XP Pro & Mandrake 9.0

[plui31]

I have 2 40GB HD with XP Pro installed. I'm planning to install Mandrake 9.0 onto the HD that XP is NOT on. Could someone trace me the steps as to what I need to do after I've made the partition or what to look out for? I've done this before and I've either erased XP by accident (hopefully won't happen again) or LiLo is corrupted and a whole bunch of scrolling zero's. But that was with 8.0. Back then I had an empty HD so I can afford to reformat but I can't now! Please help!

[jetblackz]

Corrupting Windows means you did auto-install and ignored where it was installed.

A bunch of #'s at lilo bootup means you put the lilo in the wrong place.

Just install Linux on the 2nd empty harddisk using Expert/Advanced. Point it to /dev/hdb. Create a huge partition. Format. Install. No Swap if you have 128MB+ RAM.

http://jetblackz.freeservers.com/ConfiguringMultiBooting.html

[plui31]

on my 2nd HD, it isn't empty. There are 2 drives (D & E) So do I just create a new drive with let's say Partition Magic with a size of 4GB (is that enough?) Then do what you said? Is the Expert/Advanced mode complicated? I haven't tried that before...

[jetblackz]

Expert/Advanced means you have more control over what's going on, as opposed to auto meaning wiping out everything.

Use PM7/8 if you have it to do the partitioning. Note the location. Then in Linux installer, tell it where Linux will be installed. Maybe /dev/hdb1 or 2.

4GB is a bit small for today's distros. 5gig will be fulled up quite fast. 10gig would be more than enough.

[Mech13]

I am in a similiar situation as 31. I am going to install Mandrake 9 on my XP Pro box with two drives. The first drive will be 80 gigs for XP, 40 gigs of the second drive will be for back ups from PowerQuest Drive Image (which I prefer over Partition Magic) and other files. And the last 40 gigs will be dedicated to Mandrake 9. I have absaluely no experience with Linux and the purpose of this whole thing is to learn about it, so I have been reading a lot of different things. Now for the question, I have read that I will need about 5 gigs for the swap file, I read here if you have above 128 mb's ram that you don't need to have a swap file. I have 256 and the person could see that in my sig from that particular bbs. Is this something to be concerned about or since it is my first attempt is it a good idea to just let Mandrake do the partitioning for the swap file since I probably have a few gigs to spare? Thanks in advance for any reply. :)

[dkeav]

easiest way partition it out as free space and use the free space option under the mdk install then you can set up your partitions without a hitch no corruption

defrag xp first