Dual Boot - Which is Best

[Robert Keneely]

Note: The whole Linux concept is so hard for a 20 DOS person to grasp especially the vocabulary, that this is about my 4th question on installation.

Now my Q. - Starting with a 20 gig hard drive.

1) Is it better to install Win98SE on the entire drive (no partitions) and then let Mandrake 8.2 make its own space (including root, swap, usr & home) ??

2) Or should I start by partitioning into two 10 gig drives and install Win98SE into C:\> (hda1) then put Mandrake 8.2 into D:\> (which would become hda2) with additional partitions for (root, swap, usr & home) being created as part of the installation ??
I kind of like this because Windows would be safe from disruption.

P.S. Is there a book like Linux For Dummies ???

[Mord]

there's a "* for dummies" book for everything

but you can give me your 50 bux and i'll show you links on the net that will do the same thing for you..


as for partitioning,,

here's how i normaly partition my windows boxes: (if i had a 20 gig drive)

4 gigs to the OS & what ever OS related programs i install

you can either partition it more (like 1 partiton for programs 1 for 'storage' or just leave 1 lump partition)

this way you can put all the stuff you wana keep (ie word doc's mp3's, pictures of your mom ect..) on a seperate partition from windows, because we all know your going to have to reload at some point
keep your programs there too (games 'n non MS related stuff)

as for your Linux, go out and get another harddrive, cuz your extreamly lmited with 20 gigs! ( or just carve another 4 gigs or so outta that 'bulk' partition for linux )

[askrieger]

Personally, I like your plan 2. That's very close to what's working fine for me. I would suggest a slight modification,though.

Start the second half of the disk with a large root partition, and then a small swap partition. People used to suggest that the swap partition should be twice the size of RAM, but as memories get bigger, the size of swap partitions drops back to 1.5*RAM or less. Also, you may want to start the disk with small (50MB or so) /boot partition. All of this can be setup by Partition Magic.

I would also suggest that you start by backing up your Win stuff and then defragging the drive. My personal preferences are Power Quest Drive Image for backup and the Diskeeper defragger from Executive SW (I think).

If you have an older computer, you may have to start your linux partition within the first 8GB becasue of the limitation on BIOSes that did not foresee big disks.

[mBarton]

Also make sure that you install Windows first. You will run into problems with lilo or grub boot loaders if you don't.

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by mBarton
Also make sure that you install Windows first. You will run into problems with lilo or grub boot loaders if you don't.

Only if you install the Linux bootloader in the mbr. I never do even if I only install Linux.

I do the same as Windows and install the Linux bootloader in the /boot or root '/' partition and set that as active which is actually the same as how Windows does it.


Is it better to install Win98SE on the entire drive (no partitions)


You would have at least one primary partition.

[Robert Keneely]

Thanks for your responses,

The computer I am on now is my 20 gig HD machine [the others are a 40 gig & a 2 gig] which is partitioned as two 10 gig drives.The C: drive has Win98SE which is what I am using to contact this Forum.

What Windows now calls the D: drive is where I plan to install Mandrake 8.2, I hesitate to go ahead [why all the questions] until I'm sure I won't mess up what's already on this machine.

[Allen614]

You're ready to go. Put the cd in and Mandrake will do all the work. I have removable harddives and one has 98,XP and LM8.2 on a 12 gig with room to spare. You might want to do an "expert" install and use 400 meg for "/", swap = ram (if 256 or more), 4 gig for /usr, 1.5 gig for /var and the rest for /home. I've installed everything but the Server software with no problems. You can also leave some "unallocated" and use it where you need it later.

[Robert Keneely]

Allen 614,

That's going to be my next "round of questions", How big should I make the sub-partitions (swap, root, usr & home) inside the 10 gig Linux partition ??
BTW - Is it correct that Mandrake will go in the root partition ??

I also plan to go to the mall next week and pick a "simple" Linux book. The Mandrake manual is "technically" very good, but is FAR FROM a step-by-step instruction book.

NOTE: I have tried running CD labeled "Installation # 1" and in the first 10 seconds I got to a choice of "which kernal to install" I selected what appeared to be the later rev. no. and a message came back "Not compatible with this computer" This is where I "bailed out".

[Allen614]

Here's a simple analogy that should help.
"/" (root) = C:/windows/System
"/usr" = C:/Program Files
"/var" = log files of all types
"/home" = My Documents
The cd your describing sounds like cd 2 which gives you a choice of alternate kernels.

CD1 should give you a splash screen to setup.

[Robert Keneely]

Allen 614

Thanks for your "analogy" that's the kind of info I'm looking for.
I am using CD "copies" that I burned (The original OEM are put away for safe keeping) it is possible I "mislabeled" #1 & #2.

[rustskull]

Originally posted by mdwatts


Only if you install the Linux bootloader in the mbr. I never do even if I only install Linux.

I do the same as Windows and install the Linux bootloader in the /boot or root '/' partition and set that as active which is actually the same as how Windows does it.



hmmm...so if I don't install in the mbr, whatever I set bootable with cfdisk, fdisk, or whatever partition utility will then boot, regardless of what's in the mbr? There's other reasons to install windows in the front of the disk, but this is the first time I've seen a technical mention of WHY you wouldn't put lilo/grub in mbr (I have got in the habit of doing so because it's simple, but if I move drives around it sometimes breaks)...I think I see...lilo is in the mbr of hda, but if you change stuff around and the tables or conf is on hdb (or any other non-hda drive) it croaks. This way, you just swap drives around however you feel like and then use partition utility to set bootable partition and that's how it goes from then on....and uses local config to that boot partition to puzzle out stuff, which if you've configd your local conf correctly, should be a-okeydokey.

Is this close?...Or justthe utterly confused ramblings of a semideranged linux damaged individual?