Quick run-down. Installed second drive did
#fdisk -l /dev/hdb
Disk /dev/hdb: 255 heads, 63 sectors, 7297 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 1 7297 58613121 7 HPFS/NTFS

went into fdisk deleted ntfs created linux ext2
#fdisk /dev/hdb ......
Disk /dev/hdb: 255 heads, 63 sectors, 7297 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 1 7297 58613121 83 Linux

then:
[root@xxxxx /mnt]# mount /dev/hdb1 /mnt/tmp/
mount: fs type ntfs not supported by kern2.4.2-2el

did i mess up somewhere ? or can you give me a hint as what to do next?

using: RH7.1 kern 2.4.2-2

create an ext2 filesystem before you mount:

mkfs.ext2 /dev/hdb1

RESOLVED thnx been awhile since i did anything like this. Unlike windoze my rh just keeps running.