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

If you are bringing a laptop, we will not have the specific power supply that your laptop requires, so don’t forget your laptop’s power supply!

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. 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/DVD 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). Another increasingly cheap option is to use a USB pen drive.

Remember to back up all of your important files. It is very unlikely that something will go wrong and data will be lost, but it is always good to be prepared! In fact, you should regularly back up your system anyway.

Making A List Of Your Hardware

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:

1. From the Start Menu, select “Settings -> Control Panel”.
2. Double-click on the “System” icon in the Control Panel window.
3. In the “System Properties” window, click on the “Device Manager” tab. This is where all of the devices on your system are listed.
4. Copy down the exact names of the devices listed (you can ignore the “System Devices” section).

Windows 2000/XP/Vista Instructions:

1. Right-click on the “My Computer” icon on the desktop, and select “Properties” from the menu.
2. Select the “Hardware” tab.
3. Click on the “Device Manager”. This is where all of the devices on your system are listed.
4. Copy down the exact names of the devices listed (you can ignore the “System Devices” section).

Partitioning Your Hard Drive

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. Partitioning the hard drive tends to be the longest part of the InstallFest, so if you are capable of doing this at home, please do so to save yourself time.

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).