I'm running Windows XP on a 60 gig hd, and want to install a version of Linux (have redhat 9 and Mandrake 8.2 in house) on a 30 gig hd that is already installed. Confused by varied instructions as to how to handle the boot loader setup correctly. Will use XP more often initially, but would hope to gravitate to linux as primary OS. Have a Gigabyte P4 Titan motherboard, bios v.4, and would like to chose boot choice from boot loader not boot from floppy or disk. Any suggestions or tips before I start? Have done one previous instll using System Commander as the boot loader, and linux disappeared as a choice on the OS menu after a few days.

go into linux and setup lilo

you can choose what os you want to boot with lilo

Install LILO on hda where XP resides or hdb where linux is?

Install lilo on hda; it is what the bios boots first normally. It actually installs on the master boot record of that hard drive, and that won't mess up Windows.