Time for a change...

[ghost96]

I'm loving the Fedora look, and even the cool looking bootup screen sequences.

At any rate, I'm hoping you guys can help me out with a switch from Windows XP to Fedora Core 1.

What I have (in my main dilemma) to consider doing is transferring around 150 GB of FTP information...

I use this server (Windows XP SP1a with RaidenFTPD) for easy access to software, MP3's, etc. and I don't want to screw up all the data using it with Linux.

The drive is formatted in NTFS 3.0 (XP) on the one Internal drive, and is also backed up (file for file-type mirror, but not hardware RAID1) to an external USB 2.0 drive.

Since I have a backup of all those goodies, I'd like to find the easiest and (more importantly) safest route to migrate all of my data.

Can some kind people help me out with this? I'm not sure if I take the USB drive and have it on a XP workstation and then format the other internal drive to a Linux partition; then transfer it via FTP from the laptop to the Fedora box? Sound good, or no?

Any help appreciated.

ghost96

[vorte[x]]

Hi ghost96,

Since I have a backup of all those goodies, I'd like to find the easiest and (more importantly) safest route to migrate all of my data. Can some kind people help me out with this? I'm not sure if I take the USB drive and have it on a XP workstation and then format the other internal drive to a Linux partition; then transfer it via FTP from the laptop to the Fedora box? Sound good, or no?

Assuming your large amount of data is on a separate hard drive/partition, I would first wipe the partition, physically, reformat it as FAT32**, copy your data back, then do what you please with the Windows drive/partition, in terms of installing Linux. Doing this will be quicker in a familiar environment (Windows in this case), minimizing the amount of downtime to your data. (A simple mount -t vfat /dev/xxx /mnt/xxx would instantly mount your newly created and populated FAT partition)

** - Windows 2000/XP/LH/etc will not let you format a partition larger than 30GB as FAT32. This was done to push people to NTFS and to minimize on wasted cluster space with such a huge partition. To circumvent this, use a MSDOS/Win98/Me setup floppy and utilize fdisk on it.

Hope that helps!

- V

[ghost96]

Thanx for the response.

Would it be wise to format the drive hosting the files as a Linux partition as opposed to FAT32?

I hear people talk about not using NTFS or FAT32 because mounting can cause file corruptions.?? I don't know enough about Linux volumes, so I'll plead ignorant. Could it happen? Is the Linux partition safer than a FAT for instance?

Else, I'd probably have to format the hard drive with multiple partitions (around 4 of them) and then tranfer the data?

I'd like to retain compatibility for Windows clients, but I don't care if it's direct. Even if they can only access via FTP that's ok. I hear there's nice advantages with Journaling and what-not.

I'm not a fan of FAT32 or NTFS (hehe). I like Netware's NSS volumes and stuff. They always seem to transfer files so much faster. And Windows clients can access with the use of a client. I don't know if that exists for Linux. (Like a client for Linux instead of Netware - I haven't seen it)

Just curious on how you'd proceed if it was your FTP. Time isn't really an issue. I don't care if the FTP is down and users cannot connect. I'm moving onto a better operating system. Windows users can wait... :twisted:
(I won't be biast. So many customers run Windows, so I must too ( Though we are implementing Linux solutions!) 8)

ghost96

[vorte[x]]

Hi ghost96,

I would say the stability of FAT32 support in Linux is about the same as if it was born there - Pretty good stuff. Sticking with it on your data partition will save time and retain maximum compatibility with other clients, such as Windows, however won't be as fast as... lets say JFS. You could wipe this partition and format it as some linux variant, if need be, however this will kill you down the road should you want to put Windows back onto the box.

BTW, you mentioned you were wondering of a linux Novell client - Here's such a client: http://www.caldera.com/support/docs/openlinux/netware/linuxclient/

Hope that helps,
- V

[ghost96]

It sure does help. I'm still thinking i'd like to use JFS. Is this automatic or do I have to format things a certain way?

I'm going to pick up a book on Fedora tomorrow...lots to learn.

Partitioning with all those different sections will be too cumbersome. I figure that if I have to go back to Windows, I can always FTP from one site to another from Linux to Windows. Or can't I...?

ghost96

[vorte[x]]

Hi ghost96,

It sure does help. I'm still thinking i'd like to use JFS. Is this automatic or do I have to format things a certain way?

It's quite simple - When you boot off the Fedora CD, at the boot prompt, make sure you specify the fs you want to use. For example, if you want to use jfs, boot with linux jfs.

- V

[the-linux-guy]

It's quite simple - When you boot off the Fedora CD, at the boot prompt, make sure you specify the fs you want to use. For example, if you want to use jfs, boot with linux jfs.

Please make that: linux enable jfs ... ;)
At least, I had to use it *that* way on my fedora box....

With kind greetings,

Eddy
Antwerp, Belgium
http://www.the-linux-guy.tk

[vorte[x]]

Hi the-linux-guy,

It's quite simple - When you boot off the Fedora CD, at the boot prompt, make sure you specify the fs you want to use. For example, if you want to use jfs, boot with linux jfs.

Please make that: linux enable jfs ... ;)
At least, I had to use it *that* way on my fedora box....

With kind greetings,

Eddy
Antwerp, Belgium
http://www.the-linux-guy.tk

I'm sure linux jfs will work when he goes to install. I'm unsure if the argument linux enable jfs does anything, however.

- V

[the-linux-guy]

"]I'm sure linux jfs will work when he goes to install. I'm unsure if the argument linux enable jfs does anything, however.

Yes, it will work ! Like I said, I had to do it with "enable" added in the argument to get my disc formatted with reiserfs... Without it, I did not get the option to format the disc with reiser, only ext 2 and ext 3 were enabled. When I restarted and added the "enabled" in the statement, the reiserfs option was there ! :-)

Best regards,

Eddy
Antwerp, Belgium
http://www.the-linux-guy.tk

[vorte[x]]

"]I'm sure linux jfs will work when he goes to install. I'm unsure if the argument linux enable jfs does anything, however.

Yes, it will work ! Like I said, I had to do it with "enable" added in the argument to get my disc formatted with reiserfs... Without it, I did not get the option to format the disc with reiser, only ext 2 and ext 3 were enabled. When I restarted and added the "enabled" in the statement, the reiserfs option was there ! :-)

Best regards,

Eddy
Antwerp, Belgium
http://www.the-linux-guy.tk

Thanks Eddy, I'll be sure to try that! :)

[kai_t]

My FC1 installation on ReiserFS partitions went fine after entering just "linux reiserfs", so out of curiosity I grep'ed the Anaconda source code to see how it checks for this boot option:
[code:1] # this is totally, 100% unsupported. Boot with "linux reiserfs"
# at the boot: prompt will let you make new reiserfs filesystems
# in the installer. Bugs filed when you use this will be closed
# WONTFIX.
try:
f = open("/proc/cmdline")
line = f.readline()
if string.find(line, " reiserfs") != -1:
self.supported = -1
else:
self.supported = 0
del f
except:
self.supported = 0[/code:1]
Basically, this snippet of Python code (fsset.py) indicates that "enable" is irrelevant to the boot option (it isn't needed for "jfs", either). ;)

[the-linux-guy]

Basically, this snippet of Python code (fsset.py) indicates that "enable" is irrelevant to the boot option (it isn't needed for "jfs", either). ;)

I believe you, but I don't understand it anymore... :shock:
Strange isn't it :?: I think I need some vacation !
How is the weather in California these days ? :D

With kind greetings,

Eddy
Antwerp, Belgium
http://www.the-linux-guy.tk