Planning to tri-boot Win2K/WinME/Mandrake 7.1? What do i need to know?

[UcLaGeE]

Hi, so far I'm running Win2K and WinME using Win 2000's dual boot loader. I have a copy of Mandrake 7.1 that came with a Max. Linux magazine that I would like to install tri-boot. Before I get into it and mess my system up completely, what should I be prepared for? So far I understand I need to dedicate a partition for it (I heard about 3GB is good, should I have more?)... but other than that, how will it take care of Win2K's boot loader (will it replace it and support all 3 OS's?)... I have a lot of hardware on my computer, so will I run into any problems? My setup is:
Asus P3B-F mobo w/ P3-450 & 128MB PC133
Initio INI-9100U SCSI card
- Imation 8x SCSI burner
- Pioneer 6x SCSI DVD
Matrox G400 32MB Dualhead
Xitel Storm Platinum (basically Vortex 2 AU8830 chip)
3Com Fast Etherlink XL PCI (forgot exact model #)
Hauppauge TV tuner
USR Sportster 56K Ext. modem
Logitech Mouseman Plus (USB)

I think I've coverd it all... the TV Tuner I can live without in Linux, but everything else is pretty important.. I can live without the modem as I don't have a decent dialup right now, but I'll be bringing it back to the dorms in a month, so I'd just connect to the net thru my NIC.... Any huge forseeable problems anyone sees? Or do I just boot from the Mandrake CD and go all the way? (I assume I should hunt for drivers and download them all before I start any good sources?)

Thanks!

 

[SUOrangeman]

Give a quick read to the link in my sig. I currently quad-boot WinME, Win2K, Mandrake 7.1, and BeOS 5 PE. A bit of overkill, but hopefully, I explained some of my thinking. Maybe some points you can/will consider.

-SUO

 

[Hyperchronismos]

Read the Linux HOWTO to find out the way to use Win2K boot loader to boot Linux.It is quite easy.Be careful during the installation of Linux not to install lilo on master boot record and also to create a Linux boot disk.Here is the link:


http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/Linux+NT-Loader.html

 

[Evil69er]

or you can simply put linux in last, linux boot loaders are fairly easy to configure.
all you need to add for the windows environment is something as simple as /dev/hda1
Atleast that's all i needed for win95/win2k/linux (in that order of installation)

 

[Shudder]

Since I change linux distros and installations all the time just to play around with them, I've found the easiest way is to just use a boot floppy.

With lilo on a floppy instead of the hard drive, you still have your win98/2k boot menu from windows, but you only can get to linux if you pop the floppy in. It takes an extra 5 seconds and is worth not having to muck around with your mbr if you decide you don't like linux or want to try a different distro.