A few install questions

[iiVoxel]

Alright, I'm going to make this a simple as possible (I dont know much about Linux, never used it!)

1. During Install of Linux Mint 13 Cinnamon, there is an option to Install WITHIN Windows, If I select this and somehow the install or anything corrupts, can I still be able to go into safe mode and load a recovery?

2. If I install into its own partition (Lets say the L: Drive), and then delete the partition my windows 7 is in to add more memory to the "L: Drive" (windows 7 is in the W: Drive, C: Which has vista on it hasn't been touched) will I run into any errors or will I still be able to use Linux Mint?

3. If I use the part mentioned above in #2, and for some reason my Linux Mint corrupts somehow during uninstall of windows 7 and windows isnt loadable, can I still go into Safe Mode and do a recovery

4. How do I backup a Full Drive? (around 80GB)

5. Can I install Linux Mint from a virtual DVD by using virtual clone drive, or is it best to use a USB/CD? (I would prefer the virtual drive!)


-Edit* Also, what version of Linux Mint do you guys like best? MATE or Cinnamon or what?

Thanks

-Voxel

[karlchen]

Hello, Voxel.

Let me try to answer your questions.

1. During Install of Linux Mint 13 Cinnamon, there is an option to Install WITHIN Windows, If I select this and somehow the install or anything corrupts, can I still be able to go into safe mode and load a recovery?

Installing from inside Windows is called a Wubi installation (Ubuntu) or Mint4win installation (Linux Mint).
If you decide to perform a Mint4win installation, there will be a folder named \linuxmint on your Windows NTFS partition (on the one that you choose, because you have got more than one NTFS partition, as we have learnt). Inside the folder \linuxmint there will be a subfolder \linuxmint\disks. Inside this subfolder Mint4win will create a large file named root.disk. This file root.disk will internally be formatted with the file system ext4 and will hold your complete Linux Mint installation.
Under Windows it will be possible to remove Linux Mint by going to Programs and Features, select Linux Mint and de-install.

Note:
A Mint4win Linux Mint installation lives on the Windows NTFS partition, but it does not run inside Windows. At any given point in time it is either or: either you have booted Windows and are using Windows or you have booted Linux Mint and are using Linux Mint.

At boot time you will see a boot menu offering to startup either Windows or Linux Mint. This boot menu will also offer the known Windows boot options. So selecting Windows recovery will be possible. If you decide to launch Linux Mint, you will see a second boot menu, offering to boot Linux Mint normally or in Recovery Mode. Note that Linux Mint Recovery applies to Mint only, not to Windows, much as Windows Recovery will only apply to Windows, not to Mint.

2. If I install into its own partition (Lets say the L: Drive), and then delete the partition my windows 7 is in to add more memory to the "L: Drive" (windows 7 is in the W: Drive, C: Which has vista on it hasn't been touched) will I run into any errors or will I still be able to use Linux Mint?

Provided there is an unassigned free disk partition on your harddisk (drive letters are not used or known by Linux, drive letters are Windows only), you can decide to install Linux Mint on this partition. The Mint installer will automatically format it with the filesystem ext4 and use a part of it as the needed swap partition.

Beware:
In case your harddisk has been subdevided into 4 primary partitions already, the Mint installer will not be able to create another partition.

Let us assume you can and do install Linux Mint on its own dedicated harddisk partition. In this case your existing Windows installations should not be negatively affected. Deleting an existing Windows partition and making the freed harddisk space available to Linux Mint should be feasible.

3. If I use the part mentioned above in #2, and for some reason my Linux Mint corrupts somehow during uninstall of windows 7 and windows isnt loadable, can I still go into Safe Mode and do a recovery

Uninstalling Windows 7, if done properly, should not affect Linux Mint. Yet, in case both system have been turnt into an unusable state, you will need the Windows 7 recovery DVD in order to repair Windows7, and you will need a Linux Mint live system in order to repair/re-install Linux Mint.

4. How do I backup a Full Drive? (around 80GB)

Which kind of backup do you have in mind? A full disk image? Or a backup of the files and folders on the different partitions?

5. Can I install Linux Mint from a virtual DVD by using virtual clone drive, or is it best to use a USB/CD? (I would prefer the virtual drive!)

If you opt to install Linux Mint into its own dedicated harddisk partition, you will have to boot from a Linux Mint live system. This can be a real DVD or a bootable real USB pendrive. (No virtual drive in this case.)

Also, what version of Linux Mint do you guys like best? MATE or Cinnamon or what?

Well, the answer to this question is purely subjective and as such neither right or wrong: Linux Mint 13 Cinnamon desktop.

Kind regards,
Karl

[iiVoxel]

Thank You VERY much! Very simple, easy to understand and just what I was looking for!

Just one more question, How do you "properly" uninstall windows if its on its own partition after I'm using Linux Mint on its own?

Oh and for your question to #4, A backup for the files and folder is what I was looking for, forgot to mention Thank You!

[usbtux]

Back up via Redo Backup iso. from http://redobackup.org/
You can install mint to a virtual box and then back that up and install the backup to a disk see http://usbtux.hostzi.com/clone_a_VM_to_ ... ve_install

You could install a fully working system to your flash drive http://usbtux.hostzi.com/flash_install

You could install mint to an external harddrive see http://usbtux.hostzi.com/somethingelse

[usbtux]

If you just delete the Win7 partition(s) and reclaim the space for (existing) Mint then , in Mint, open a terminal and enter

Code: Select all
sudo update-grub

This will remove the Win 7 entry from the boot menu.