on GParted that is included with it) and contains a great deal more for "rescuing" a damaged system. With GParted you will be able to "shrink" a NTFS (or FAT32) partition IF they are not full. Then you can create the partitions you want or use cfdisk in the setup of VL. In any case I would recommend getting either GParted or System Rescue CD for future use as they are invaluable if you do any partition management.
HTH,
Mike