can i have windows on one hard drive and linux on the other?

[here_is_gone]

I've got a Dell Dimmension 4400 and I have Windows XP. I have a 20 GB master drive, and I installed a 120 GB slave drive. I set it up as extra storage for windows, but is there any way for me to have the master drive have windows on it and the slave drive have linux on it, and have a choice which operating system to boot when the computer starts up? thanks.

 

[JustinMcG67]

Short answer. Yes. You can partition one hard drive to have linux and one hard drive partitioned to have Windows.

 

[draconum]

Yes, theres a program that can partition your drive for you, it's not free... but umm... you can add my msn or aim.. and yeah.


Chris

 

[Dishdog]

Windows has a partion tool built in. the only thing is the HDD(Hardrive) will be fully reformated when you partion it.

So you want windows on the 20GB and Linux on the 120GB? If so you don't need to partion anything. Put all the files on the 160GB on your 20GB then run the linux cd's and it will format the slave for you.

 

[karling07]

Many distros of linux (ie slackware...) include a utility called cfdisk which will quite easily partition the correct hard drive for you, then install it on that HD, and then give you the simple option to install a bootloader for as many partitions or hard drives as you like

 

[here_is_gone]

Windows has a partion tool built in. the only thing is the HDD(Hardrive) will be fully reformated when you partion it.

So you want windows on the 20GB and Linux on the 120GB? If so you don't need to partion anything. Put all the files on the 160GB on your 20GB then run the linux cd's and it will format the slave for you.

i've got games and my music library on the 120 GB drive, so i think i'd need to partition it. after i partition the 120 GB drive and install linux, is it possible to boot from a slave drive? or would i need to set them both as master drives, if thats possible? how exactly would i do that? thanks

 

[here_is_gone]

Many distros of linux (ie slackware...) include a utility called cfdisk which will quite easily partition the correct hard drive for you, then install it on that HD, and then give you the simple option to install a bootloader for as many partitions or hard drives as you like

could you give me a link to one of the distributers? also i know there are a lot of versions of linux; which one would you guys recommend? thanks