Before beginning your installation, try to answer several questions:
A list of compatible hardware can be found on the Linux-Mandrake web site (http://www.linux-mandrake.com). We advise you to refer to it as it is updated regularly.
The essential points are:
1. is my processor a true i386 compatible? (a processor such as Intel3.1) 486, Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium MMX, Pentium II, AMD3.2 K6/K6-II, Cyrix3.3 6x86, 6x86 MX etc.). This is the only point which could prevent you from installing you Linux-Mandrake system.
2. is my video card recognised by Linux? This is an essential point if you wish to use your linux system for graphics. Nevertheless, it will not prevent you from installing it.
3. Are my sound card, modem, network card etc. compatible with Linux?
It is best to know in advance if you have SCSI hard disks or an SCSI CD-Rom drive. Also try to find out their specifications (SCSI card model). This information is important for a successful installation even if the detection is normally carried out automatically.
If you install Linux-Mandrake on a portable computer, there is a strong chance that you use PCMIA peripherals. You will have to indicate this during the installation procedure so that they will be recognised.
If your your PC already runs under a different operating system to Linux, noting in advance all the parameters used by the other system might result in a huge saving in time spent installing Linux-Mandrake. In effect, certain cards are not always recognised straightaway and you will therefore have to fill in the parameters manually. For example, of you own an ISA NE2000 network card, you will definitely need to specfiy its "base address" and "irq".
In concrete terms, if you already use Windows(tm) on your PC, look at the Configuration Panel and write down the base addresses and irqs used for:
1. the network card
2. the modem card
3. the sound card
4. all other cards present in the PCFind out the amount of RAM your machine has. Try to locate the serial and parallel ports that you mouse and printer use. Finally, if your machine is connected to a local network, it must have an IP address. Try to get information concerning you IP address, the address of your network portal etc.
If you have just one disk for the Linux-Mandrake installation, there will be no problem. However, if not, you will have to decide which disk you will install it on. By default in the numbered order, find out their respective sizes, which will be very useful during installation. In the same way, it would be better to have an idea of the different partitions to be found on each disk if you already have an operating system installed. For example, do you have a single volume "C:" or also a volume "D:", or even other volumes.