Installing linux - Dual boot
 

Hello all - again

I currently have a 40 gig hdd with windows on it, It has no partitions
I Also have a second hard drive thats empty which i was going to put in
the machine so i can install linux onto
I want to install linux as a dual boot with the current windows

This will work okay right?

How about this.

I have been thinking about reinstalling windows eventually

If i decided to do it before i install linux i could just format, re
partition and then put linux onto the other partition
But if i decided to do it after, Could i, When i install linux,
Partition so that i can just install windows onto the second partition
later?

I did hear a while back that i needed to have windows on the machine
before you put linux on to dual boot,

Is this different now?

Re: Installing linux - Dual boot
 

On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 15:17:08 +1300, Andrew wrote:

> If i decided to do it before i install linux i could just format, re
> partition and then put linux onto the other partition But if i decided to
> do it after, Could i, When i install linux, Partition so that i can just
> install windows onto the second partition later?

No!

Windoze likes to think it's the only OS installed on a computer and it
will trash the MBR with Grub that you set up pointing at Linux.

You can get away with one partition for Windoze, but you'll need several
partitions for Linux.

Install Windoze first onto the second primary partition. Install Linux
onto everything else (/boot should be the first primary partition).


A Nice Cup of Tea

--
A: because it messes up threading
Q: why should I not reply by top-posting?
A: No.
Q: Should I include quotations after my reply?

Re: Installing linux - Dual boot
 

A Nice Cup of Tea <c@t.com> wrote in news:pan.2006.02.17.03.07.01.357184
@s.co:

> You can get away with one partition for Windoze, but you'll need several
> partitions for Linux.
>
> Install Windoze first onto the second primary partition. Install Linux
> onto everything else (/boot should be the first primary partition).

So what this means is DO NOT LET windows use the whole drive. Have some
unused, unallocated space to let linux install into, your install will be
very straightforward then.
Linux installers now, mostly, recognize and add XP into Grub or lilo, so
most of the stuff you read about partition order etc, is a guideline, and
best prractices. If you don't know much about manually partitioning
drives, just let the installers take care of it.

Try a gentoo install and you will see that it can be a very manual process
if you choose. The docs at gentoo are great though, they explain the why
and hows of the process.

--
Ciao, Dave

Re: Installing linux - Dual boot
 

Andrew wrote:
> Hello all - again
>
> I currently have a 40 gig hdd with windows on it, It has no partitions
> I Also have a second hard drive thats empty which i was going to put in
> the machine so i can install linux onto
> I want to install linux as a dual boot with the current windows
>
> This will work okay right?
>
> How about this.
>
> I have been thinking about reinstalling windows eventually
>
> If i decided to do it before i install linux i could just format, re
> partition and then put linux onto the other partition
> But if i decided to do it after, Could i, When i install linux,
> Partition so that i can just install windows onto the second partition
> later?
>
> I did hear a while back that i needed to have windows on the machine
> before you put linux on to dual boot,
>
> Is this different now?

This was not correct.

These days it is easier to have Windows on the machine, then install
linux and let linux do the boot loading.

The other way is to use windows boot loader, a wee bit harder but
achievable.

If Linux is just to play I'd suggest re-installing windows on the
fastest drive and Linux on what is left. Realistically you will need 10
gig for Linux.

regards

Thing

Re: Installing linux - Dual boot
 

On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 15:17:08 +1300, Andrew wrote:

> Hello all - again
>
> I currently have a 40 gig hdd with windows on it, It has no partitions
> I Also have a second hard drive thats empty which i was going to put in
> the machine so i can install linux onto
> I want to install linux as a dual boot with the current windows
>
> This will work okay right?
>
> How about this.
>
> I have been thinking about reinstalling windows eventually
>
> If i decided to do it before i install linux i could just format, re
> partition and then put linux onto the other partition
> But if i decided to do it after, Could i, When i install linux,
> Partition so that i can just install windows onto the second partition
> later?
>
> I did hear a while back that i needed to have windows on the machine
> before you put linux on to dual boot,
>
> Is this different now?

