You are better off having Linux on a separate drive. During Linux
installation it requires 3 partitions of it's own and it can really screw
with a drive if you don't know what you are doing during setup. An
alternative to installing Linux, if you just want to get a feel for it would
be to use Knoppix or MandrakeMove. Both are self-contained Linux distros
that are run entirely off a CD. To play with Linux you simply reboot with
the CD and it runs without affecting your Hard drive. You can set it up so
that you can work with files on a drive if you so desire. Knoppix enables
you to save your configurations to a floppy so you don't have to reconfigure
everytime you run it. MandrakeMove can save your special configuration to a
USB key.
http://www.knoppix.net/docs/
http://www.mandrakesoft.com/products/mandrakemove
--
Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp
"Nehmo Sergheyev" wrote in message
...
| I'm setting up a new boot drive of 120 GB (and I'm also going to have an
| 80 GB, but there's already stuff on that), and I intend to use XP Home
| as my main OS. But I also want to learn this Linux thing I've been
| hearing about, so I want to make a separate partition for that.
|
| So what's the best way to partition the 120 GB HD? I assume three
| partitions:
| one for the XP OS,
| one for Linux, and
| one for documents and programs? Should this be separated into two
| partitions?
|
| How much space should I allocate for each partition? And does this
| arrangement make sense?
|
| My main concern is having a system that can be backed up easily, as a
| regular precaution, and fixed easily should something happen. I've been
| told that a separate partition for the OS is preferable because then a
| reinstall is easier.
|
| And while I'm asking, which Linux should I get? One Linux app I'm
| interested in is Asterisk
http://www.asterisk.org/ .
|
| And one more question. When I install a program on the document-program
| partition, should I make it put its common files on that partition too?
| Or should I allow the program to put its common files on C:\Program
| Files\Common Files , the usual default place?
|
| --
| *********************
| * Nehmo Sergheyev *
| *********************
|
|