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- What will be provided at the
InstallFest? / What should I bring?
- IMPORTANT: Backing
up your data
- Making a list of your
hardware (optional, but recommended)
- Partitioning your
hard drive (highly recommended)
What will be provided at the
InstallFest?
What should I bring?
LUG@GT will provide power cables, monitors, keyboards, mice, and
installation CDs for a number of Linux distributions. We won't, however,
have non-PS2 or non-usb keyboards and mice, so if you have a Mac or something
that uses funky keyboards or mice, bring those with you.
If you plan to have Linux installed on your system, here's what
you should bring:
- Your computer (just the system itself, not the monitor, etc).
- A list of hardware in your system (see below).
IMPORTANT: Backing up your data
Although we will try to ensure that no data is lost during the
installation and setup process, any major operation such as installing
an operation always has the potential of wiping the contents of
the hard drive.
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You are responsible for backing up all important data before
arriving at the InstallFest.
LUG@GT cannot be held liable for the loss of data due to the absence
of a backup.
Now that that's out of the way, what options are there for backing
up your data? If you do not have access to a tape backup drive or
CD burner to use for backing up, you may consider backing up to
another computer across a network (such as a friend's system on the
campus network).
Making a list of your
hardware (optional, but recommended)
Although bringing a list of your hardware is optional, it is
recommended since some hardware requires special setup in Linux, and
the process tends to run much smoother when we know about it
beforehand. Again, not necessary, and usually not even used, but
in some rare cases (if you know you have odd hardware) it'll be
helpful.
Windows 95/98 Instructions:
- From the Start Menu, select "Settings -> Control Panel".
- Double-click on the "System" icon in the Control Panel window.
- In the "System Properties" window, click on the
"Device Manager" tab. This is where all of the devices on your
system are listed.
- Copy down the exact names of the devices listed (you can ignore the
"System Devices" section).
Windows 2000/XP Instructions:
- Right-click on the "My Computer" icon on the desktop, and select
"Properties" from the menu.
- Select the "Hardware" tab.
- Click on the "Device Manager". This is where all of the devices on
your system are listed.
- Copy down the exact names of the devices listed (you can ignore the
"System Devices" section).
Partitioning your hard drive
(highly recommended)
In order to install Linux, the available space on your hard drive
must be divided up into "partitions" so that Linux can exist on the
same hard drive as other operating systems.
Repartitioning your hard drive for Linux before arrival at the
InstallFest is optional, and is recommended only if you know exactly
what you're doing.
We do, however, recommend for everyone to free up at least
4 GB of hard drive space on your existing Windows partition. At
the Installfest we will help you split that Windows partition, but
can only do so if there is room to split. We recommend freeing up at
least 4 GB because Linux at a minimum will require about 2-3 GB (which
includes enough free space for your personal Linux docs and code),
and leave a gigabyte or so left for your Windows partition.
If you don't have 4 Gb of free space, try your best to delete
unimportant files, remove useless programs that takeup a lot of
space, and move large files you wish to keep to CDs/DVDs (if you
have a CD/DVD burner).
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