Yes, as long as you have the partitioning done.
The windows install may set up its own bootloader, but you should be
able to use the cd you installed linux from as a rescue bootdisk to run
the linux bootloader install again.
Google "grub install" for more info

Re: Installing linux - Dual boot
 

Andrew wrote:
> Hello all - again
>
> I currently have a 40 gig hdd with windows on it, It has no partitions
> I Also have a second hard drive thats empty which i was going to put in
> the machine so i can install linux onto
> I want to install linux as a dual boot with the current windows
>
> This will work okay right?

some partitioning suggestions and comments over at the wiki ...
http://wiki.linux.net.nz/PartitioningSuggestions

Basically, it is easier to make hda1 (ie first primary partition) for
Windows, then install Windows on that partition, then install Linux. Linux
will install a boot loader (Lilo or Grub) which can load Windows or Linux
when you start up.

HTH

Peter

Re: Installing linux - Dual boot
 

Andrew wrote:

> I did hear a while back that i needed to have windows on the machine
> before you put linux on to dual boot,
>
> Is this different now?

It's easier if you install Linux second.....but only because Windows is an
arrogant pig of an OS that disregards any other OS that might be present
and does not provide any way to boot it.

Many Linux distros allow you to fix this fairly easily by restoring/
recreating the Lilo or Grub boot menus.

Xandros 3.0, for example, allows you to boot the install CD in "Recovery"
mode.....and "Restore" the current install. This will undo the damage a
Windows install did by removing any way to boot the Linux system. Instead,
Xandros will restore the Xandos multi-boot menu and include the Windows
system on it as an option.

But if you install the Windows first, then install Xandros Linux, you don't
have to waste time (5 mins?) with this additional step....which would be
necessary if you installed them in the reverse order (Linux first.....then
Windows).

Re: Installing linux - Dual boot
 

In article <43f6d2b0@news.orcon.net.nz>, s.t.e.v.e.
@dontchaluvusenet.org.nz says...
> Andrew wrote:
>
> > I did hear a while back that i needed to have windows on the machine
> > before you put linux on to dual boot,
> >
> > Is this different now?
>
> It's easier if you install Linux second.....but only because Windows is an
> arrogant pig of an OS that disregards any other OS that might be present
> and does not provide any way to boot it.

Absolute crap. Windows can multi boot different OSs.

What you mean is the Linux community has not provided something that
Windows recognises.

Re: Installing linux - Dual boot
 

Andrew wrote:
> Hello all - again
>
> I currently have a 40 gig hdd with windows on it, It has no partitions
> I Also have a second hard drive thats empty which i was going to put in
> the machine so i can install linux onto
> I want to install linux as a dual boot with the current windows
>
> This will work okay right?
>
> How about this.
>
> I have been thinking about reinstalling windows eventually
>
> If i decided to do it before i install linux i could just format, re
> partition and then put linux onto the other partition
> But if i decided to do it after, Could i, When i install linux,
> Partition so that i can just install windows onto the second partition
> later?
>
> I did hear a while back that i needed to have windows on the machine
> before you put linux on to dual boot,
>
> Is this different now?
Well ive installed it. However just to be safe i took the windows drive
out completly and put linux onto a different drive. I didnt do any pre
formatting. In fact i decided to just let linux do it.. however it
wanted. I was suprised that when it did look at the drives it offered to
resize the already there windows partition (different drive remember,
old windows installation) i told it to wipe the lot anyway

I have not had much time to use it, But i did notice right off the bat
that the tv out was not working and i could not find the options for it.
Does anyone have suggestions for that? - its a ti4200 graphics card

for some reason it detected that i could only run at 1024x768... i
eventually found another section that allowed me to change that.. I dont
remember where i went anymore though!

Next step is to get file sharing working both ways...

So linux can see my windows shares
and windows can see the linux shares

Oh.. have not installed that libdvd stuff yet either

So far so good though i guess...

Re: Installing linux - Dual boot
 

On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 12:03:45 +1300, Andrew wrote:

> So linux can see my windows shares
> and windows can see the linux shares

Linux can only mount NTFS partions on a read-only basis. Micro$oft has not
published the complete specification for the NT file system and so Linux
developers are having to reverse engineer that stuff. Linux, however, CAN
read and write to FAT file systems.

Windows cannot see any partitions with anything other than FAT or NT file
systems.

What this means is that you'll need to have a FAT partition in order to
easily share files between Windows and Linux on the one computer.


A Nice Cup of Tea

--
A: because it messes up threading
Q: why should I not reply by top-posting?
A: No.
Q: Should I include quotations after my reply?