I'm not good at this sort of thing. Can someone walk me through installation?

[superjobie]

I have Windows XP.

I have tried many times to install. I can't get it at all, and it's killing me.

Can someone walk me through installing it? I have no idea what to do.

[bigpaws]

http://vectorlinux.osuosl.org/docs/vl59/manuals/index.html

Should be everything you need there.

Bigpaws

[hata_ph]

some screen shot..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vector59invirtualbox/

[newt]

Give us a little more information on what it is exactly you're trying to do, and what's causing the problem.  Do you want to have a dual-boot system?  Do you just want Vector?  Do you want Vector in a virtual environment?  Where are you getting stuck - describe what you're seeing and any errors you're receiving?  We'll be glad to help, just need more info.

[sledgehammer]

If you want to save your data, then save it to a separate device (CD, external hard drive, large usb stick, etc) BEFORE doing the following. 

If you don't want to keep windows XP (unless required to have it by some neanderthal boss, I know of no one with a legitimate need for windows), and don't have files on your computer that you want to save:

1. download Vector 5.9 standard iso from the Vector site and save it to a CD (or order the CD from Vector),
2. put Vector in the CD drive and re-start your computer.  Make sure it boots to your CD drive (may require fooling with the bios) and shows you the linux penguin.
3. At the appropriate prompt during the Vector install, FDisk your hard drive into three partitions, a swap partition (about twice the size of your ram), a second partition for your programs (root) and a third partition for your files and data.  Depending on the size of your hard drive, I suggest  9GB for root and at least 9 GB for your files. The install program will then reboot for you.
4. Now, when the prompt presents itself, instead of partitioning your hard drive, just install vector.  Normally you can just take the defaults when prompted.
5.  Reboot your computer after the install finishes and reload your saved data into your home directory.

Good luck.

[GrannyGeek]

If you don't want to keep windows XP (unless required to have it by some neanderthal boss, I know of no one with a legitimate need for windows), and don't have files on your computer that you want to save:

What gives you the right to pass judgment on whether someone's need for Windows is legitimate or not? Nobody needs to justify their choice of operating systems. It's this kind of snarky statement that turns some people off to Linux.

Linux can stand on its own merits. Whether Windows is "better" or "worse" is in the eye of the beholder. If people really find Linux better for them, they don't need to be told Windows is worse.
--GrannyGeek

[wcs]

I know of no one with a legitimate need for windows

I guess that's difficult to assess... sometimes there are alternatives, but those require learning new applications (sometimes missing certain features) or buying new hardware. Other times there aren't even alternatives.

Not wanting to hijack the thread, but to give an example, I need windows for:
1. A piece of hardware that requires Windows to upgrade the firmware;
2. Another piece of hardware that does not work with linux, and only has windows drivers;
3. An application that also has a linux version, but costs 200 pounds, while I can use the windows version for free, with a university license.
4. Adobe Acrobat (that doesn't exist for linux) -- mostly just to turn on Review and Commenting for pdf documents opened in Reader.

Sure, we all know whose fault this is (the hardware manufacturers, my university, and Adobe). But not using Windows would have me spend quite a bit of cash on new software and hardware and I would end up missing several features... after all, the reason I bought that hardware was because I really wanted it, even though I knew it didn't work with Linux.

[M0E-lnx]

4. Adobe Acrobat (that doesn't exist for linux) -- mostly just to turn on Review and Commenting for pdf documents opened in Reader.

You can scratch this one off your list

google for "acroread" or use vpackager to search for it.

[wcs]

Oh, I meant the big one that creates pdfs, not Adobe Reader. (isn't it called Acrobat?)

[GrannyGeek]

Scribus can do a lot of what Acrobat can do when it comes to creating PDFs. I don't know if it does Reviewing and Commenting, though. Adobe Reader 8 for Linux does allow for comments (toolbar not installed by default, but available), but the permissions for those have to be set in the PDF. Reader can't change them. I don't know if Scribus can set or change permissions.

I just checked just now and there is a Scribus setting under Export, Save as PDF, Security, Use Encryption, Allow Adding Annotations and Fields. I haven't tried any of these, but you may find they do what you want IF you create the document in Scribus. I don't think you can open a PDF created with something else and change these settings.

Scribus is available for both Linux and Windows.

There is also a set of tools called pdftk that can do all sorts of things. From the project page at freshmeat.net:
"Pdftk is a simple command line tool for doing everyday things with PDF documents. Use it to merge PDF documents, split PDF pages into a new document, decrypt input as necessary (password required), encrypt output as desired, fill PDF forms with FDF data and/or flatten forms, apply a background watermark, report on PDF metrics, update PDF metadata, attach files to PDF pages or the PDF document, unpack PDF attachments, burst a PDF document into single pages, decompress and re-compress page streams, and repair corrupted PDF files (where possible)."
--GrannyGeek

[sledgehammer]

GrannyGeek,

If products could stand on their own merits, there would be no need for anti-trust legislation, unfair competition laws, laws prohibiting false advertising, etc. In any event, I did not say that Windows is better or worse than linux. I wouldn't know that as I don't use Windows. I said I know of no one with a legitimate need for Windows. Those I know who use it do so for the games (a need I don't think much of) or because someone makes them use it.

[M0E-lnx]

OOo can also create PDF

[wcs]

OOo can also create PDF

True. My situation is the following. I'm writing a thesis in latex (pdflatex, actually), and I create a nice pdf from it.
When I send it to my supervisor, I would like him to be able to do reviewing and commenting on the pdf, but it seems the only way to do that is to open the file in Acrobat (in Windows), and turning on Reviewing. Then it will be active in acroread (both Linux and Windows).

I don't think pdflatex is able to do it.
I've been assuming that it's just a proprietary thing from Adobe, that you can only turn on by buying the big application (that only runs in Windows).

(I tried pdftk before, but I think I ran into some problems compiling I think... I should give Scribus a shot -- thanks for pointing it out, GrannyGeek.)

Apologies for taking this thread away from the original purpose.

[sledgehammer]

wcs

Flpsed is good for filling in pdf forms and for making brief comments on pdf documents.  I don't know if its available in windows.  Pdfedit is not bad for making more extensive changes in pdfs, though I find it usually is easier to capture the pdf text with Pdfedit, edit in my regular word processor, and then save to a new pdf.