formatting manual partitioning 10.04

[eveg]

hi. [i hope this isn't already posted somewhere; i looked twice and didn't find. so redirect me if i'm being redundant.]

trying to manually partition while installing 10.04, unfortunately from an old windows os, which came w/ the computer. i probably shouldn't bother to save it, but i wanted the practice w/ partitioning. the book i'm using is a good one, but maybe too advanced, and didn't specify.

**when i shrank the old win os into a smaller space on the drive, it gave me the option to check a box for format or leave it unchecked. which should i do, so as not to delete what's already on the drive? and do i mount it anywhere? in /windows, or i think the other option was msdos? what results in each case?********

thanx for your patience, while i learn my way around.

[mörgæs]

Hi, welcome to the fora.

If you want to shrink the Windows partition, it is best to do so when Windows is running.

After that you can install Ubuntu into the empty space.

[eveg]

thanx. there was nothing much to lose on the old windows part, already backed-up and all. shrinking it was easy, did that while running ubuntu install, not windows. it was just basics i was wondering about.
i tried the partitioning with the old windows stuff mounted in /windows, and checked the format box on the new / partition. and of course no mount point for swap. all went well, didn't even lose any of the old win' stuff.
[ i was only keeping it for laughs, since it hardly takes up any space. it came with the computer and is full of odd archaisms like dial-up internet access, and old accounting websites (no personal or business data left behind, they had that much sense). but truly bizarre old stuff like a 'briefcase' that appears to've been some software forerunner of the usb which worked with 'floppy' discs. which is odd because it has old usb ports. but it didn't know what to do with them before i put ubuntu in. its default booting option was the diskette drive before i got into the bios and fussed with it a bit. i still haven't taught it to boot from usb, and the linux guy at my favorite local computer repair shop isn't sure it's possible, or at least worth the bother in parts-hunting and fuss, to teach it to. i'm thinking it'll be interesting as an archival machine since it spans several storage media.]

thanx for the advice. the boxes really walk you thru it pretty well, once you check manual partition. if you're about to put a foot wrong, or might not be aware what would happen, it warns you and you can click back and redo what it warned you about. between that and a couple of books and magazines, it went pretty smoothly.


p.s. does anyone else find it a little ironic when typing in one of these boxes to find words like usb and linux and ubuntu highlighted as misspellings? is it peculiar to some systems or does it do that on everyone else's computer too? ;)

[mörgæs]

Good that it worked. Please mark the thread 'solved'.

This is old stuff. Are we talking Windows 2000 or 98?

You can always keep it for fun, but I would not advice you to use such an old installation for anything involving a password. It is likely that you have a virus. since there have not been security bug fixes for ages.

[Chris Richard]

p.s. does anyone else find it a little ironic when typing in one of these boxes to find words like usb and linux and ubuntu highlighted as misspellings? is it peculiar to some systems or does it do that on everyone else's computer too? ;)

It's because they aren't in the dictionary you are using. Right click the words you don't want to see those red lines under and click "add to dictionary" or "add" depending on your system and browser. You'll never see the little buggers again.;)

[nzjethro]

p.s. does anyone else find it a little ironic when typing in one of these boxes to find words like usb and linux and ubuntu highlighted as misspellings? is it peculiar to some systems or does it do that on everyone else's computer too?

Coming from NZ, I find it quite funny that words like "colour" and "customise", which are clearly spelled "correctly" (to me at least) get a highlighted as misspellings.

[eveg]

i'm not using it for anything, and i ran an antivirus program. basically i'm just saving it in its own partition for laughs and maybe eventually historic value. anyhow, it's such an old computer. i doubt it's really useful as anything except an archival, but i'm having fun playing with it. can't do any harm as long as i don't put anything important on it.

p.s. how do i mark the thread solved? sorry, i looked but didn't see instructions.

p.s. again
thanx for info on 'misspellings'

[eveg]

ah! found it. thread tools! thanx--- someone was giving me a link to it as i was asking how, and before i posted the question! :D thanx all.
you guys make this a wonderful colourful ;) corner of the world.

[mörgæs]

Good that you like it here. Soon you will be the one answering questions :-)

If you want to play around more with the computer, I would recommend Lubuntu rather than Ubuntu.

[eveg]

i've read a little about lubuntu. it sounds interesting. i may look into it further.

i hope i'm not bringing up a taboo subject, with this next question. it's within the perameters of the benign def. of hacking--- for people who make a distinction between hacking and cracking.
is this forum the sort of place where the classic definition of 'hacking' would be frowned on?--- physically altering electronics which one personally owns so they preform more interestingly/optimally, as opposed to gaining unauthorized/malicious access to someone else's electronics, whick is 'cracking' in the classic lexicon.
i've heard that it is possible to use an iphone with some form of linux and skype rather than paying outrageous monthly service to some corporation. i'm not sure if it's legal to do so and in my personal opinion it should be if it isn't, if one can figure out how to, and without using service anyone else is being charged for.
opinions anyone? is it hacking or cracking to 'jailbreak' an iphone, and is there a reliable place to learn how to, where one wouldn't run into a lot of crackers?

if one wanted to use the easier and possibly more legal option of a laptop for skype, but wanted to use it in public places, 'free' wireless provided in public places, ['free' because the cost is a serious lack of security], is there a way of making one's laptop reasonably secure on other people's systems, or should one simply forego any site that needs a password, etc. etc. not check one's email and so forth when using such a laptop?

and is it possible to do anything interesting with lubuntu with a media player i won for free that came with software that assumed i wanted to use windows, and has consequently sat in it's box on my closet shelf with its little mini driver cd--- also mp3 soundquality is so abysmal... ;)

[mörgæs]

Sorry, I don't know much of smartphones, but my first guess is that Android is the system to choose.

If you get Lubuntu to run on a smartphone, please tell us how (but in a new thread).

[eveg]

haven't found anything yet but if i do, i'll start a new thread for it. thanx for answering. :)