Preparation for Starting Linux

Windows Programs For Burning CDs

BurnCDCC: burns CDs
ISO Buster: used to verify that CD was properly burned
MD5SUM: used to verify that files downloaded properly

Burning the CD

  1. Go to the web site of the Linux distro. Download the appropriate *.iso file to your hard drive or USB storage drive. Also download the accompanying MD5SUM file, which shows you the proper MD5SUM value of the file you downloaded.
  2. To verify the quality of the downloaded file, obtain its MD5SUM value, which should match the MD5SUM value you downloaded.
  3. Once you have verified that the downloaded file has a matching MD5SUM value, burn the ISO file to a CD at a speed of 1x. (Higher speeds increase the risk of errors.)
  4. If you are burning the CD in Windows, use the ISO Buster program to verify that the CD you burned has the proper MD5SUM value. Enter the ISO Buster program, right-click on the CD, and select MD5 checksum file -> create MD5 checksum -> for image file with 2048 bytes/block.

Changing the Computer's Boot Order

  1. Turn on the computer. When the splash screen for the brand of computer (Dell, IBM, etc.) appears, you will see a brief note telling you what key to press to get into the Configuration/Setup utility. This note may flash VERY briefly, so you need to be quick. The key may be F1, F2, Delete, or something else. Whatever this key happens to be, keep pressing it until you reach the Configuration/Setup Utility. If you don't get in, you'll have to reboot and repeat this step.
  2. Go to the Start Options and then go to the Startup Sequence. You should now see the boot order.
  3. Change the boot order so that the computer boots from the CD-ROM drive first and the hard disk drive second or later.
  4. Save the new settings. Insert the Linux CD into the CD-ROM drive, and the computer will begin to boot up the OS.

Reformatting the Hard Drive

  1. Boot up using your antiX Linux live CD.
  2. Go to Control Panel -> Disks tab -> Partition a Drive. The password for the antiX Linux live CD is "root".
  3. If there is a swap drive (a partition with the filesystem type "linux-swap" that is mounted (denoted by a check mark), select this drive, right-click, and select "swapoff". This unmounts the swap drive.
  4. If necessary, delete any and all existing partitions.
  5. Select each partition on the drive and hit the Delete key to remove it. Continue until the entire drive is unallocated. (There will be just one big unallocated partition when you are finished with this step.)
  6. To implement this change, click on the Apply button to wipe out the existing partitions.

Erasing the Hard Drive (Fastest Way)

NOTE: If you only want to make a fresh install of one or more operating systems, reformatting the hard drive will suffice. The procedure described here is only the fastest way to erase the hard drive, not the most thorough way. If you are selling, giving away, or disposing of your hard drive, you need to use one of the more thorough methods provided on the Boot And Nuke CD..
  1. Before you start, PLEASE back up any and all data on the hard drive you need to save.
  2. Insert the Boot and Nuke CD into the CD drive.
  3. At the boot prompt, enter "nofloppy".
  4. Change the method to "Quick Erase", change the verification to "verification off", and change the number of rounds to 1.
  5. Follow the instructions for proceeding with the disk wipe.

Misc