installing Windows/Linux dual-boot

[fealos]

Hello, I'm a virgin to installing Windows. I've installed Linux many times, though.

I'm having trouble with a few steps in creating my dual-boot system.

First of all, I'm using an ubuntu live disk to try to partition my drive (200GB) into the neccessary partitions for the two OSs.

* What utility should I use from the disk to partition? I know it has "fdisk" and also "parted."
* how do I use the utility? I can't figure out either of the two mentioned above. Please be specific as I'm seriously struggling here.
* What types of partitions do I need to make? and what for? I know I need a root partition, a swap partition, I'm choosing to create a /home partition, and a partition for windows. What type (fat32, ntfs, ext3, etc...) should each of these be? How large should they be? I heard that swap space should be about 1.5 times the amount of ram I have, is this true?

Any other tips for installing Windows I should know about?

I'm sure I'll think of more questions.

Thanks so much for any help and tips you can give me!

 

[kamper]

The easiest way (in my experience):
-start from a blank disk
-pop in the windows install cd and follow the instructions, just be careful to make your partition smaller than what it suggests (obviously, leave space for linux)
-then pop in the linux install cd and follow the instructions. Any distro I've ever done has nice options for grub/lilo and will automatically add windows to the boot choices but I'm sure you've seen this if you've installed linux many times before

Others can comment on the other stuff like linux partitions and swap...

 

[fealos]

Originally posted by: kamper
The easiest way (in my experience):
-start from a blank disk
-pop in the windows install cd and follow the instructions, just be careful to make your partition smaller than what it suggests (obviously, leave space for linux)

It's a completely new box, so the disk is blank.

I wasn't aware that Windows gave you an option to adjust the size of the partition it makes and installs itself on. If this is true, then this is extremely easy.

Thanks, kamper!

I'm still open for any other tips, suggestions anyone may have.

 

[barnett25]

The Windows installer will ask which partition you would like to install on. Since you have no partitions it will let you make them. All you have to do is make it the size you want for Windows. As for a file system, NTFS is much better IMHO for Windows, however it can make accessing info on the Windows partition from Linux difficult in some distros.

 

[fealos]

Well, I got Windows installed on it's own partition, but I'm having a major problem. I have Qwest dsl, and the computer cannot see the ethernet connection. It keeps flashing on and off about twice a second. but when it says it's on, it still won't load a webpage. I tried turning the firewall all the way down. Tried configuring the network connection about 50 different ways. Any ideas? is this normal? Why can't it just be like Linux where you plug in the cable, and you're connected?

 

[kamper]

Possibly you don't have the drivers for the ethernet card/chipset? If you bought all the parts yourself there ought to be a cd with drivers somewhere. If not, you can obviously access the net in other ways, so maybe go googling?

 

[fealos]

I've installed all the drivers that came with the Abit motherboard. When I installed them, the computer suddenly detected that it had an ethernet port. I when to Abit's website and there seem to be a lot of people there with this problem, but absolutely no answers. I seriously hope I don't need a new motherboard.

 

[kamper]

So you're going straight out through the cable modem to your isp (no router)?

Have you done the old
> ipconfig/release
> ipconfig/renew
? Are you configured to get your ip via dhcp? Usually an isp will include documentation for how to get a windows computer up and connected.

 

[fealos]

So many thanks for all the help, kamper!

I just went out and got a cheap ethernet PCI card (local store sells a quality no-name one for $3.00) and I got connected within seconds. Yay! It must be the motherboard's ethernet port. oh well...

Now as soon as this Kubunu download finishes, I'll finish the box!

I'm sure I'll have more questions, though.

 

[Athlongamer]

Great and when u get done u can show me how to install linux....as soon as my 9800pro gets back from RMA

lol...but seriously....i need help with an install later

 

[fealos]

Linux installation these days is really easy.

Most distros have graphical installation programs now, and the ones that don't are still very easy. Now that I've installed Windows, I can truthfully tell you that the installations are of comparable difficulty.

Just be sure to leave some unpartitioned free space on your drive, and it will be easy as pie.

Every linux distro that I've installed has had an option to install on a drive's existing free space.

I'm not a super expert whatsoever, so I'll answer as many questions as I can, and if there are any I can't answer, I'm sure there's someone here that can.

What distro are you considering?