[lug] Installation Guidance Request

[Charlie Rose]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Gentlefolk!

Here's a *really* basic Newbie question for you. I want to install
Mandrake 9.0 on a 266 MHz Pentium machine I have here that is
currently running Windows 2000 Pro. My goal at the moment is to
become familiar with Linux with the hope of eventually abandoning
Windows altogether.

What are the first steps I must go through before starting the actual
installation? I've identified all the hardware components in the
computer because someone told me I might need this during the
install. At some point, I'm going to have to format the hard drive.
Can I do this with the Windows' Format command? If no, then what? Is
this the first thing I do? What next?

With many thanks ....

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGP 8.0.2
Comment: Nothing Subversive: Just Exercising my Privacy Rights.

iQA/AwUBQJFleSkF/hH1dhf5EQJ+HQCg9EdymBMbWqxli4WZXWGASr4Cd7AAoJxK
+0WUVd+TPtRfpmqb8bnIgy/N
=BSe3
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charlie Rose               FAX: 303-545-6674
Innovative Scientific Analysis and Computing
P.O. Box 1636, Boulder, Colorado, 80306-1636

Web Site:                 <http://www.ISAaC.com>
My PGP Public Key: 
<http://pgpkeys.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xF57617F9>