tlug: Caldera Japanese version (more comments)

[Andrew Drapp <andrew@example.com>]

I've been lurking here fore about 6 months, putting off installing
Linux.  As a bit of background, while in practicality I could be 
called a newbie, the first time I installed Linux was in 1993 using
Slackware.  Then in 95 and again in 96 I installed different 
versions of Red Hat on a different computer.  In each of the 
three cases, various hardware was not supported (typically
the video card) so after fooling around without X, I gave up,
and stuck with windows. This time around I hope to keep 
using it.  

Anyway, back to Caldera.  In trying to decide which distribution
I was going to buy (I wanted to support one of the companies,
as well as not paying NTT for my distribution).  The choice
was between Red Hat, because it seemed to support 
Japanese better, and Caldera, because it came with Partition
Magic.  Caldera won out because of PM, and after opening
the box, and finding out just how limited and different the 
PM "Caldera Edition" was, I felt like I was cheated.  None of
the information/advertising material stated how the PMCE was
limited, just that a "limited" version of PM shipped with the box
edition of Caldera.  

So, I start to install, and find out that the media is bad anyway.
(The disk just spins and spins and then windows crashes.)
That is, the windows tools disk media is bad.  I haven't tried
the others.  I assume Caldera will replace the CD, but that 
sets back playing with Linux for a couple of weeks until I get
the new disk.  

Or does it?  From what I have been reading here, it sounds
like I should just skip the "commercial" disk and jump straight
on to the "distribution" disk, and resize the partitions myself,
and just install from there.  Is there anything useful on the
"commercial" disk for me to bother requesting a new one?

In a completely different matter, I currently only have about 1GB
free on a 4GM drive for Linux.  Without deleting my MP3 
collection, is 1GM reasonably large enough for Linux, KDE,
Star Office, Word Perfect, and various other apps a Linux
workstation might want/require?  If it is not large enough, 
what is?  

After reading over other emails describing partitions, what would
you all recommend for as far as partition sizes are concerned?

Sorry to be the next "newbie" to ask stupid questions.  I 
promise to buy anyone who is helpful a beer at the next 
nomikai.

Regards,

Andrew

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