The Advantages and Disadvantages of Dual Booting Windows and Linux?

[Iowa]

Yeah, I'm thinking about Dual Booting this very computer. I really want to run Linux, since I gave up on the old crap peice in the corner of my room (Its such an old system, I wouldn't get much speed out of it running Linux). So I thought I might try it on this computer ... bit risky, but hey, you gotta take a risk sometimes haven't you?

Anyways, I wanna know the advantages and disadvantages of Dual booting Linux with Windows XP Home. Also, any ideas on which Linux to go for?

Sys specs :

Windows XP Home
80GB Hard Drive (63.1 GB space still open)
Intel Celeron (I know, Celerons suck) 2.4 GHz Processor
512MB DDR RAM
ATI Radeon 9200 Graphics Card
128MB Video Memory

If ya need anything else, then tough.

Another quick question - Would dual booting decrease the performance of the computer?

Thanks very much.

 

[David Lindon]

Um, do you have unpartitioned space on that hard disk?

 

[Iowa]

Um, do you have unpartitioned space on that hard disk?

Windows XP has currently all dominance over my Hard Drive, but I can simply use Partitioning Tools that come with the Linux disks (I'm currently edging over to Mandrake 9.2, and it does come with it's own Partitioning Tool (named DrakX) during setup and before Install). If I fuck up, I will have a Backup and System Restore (which came with computer, it's drastic but it works). DrakX creates 2 Partitions in the drive, one Root, second the swap Partition. With the amount of space I've got, I have enough space for both Linux and Windows.

 

[David Lindon]

Ah OK. I had a problem with the partitions when I tried to install Linux the first time. I had one big win xp partition so no room left for Linux and never had any tools so I ad to re-install everything again.
Good luck!

 

[Iowa]

Ah OK. I had a problem with the partitions when I tried to install Linux the first time. I had one big win xp partition so no room left for Linux and never had any tools so I ad to re-install everything again.
Good luck!

What did you try to use? RedHat wasn't it?

 

[David Lindon]

SUSE first. I just stuck two hard drives in the one machine!

 

[Iowa]

SUSE first. I just stuck two hard drives in the one machine!

Well, I would buy a Hard Drive in, but since I am staright outta cash then I'll have to wait around for AGES while I'm saving up. I don't wanna do that.

 

[David Lindon]

Ok.

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

If you want another Hard Drive - why don't you use the one you have in the corner of your room? I know you said the Computer is slow but you only need like 5GB for Linux? So you'd only need a 7GB+ Hard Drive to do it depending on what you plan to do with it. That would save you waiting (as we all hate! am I wrong?) to get the money for a new Hard Drive!

 

[David Lindon]

Yeah, thats a great idea.