What distro can I install side by side windows?
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| Is there any guide for installing a good linux distro side by side windows? I have all the tools, a dvd burner, a 80gb hd, 3 seperate partitions...so all I need is the software. Reason i ask is cos first thing i did when i got laptop was install linux, but in the process it wiped out my windows install. Something I'd like to avoid before attempting it again. (Can't live without windows...) |
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| this might help, a little video of how to install ubuntu linux along side windows. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6104490811311898236 |
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| i don't see why you need an install guide, installing linux itself is easy. the hard part is setting up the partitions. all you have to do is: 1. get linux on a cd or cds. i have ubuntu 6.06. 2. make sure you have a partition to put linux on. i have partition magic, on two floppys (not freeware). don't use fdisk because it's too basic (and will wipe windows). boot the partitioning program and choose to resize the primary partition (if you just have one partition with windows on it). make sure you have enough disk space for the resize. that should leave you with windows intact and a new unused, unformatted partition. 3. set the bios to boot off the linux cdrom and then follow the install instructions. this should include an automatic partitioning option to use the unused free space for linux. |
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| The Ubuntu install/live CD provides you with a partitioning tool during installation, so you can resize your Windows partition(s) and establish the Ubuntu one non-destructively. Just boot from the CD and *READ THE INSTRUCTIONS* that come up on each screen. |
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| 2 hard disks is what i did before i switched completely in my main pc. (I dont trust partitions where multiple osses are concerned.. bad story, dont ask :( I think you need to have windows installed on one disk first, then just install linux on the other, the grub system then gives the option when starting up. Alternatively theres something like this: www.damnsmalllinux.org which can run under windows as a virtual file system and is so small it can go on a usb chain! While nowhere near as powerfull as say.. redhat or ububtu, Its debian based and in theory can be built up into a fullly capable linux system. Either way, its a great little os for experementing with and even runs on a 486! |
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| You could try VMWare (it's free) and then install Fedora Core on VMWare. No hard drive configuration necessary. Don't try VirtualPC though - that was problematic, to the point I gave up and switched to VMWare. |
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| If you talk about developing with BlitzMax on Windows but like to test on Windows and Linux, I would recommend the Knoppix Live DVD. BlitzMax runs there (I tried it) and it's reasonably fast if you copy the Knoppix image onto your HD and boot into it. Also it runs side by side with qemu (also preconfigured on the Live DVD), but this is not very fast but at least it works. |
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