Partition and dual boot questions

[phalkon30]

Ok, I've got a 13 gig HD that I would like to have for windows XP, it would have windows, and my programs, my existing 40 gig would be my file storage

Now, I'd like to try linux, but don't think I'll have enough room on the 13 gig to install all my programs, windows xp, and linux, so I want to put it on the 40 gig

My questions are
-can I dual boot off of 2 drives?
-Should I use fat32, NTFS, or whatever linux uses on the 40 gig?
-Is it even possible to use NTFS
-Should I be partitioning the 40 gig off, so that linux has its own little cubby hole, or can I leave it as one big drive

I've never really used linux, and am thinking of going with mandrake 9.1, or knoppix (full install)

I know this is sorta a beginner question, but I haven't done much with partitioning or linux, and I don't want to waste hours on a setup that won't work

[The Hunter]

Right now I am running 98se on C drive, ( a 8.4 gig) and XP on D drive, (40 gig) with no problems. On the next install I am going to partition the larger drive.

[ryan2_2]

1. Yes, you can.

2. You should use FAT32 on any partition that is intended for use on both Linux and Windows. NTFS support on Linux is very buggy, and some times partial.

3. It is possible but some distros only support reading NTFS, not writing. Mandrake (9.0 at least) is one of these.

4. Here is how I would partition the hard drives.

a) First make a EXT2/EXT3 partition at the begining of the master drive on the ATA cable. It should be 16 MB at most. In the Mandrake setup, mount it as "/boot". This is where LILO (the boot manager) will be installed.

b) Make a NTFS partition solely for the Windows swap file. This is not required. It should be about twice the size the amount of physical RAM you have. This partition should be on the front of the 40 gb drive (or after the /boot partition if the 40 gb drive is going to be set as the master drive)

c) Make a swap file partition for Linux. This is required. Make it on the front of the 13 gb hard drive (unless that is where the /boot partition is). The size should be the same as the Windows swap partition.

d) Make the Windows partition. Format it with NTFS. It should be the last partition on the 13 gb and take up the rest of the space.

e) Make the Linux partition. Format it with EXT2/EXT3. It should be the last partition on the 40 gb and should take up 10 gb. In the Mandrake install, mount it as "/root".

f) Make the partition for the other stuff. Format it with FAT32. It should be before the Linux partition and after the Windows Swap File partition. I would allocate the rest of the 40gb hard drive to it.

[phalkon30]

Thanks ryan, that sounds EXACTLY like what I want to do, swap file and all

Now...I'll have to read that over a few times, how do you suggest i partition, with FDISK?

[ryan2_2]

I personally recommend PartitionMagic.

PartitionMagic is way more easier to use and more in depth then FDISK. It also allows you to make a queue of all the things you want it do. No babysitting required. In FDISK you have to wait until the first thing is done in order select what to do next. PartitionMagic also supports the Linux file systems where with FDISK you'll need a modified version.

So basically, PartitionMagic greatly deserves all the awards it gets.

[cpugeniusmv]

ryan2_2 took the words right out of my mouth in both of his responses here.

i personally use mandrake 9.1...EVERYTHING WORKS!!! i did have sound problems, but after playing around with the mixer...it works again :-)

mixer name (in kde) is 'kmix'

[phalkon30]

I sorta figured thats what would get recomended, I'm "buying" it as we speak

[chipperrox]

really odd question
but I've never seen linux or any none mac/window

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE!!!!!!!!!
is it like a command prompt or what
THat question has been plagueing me for so long, about 3 days now

[phalkon30]

The GUI of linux is very similar to windows, almost identical really, it just looks skinned with slightly different menus

You can do it by a command promt thing, but I'm too retarded to figure out how :P

I'm sure somebody can provide screenshots, or when I install I can get some

[chipperrox]

But you cannot run games like Splinter Cell and Battlefield 1942 and of course solitare on Linux then, so whats the point ? jk - but really whats the point because no compatibility with everything...right?

[phalkon30]

You can run some windows programs with a program called wine

Its just lighter on system resources, open source, open source, and basicly open source, you can do anything you want with it, sorta like a cheap slut

[chipperrox]

Originally posted by phalkon30
You can run some windows programs with a program called wine

Its just lighter on system resources, open source, open source, and basicly open source, you can do anything you want with it, sorta like a cheap slut

odd you compare a cheap linux thing to a cheap slut...

odd you compare an expensive (wine) to a cheap slut

odd you compare anything computers to a cheap slut

[phalkon30]

What can I say...I'm odd

and cheap for that matter

[RJ5500]

Originally posted by phalkon30
What can I say...I'm odd

and cheap for that matter

Using Linux is not odd, at least not to me. Yes, I am cheap too.

There just is something about the "free"ness of linux that is so much more appealing than $300+ for Windows.


This is basically what my Linux desktop looks like:

[phalkon30]

Well, thanks everybody for the help, I'm bookmarking this thread

I've decided I don't have the time right now to play with linux, it would be fun, but why waste that much time on something I might boot up once or twice a week (or month), and never really use, just tinker with?

This summer I'll try this, but for now I've got windows on my 13gig, swap on my 40, and the rest of the 40 for file storage

Also, after re-reading it, I want the swap file on the secondary drive with the 13gig as master, will that be a problem for the swap file to be on a slave drive?