Installing Linux Without loosing Windows OS

[John CLARK_5]

Hi,

I want to install Linux in my pc,but i'm worried to loose my Os win XP,
it's possible to install Linux in my pc without loosing my windows Os.
If yes,can you tell me how.
Because,i try to install it,three months ago,and i had lost all my datas and win xp OS.
I want to have a menu,to choose between Win XP or Linux Redhat.

Ps: i want to install Linux Redhat 3 AS.How much disk space,Linux Redhat need ?

Thank's a lot.

Best regards.

[renarios]

Hi John,

Don't be affraid, choose at the install "manually create partitions" and NOT the automatic option.
At the installation, grub (boot loader) will find another OS installed and create an entry in the /etc/grub.conf. A nice menu will appear during boot.
The disk space depends on the packages you'd like to install.

Cheerio,

Renarios

[Bejoy C Alias]

also u should have some ( 2 or 3 GB for a normal installation ) free space( make some free space by deleting some partiton from windows ) to do a an easy installation.

[John CLARK_5]

Thank's for your replay.

1-Please,for the manual partition,can you tell me what's the minimal size for all system partition that linux redhat need ?

2-for the grub : should i edit the file"/etc/grub.conf" during installation,if yes,please,what sould i write ?
do i need a floopy disk ?

Regards.

[Gopi Sekar]

if your windows XP already used entire hard disk, by creating single large partition, then you probably have to use some partition tool to resize your windows xp size and create empty partition for linux installation. if you another spare hard drive then no issue as you can install linux on the second drive.

For installation of RH3 AS generally it takes abt 2 GB(full installation).

Gopi

[John CLARK_5]

Hi,

Thank's for your replay.
Now,please,can you advice me or send me a sample of partition linux during installation(name,size and type of filesystem).What's the filesystems that i must create and others that i can create after installation?


Is thes informations depend on what i will install(Application) ?

Best regards.

[Gopi Sekar]

what partitions to create is really depends on your choice. you can have only / partition where everything is stored, which is bad interms of scalability and maintenance but good for single user using it occasionally, or you can have different directoris in differen partitions.

only must have partitions are / and swap partitions.

example of minimal partition list assuming your device is hdb:
hdb1 -> / size=remaining space other than swap
hdb2 -> swap size=double the size of RAM

example of recommended partition:
hdb1 -> /boot size=100MB
hdb2 -> swap size=double the size of RAM
hdb3 -> / size=remaining available space

Hope this helps,
Gopi

[Bejoy C Alias]

Hi,
u dont need to edit the /etc/grub.conf file to include ur windows, as it will be done automatically by the installation, u only need to edit it if u want to change the name "DOS" which is the default in grub.conf to select windows during boot up.

[Steven E. Protter]

You can even do it safely on a box that already has windows on it. I have.

You can boot off knoppix or a cd based release like linux rescue cd and reduce the primary parition size.

Then boot off linux and install grub as the boot manager. Then edit he config file and change others to windows xp or whatever.

SEP

[John CLARK_5]

Hi,

Thank's a lot for your replays.
If i understand,suppose my machin contains a microsoft os,during Linux install i must choose grub option,and edit some file "/etc/grub.conf" and continue linux installation,and after i reboot,i will have a the menu to select the os i want ?

If this is coorect,can you tell me what should i put in this file ?


Regards.

[Bejoy C Alias]

U dont need to edit the /etc/grub.conf file.
u can continue installation with the default options.

[Oguz Kutlu Asik]

Just be aware of what mentioned before. You must have another free partition or disk, other than windows.

If you have 1 disk and 1 partition with windows installed on it; you have to defragment your drive, and using disk partitioning tools like partition magic, you have to create another partition. Then boot from linux cd and follow the instructions.

Inform us about your disks and partition you have, and what os installed on which disk/partition, and we can show you an exact way to install linux without loosing windows.

[renarios]

Hi John,

Linux will probably ask you which boot loader you'd like to use (lilo or grub). The default is grub, which is very neat! Grub will automatically add entries for all found operating systems (in /etc/grub.conf). You don't need to edit it manualy.
The partition sizes are mentioned by Gopi. If you like to install all packages, you need approx. 3+ GB, but if you want to install the X environment with some desktop tools, you need between 1.5 and 2.5 GB. Just be aware that throug time you need more and more diskspace, so keep that in mind.

Go for it mate!

Join the club and Happy Linuxing!

Renarios

[Vipulinux]

Hi

If you have windows running just do a default install of redhat linux ( except the disk partitioning-- leave windows partition intact )
Grub ( linux) will take care of dual boot itself.

Rgds

[John CLARK_5]

Hi,

After installing Linux RH,i have in the Menu 2 lines "Linux Redhat ... " and "Linux Redhat...UP".Is it important to have thes 2 lines in the menu?,Can i delete One of them?

Regards.

[Gopi Sekar]

UP is for uniprocessor kernel. i guess you have dual processor system or single processor system with Hyperthreading enabled which shows as two logical processors to OS.

so redhat creates two entries in GRUB, default is for SMP (multi processor) kernel and UP is for uniprocessor kernel. UP is just for backup incase SMP kernel does not boot up for some reason.

BTW, is there any entry for your windows ? if not check ur installation.

Regards,
Gopi

[John CLARK_5]

hi,

yes ,there is an entry for windows.

Thank you/