RE: HELP - dual boot with ms-xp

["Robert Jeffries" <rl_jeffries-at-attbi.com>]

My first post:
(I have yet to download or install any EMC software)
Ray,

First thing, make a backup of everything that you don't want to
disappear, (i.e. make a separate copy (on floppy, cd, dvd, tape, spare
hard-drive, a file server, whatever,)) 'cause it is very easy to destroy
an operating system and have to re-install, when messing with its
internals, (probably will on the first try or two, I did). 

First and a half thing: "... shrink an xp install ..." The only way that
you could do this, is with a third-party software package like Partition
Magic ($99.00 or more), or something. I'm not recommending this, just
mentioning it. If it was me, I'd reformat and re-install. If it was me,
I would only put Linux and Windows together as a last resort. I've only
done it for experimental reasons, and it was quite a challenge to feel
good about to get it running. It died shortly there after.

If you can't do this to the Dell PC that you have because it's a work
computer or something, DO NOT use that computer. Find another one. With
computers in general it's always good practice to assume for the worst,
and always have a good backup. If not ...

I say this is not just for Linux/Windows dual booting, but from other
experiences I've had with both Linux and Windows, separately and
together. Problems always arise, and it's best to be prepared for them.

Second thing, read up on Linux. Find-out how it works before popping any
Linux OS CD.

Thirdly: Which Linux OS will you be using? A free one I hope;)
There's RedHat, Mandrake, SuSE, FreeBSD, and many, many more. 
I'm running RedHat 8.0 (keep in mind, I have not done any EMC work,
yet), which I got for free from RedHat's site (a couple Gig though), and
burned to CD.

Keep in mind Microsoft always has problems with their software that they
patch most of the time. The older the OS from Microsoft the more
problems they've patched, the more stable it is. Win XP is still brand
new, and is still getting patched.

Linux is not different.

That's all for now, happy reading:)

Rob
 
Some Links for info:
http://www.tldp.org
http://www.redhat.com
http://www.linux.com
http://www.linux.org 
http://www.freebsd.org 


-----Original Message-----
From: emc-at-nist.gov [emc-at-nist.gov] On Behalf Of Ray Henry
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2003 10:20 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: HELP - dual boot with ms-xp



I need to shrink an xp install and make space for linux and EMC on a
Dell PC. 
Dual boot using Grub or Lilo would be nice.  

I'm completely ignorant of how to do this and what effect it might have
on 
the use of the MS recover disk when that other os goes to the hot place.

As the Beetles used to say, "Help me if you can, I'm feeling down /And I
do 
appreciate your being round..."

Ray