Want to try Linux....

[CrowDog]

I have an 80 WD with Win XP Pro and I have an extra 20 gig Maxtor. I did a google and didnt see any articles on setting this up with 2 Hardrives (only on one hdd) although I didnt have alot of patience to wade through the thousands of search results.

Im wondering how I go about trying Linux without having to worry about sticking with it or messing with anything on my XP HDD.

Also, what version of Linux should I try first?

 

[marat]

1. Goto Bios Set it to boot from Maxtor. Install Linux as usual (it will install it on Maxtor). You can switch between Linux and Windows from bios now (which I think is inpractical - but your choice).

Or

2. you can simply install Linux on Maxtor. It will try write MBR to WD. Tell it not to do that, choose Maxtor instead. You can boot to Linux from rescue floppy (create one during install). You can also configure window's boot loader to start linux.

Or

3. Simply install linux on Maxtor. You can still boot windows by choosing it from menu (I assume you have one of the latest distros). You can restore windows mbr by booting into console using installation cd.

You have so many choices with linux

 

[lowtech1]

Originally posted by: CrowDog
I have an 80 WD with Win XP Pro and I have an extra 20 gig Maxtor. I did a google and didnt see any articles on setting this up with 2 Hardrives (only on one hdd) although I didnt have alot of patience to wade through the thousands of search results.

Im wondering how I go about trying Linux without having to worry about sticking with it or messing with anything on my XP HDD.

Also, what version of Linux should I try first?

On some Linux distro you have to tell it which hard drive/partition to install to (hda = PrimaryMaster, hdb = PrimarySlave, hdc = SecondaryMaster, hdd = SecondarySlave; also need to add a number to the end from 1~4 for primary, and 5 or greater for logical partition). aka, hda1 for first PrimaryMaster partition, and hda2 for second partition PrimaryMasert, etc...

But most popular distros such as, RH, SUSE, and Mandrake have auto-detection to walk you throug the process of fdisk & format.

However there are distro such as Knoppix Linux that doesn't need to be install onto the hdd to funtion. It extract & run directly from CD & take less than 2 minute to setup & ready for you to use office apps, browser, email, photo editing, burn cd & listen to music.

 

[Walleye]

i'll be putting linux on a solely linux laptop. i got nothing of use on that laptop anyway

 

[SearchMaster]

I just did the same thing you're describing, except my first O/S was Win2K instead of WinXP.

Anyway, I messed up and let RedHat overwrite the MBR, so it booted into GRUB and didn't have Win2K as an option (I could only boot into Linux). Not one to panic, I did a quick google search and found how to write a few lines into the GRUB config file to have Win2K as an option. If I ever want to remove Linux, I should just be able to fdisk /mbr to get Win2K back as the only boot option.

So no worries, you're not likely to hose your existing installation by installing Linux. Good luck!

*edit* - one more thing...the installation routine should be able to automatically partition the new HD, just make sure when you are installing, you tell it to only touch the new HD, and leave the old one alone. It's pretty obvious in the installation how to do that, so it won't just hose your existing drive without you knowing it.