# Windows XP/Linux Dual Boot



## magicdanw (Mar 12, 2004)

Hi. I'm running a home-built PC with Windows XP Home installed. I was recently talking to my cousin, who is a Linux sys admin, and he reccomended that I try out Linux. He suggested trying Fedora, so I downloaded Fedora Core 3 DVD, and I'm looking for a bit of help installing.

1. I have about 25 gig free on my sole hd. I want to pad my XP partition, so is 10-15 gig enough for Fedora? (I'm just going to be experimenting in Fedora, it won't be my main os.) Or should I just get a second hd?

2. I've heard that people have trouble dual booting XP and Fedora Core 2/3. Specifically, their hd info gets messed up, and only Fedora will boot. Any advice/good guides for dual booting? I've looked at <http://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-devel-list/2004-May/msg00908.html> already, but it's Core 2. Will this still be useful?

Thanks a lot!


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## Whiteskin (Nov 16, 2002)

Sure. Linux can, if you take care, easily fit in 5-6 gigs. (personally, I run a trimmed system on a 4.7gig drive with about 35% free.)

You are correct in your second point. there was an issue with fedora's install, however, IIRC it could easily be fixed by switching the drive to LBA mode in bios. I will double check though.


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## Whiteskin (Nov 16, 2002)

(If your bios/drive does not allow switching to LBA mode (which it should) here's a solution: http://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-test-list/2004-May/msg02114.html)


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## irishjoe (Jan 7, 2005)

I don't know about Fedora but I installed SuSe linux and it took my windows XP partition, shrunk it, created a new partition, installed itself in the new partition and added a menu when the computer starts to let you chose linux or windows. 
Very cool and easy to do. 

I am a complete beginner at Linux so I don't know if this is the same for fedora or red hat.

If your worried about space, you can get DSL which is about 50 meg. (Damn Small Linux) Handy if you want to boot from cd or usb drive and not modify your hard drive...


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## magicdanw (Mar 12, 2004)

irishjoe:

Thanks for the info. DSL sounds good. Where can I get it?

Also, you said something about booting from CD/USB. Does that mean I install DSL on the CD/USB drive, and boot the whole os off of that? That would be great. However, my main partition is NTFS, and I've heard linux can't read/write to NTFS. Would I have to make a new Fat32 partition, or is there some way to get linux to read my main partition?

Thanks again!


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## Whiteskin (Nov 16, 2002)

(DSL embedded can also run inside Qemu, which means you don't even have to reboot!). http://damnsmalllinux.org/

Linux CAN write to NTFS, it's just dangerous at the moment unless you are using a captive driver, which i know of few distros that do (Apparently mandrake does, however, don't hold me to that.) linux can read NTFS fine.


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## irishjoe (Jan 7, 2005)

If you don't want to download it, have a look in a newspaper shop and look at the linux magazines. There is loads of linux operating systems that boot from cd and you usually get them with a magazine. Thats how I got one but I have unfortunately lent it to someone and forgot who that someone was...

You can boot into windows/ linux from USB if your motherboard can support it. I can't remember the ins and outs of it but basically copy the contents of a bootable floppy to your USB drive. You might have to do a couple of other things but I cant remember.


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## georgeg2000 (Feb 12, 2004)

magicdanw said:


> irishjoe:
> 
> Thanks for the info. DSL sounds good. Where can I get it?


Go to http://distrowatch.com/

They've got links to pretty near every linux distro there is. That said, if you're a total newbe to linux (like me), might I suggest you take a look a Xandros Linux? In the Open Circulation Edition, you can download the distro for free and its a fairly easy install, even dual booting with WinXP. There is a later version than the OCE distro (3.0) that you would have to purchase but it gives you a later linux core and other benefits. Go to xandros.com and read about the distro, I think you'll like it.


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