Ok newbie here, so bare with me . Purchased the SUSE Linux 10.1. Here is my current laptop specs.

Thru BIOS I have 2 74.5GB 7,200 RPM hard drives in RAID 0. Nvidia Stripe for RAID 0.
Turon 64 mobile
2 GB DDR3200 RAM
NFORCE 4 mobo
2 X nividia 7900 Go GS 256mb each

Ok the whole RAID setup gives me 149GB. I want to have in RAID 0 Windows XP Pro on a 20 GB partition NTFS, 50GB for windows programs NTFS(I understand linux can do read-only with NTFS). The other 79 GB i want for linux.

The problem:

So far no go on installing linux, usually run into a GRUB error 21 with windows installed and with the hard drives clean installing linux the installation takes more than 7 hours and stalls.

Ok first tried installing with the partitions in windows(one active primary for windows, another in extended for data). I would get this error messages:

Error
Warning: This system has at least one hard disk with a RAID configuration presented by the BIOS as RAID that is in fact a software RAID. The following disks where detected as part of such a RAID.

/dev/sda /dev/sbd

The linux kernel 2.4 supported some of these systems (like Promise Fastrack and high point rocketRaid), but the linux kernel 2.6 does not support them at all.

If you install onto these disk, your RAID ocnfiguration and any data on these RAID will be lost. Refer to http%//%portal%suse%com to learn how to migrate to a Linux software RAID.

The second warning after a little bit.

The partitioning on disk /dev/sda is not readable by the partitioning tool parted, which is used to change the partition table.
You can use the partitions in disk /dev/sda as they are. You can format them and assign mount points to them, but you cannot add, edit, resize, or remove partitions from that disk with this tool.

Followed by the disc 1 only installing its part, then it reboots and GRUB gives the error 21 problem.


If i go ahead and remove all partitions. Every unallocated. Then install i get a extremely slow instalaltion that stalls.

Can someone guide me thru the process? How can i get this fixed? I really want to try and learn linux

As I haven't got Suse 10.1, I could't really do any detailed guide. I have however got this working with Ubuntu, using the bios software raid (also referred to as fakeraid).

The process I followed was roughly:
1. Prepare the linux partitions beforehand from the existing Windows (using e.g. Partition Magic or similar tools).
2. Get a liveCD that boots into Linux with network support.
3. Download and run the dmraid software.
4. Mount the prepared Linux partitions. They will have names like: /dev/mapper/sil_xxxxxx (I have a Silicon Image Raid chip myself).
5. Install Linux manually.

Guess it will keep you busy for a while
You might find howtos by searching for fakeraid. You could also read more on Linux software raid to see if that is easier/better suited for you.

Good luck.

Mons

I had many problems with distro you are trying on my LT, see threads about the initial release problems (no RSVP or new posts required!) I install M$ w FAT32 partitions only now. FYI, I had similar RAID warnings as you when xpPRO & vista ULTIMATE on the HD, even without any RAID set!

Echo monsm Great advice! I will rec Kubuntu*, since KDE is something you are used to seeing, can use ASAP! btw, you can Update profile, add signature &/ or edit original post with your RSVPs.

IMHO; Also can Try Fedora Core 5, Slackware (which forces you to learn Linux!) or Dapper Drake (*). btw WHY do you want RAID 0? The slightly faster boot times are really worthless (other than bragging rights) if you have ANY HD problems in the future=ALL LOST, no affordable recovery possible.
sup.. you have a 2nd machine that can access Inet while playing around on your LT & learning Linux?

I guess RAID 0 gives you 2 chances of loosing everything rather then just one...
On the other hand all hard disk activity is lots faster (I also use the still beta ntfs-3g to access and write to my old XP drives... ). No promblems with either so far, touch wood.

I try to remember to run backups to my DVD burner sometimes though...

Too much to do for a newbie. So i decided to take on digital8doug recommendation and decided to run windows on one hard disk and linux in the other.
Basically I made the partition like this(BIOS look in disk1 first when booting):

SATA disk 1: 20 GB Windows NTFS(Active,primary)/ 50 GB Windows programs(primary)/2.5GB lunix swap(primary)/1.5GB boot loader unallocated partition

SATA Disk 2: 20GB linux ResierFS partition/52GB ResierFS linux/2GB windows pagefile

Ok i think if i have the swap/pagefile in another disk different than the O/S it will give me good performance.


So far everything is going good. GRUB loaded after first disc and it is continuing installation, the weird thing is that the installation is taking forever. I mean like 5-6 hours per disc. I heard that SUSE linux indexes files, but still it seems slow. I will wait anyways. It is progressing, on disc 3 right now(I am installing everything on the Suse package).


Offtopic, have you guys heard of Transgaming Cedega?
www%transgaming%com/index%php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=36&meid=

apparently I can play windows games almost transparently with it on linux. If this works out nice, i will lower the amount of program space on windows partition and give it to linux and for 24/7 on linux.