Install linux without screwin up windows

[asusradeon]

I have lots of stuff on my pc thats runnin windows at current but i want to try out linux, i dont want the hassle of formattin my pc. so is it possible to just install linux alog side windows ?

Regards

 

[donciakas]

If u want just to try, try some livecd distros, there're many of them. Try Ubuntu, Knoppix, Suse or other livecd distro and u won't have to be afraid of crashing windows system

 

[asusradeon]

hmmm.. yeh ive tryed the SUSE live cd however i cant access my hdd's with these :S

 

[donciakas]

well, u should mount them, knoppix does it automaticaly. Ofcourse if your hdd is ntfs, u won't be able to write in it without special parameters. that all i know... if your hdd is partitioned with fat just:
1) make directory where u will mount "mkdir /path/directory_name"
2) mount your windows partition:
a) in console u can see all your partiotions with "fdisk -l"
b) then u mount the partition u need (for fat32) "mount -t vfat /hda/hda* /path/directory_u_created"

* means the number of partition. it can be not only hda, also can be hdb or hdc, it depends how it's connected [primary master or slave, secondary master or slave].

 

[Suicide Al]

yes, you can create a few separate partitions and install linux and dual boot windows and linux.

 

[Captain Newbie]

yes, you can create a few separate partitions and install linux and dual boot windows and linux.

Yes.

Caution is advised since the default install method of some systems (Ubuntu comes to mind) is hose everything on the target drive. I'd actually get and install a second hard drive and go from there

 

[hibner]

I'd actually get and install a second hard drive and go from there

That's what I did, just this evening infact. This is actually my first post from my newly configured dual boot system. I'm so proud of myself. Now all I have to do is figure out linux.

Here is a great instuctional video on how to set up a dual boot XP and Ubuntu system.

Good Luck

 

[=ACID RAIN=]

I did this last night with PCLinuxOS. It's a CD boot but you can install it really easily. I love it so far. I took everything off my D partition, deleted it, and then booted the CD. I'm very used to cfdisk from my slackware experience so instead of using the GUI partitioner I opened a terminal and set up my partions manually per the installer doc's recommendations. From there installation is a breeze.

Now I'm chillin with some trance and posting from linux. It's something I've done many times but PCLinuxOS is really smooth to me. Especially on an overclocked DC opteron

This is my first time with linux as a hard drive install on my game rig. I had to set up support for my x850XT PE manually, but it worked out real well after a google search. Overall the hardware detection worked pretty damn well.

Oh and it work perfectly as a dual boot with XP pro and sees and read NTFS perfectly so far.

 

[asusradeon]

i installed win xp then ubuntu as it shows on the video someone linked to. wrked perfectly except i couldnt get ndiswrapper and my wifi drivers wrking. :S

 

[asusradeon]

im now downloadin mandriva, but the latestest one because last time i tryed that ndiswrapper was wrking perfectly, think it was preinstalled cause i didnt install it ....