Hi,
Could someone tell me which option i choose in the install screen on fedora?
I don't know whether to choose the default options in which Linux is installed on available free space on the hard drive, or whether I have to choose the custom install.

I have windows xp running on my system already.
On the hard drive Windows uses 2 partitions. The first partition is a recovery partition and the second is the main Windows partition.

I used Gparted partition software to divide my hard drive into 2 further partitions - one 30Gig EXT3 for Linux operating system and one of 2Gig for swap files. Gparted tutorial videos actually suggested 1 partition for the OS, 1 for swap files, and one for saved data, but GPARTED would only allow 4 division on the hard drive in total. I take it that Linux will work with one main partition and a swap file region?

Anyhow, if i use the default install, will Linux avoid writing over my Windows install and install itself into the ext3 partition, rather than the swap file partition?

If i have to use a custom install, what do I have to do.

It would be great if some Linux pro could give me some advice.
Thanks,
Tim

First you only needed to provide the blank free space, no need to format the space which is why you could not create the fifth partition. You are only allowed four primary partitions, if you want more the you need a extended partition.

Personally, I would use the custom install and delete the two partitions then create at least four Linux partitions, /boot (100 megs is fine, create this one first), / (root) about 15GB, swap (same size as before) and /home (the rest). But you only need the two already created and I still would do a custom install and delete the already created partition ext3 partition and recreate the same.

Thanks Lenard. My problem is that I don't really know how to do a custom install and if the default install would work, i would probably do that for now just to see if i can get the Linux working.I've just formatted the drive and reinstalled windows as even using the disk defrag utility still left files scattered over the entire hard drive :-)
Will using the default install Linux in the correct place?
Maybe the custom install is quite easy. Do you need to know any special commands or is it just screen prompts? I'm terrified of mucking up my entire system!!

Thanks again,
Tim