I have a computer with a 40gig drive running xp, the primary slave is a ftp drive. The secondary master is a burner, the secondary slave is a 60gb hdd.

Here is my question if XP is ntfs what is the best way to install linux (debian) and be able to dual boot? I have read several different things about dual booting, but they are all confusing to me. Some of the things that really confuse me is talk about first 1024sectors of the drive. If xp is already install and the drive partioned as one how do I do that? Do I even need to?

Someone please help me with a step by step way?

BTW I am installing Linux not only cuz it seemed kewl last time I played with it, but I want to try comparing some FPS with it and windows. I chose Debian because of a few things; The module downloader, been told it is lower overhead then mandrake and redhat, also told it is more stable then mandrake. (which i dont doubt)

can I install linux and use ntloader to specify the path on the sec slave to boot to linux in the boot.ini file?

I noticed the linux install has lilo (cd image) but heard grubb was better. Any way to change that?

I have some NT backround but linux I am fairly new....

Where are you installing the Debian Distro?

and don't worry about the 1024 thing you can use Grub and it will boot anyway. (Although I think LILO has improved to include this but I'm not sure.)

I am going to split the 60gb on the secondary slave to be all linux.

I was thinking would it just be safer to boot from floppy? how to do that? I need to keep the XP install thinking all drive letters are the same for the games/apps installed to xp.... THX FOR THE QUICK RESPONSE! YOU GUYZ ROK!~

You need something Like partition Magic to do this shrink the partition on Secondary slave, to create the space behind the partition. Then partition that up for LInux. If your going for a straight 50/50 split I'd recommend.

1st partition Windows 30Gb
Logical Partiton (This is actually just to hold the other partitions so it 30Gb)
2nd Partition Linux (/boot) 100Mb
3rd Partition Linux SWAP about half your RAM say 256Mb
4th Partition Linux (/ which is root) About 5Gb
5th Partitoin Linux (/usr) About 15Gb
6th Partition Linux (/home) The Rest of the disk.

If you haven't got something like Partition Magic, or WinXP doesn't have something built in Like Win2K you could create a temp Folder and use WinZip to compress and then store the files on your other disk and partition it up in Linux as you install.

Then Restore The FIles later in WIndows. This will keep the drive letters in windows correct.

Grub Can be installed on the MBR of the first disk (Although LILO is used by default). Create a boot disk and install it later, I could run you through it.

just a side note, First Mandrake is stable, Second it's over head is only as big as you install it, you can choose the packages that are installed.

Last, DiskDrake works very nice at resizing partitions for you, even NTFS partitions. You would not have to purchase or borrow partition magic.

NTFS partitions are Hell be very carful around them.

If XP is already installed on the primary master, do I even need to mess with it? The secondary slave is empty. (low level formated). I was going to split the 60gb into say 1@25gb for / 1@25gb for linux ftp files 1for swap and 1 for whatever...

Can this be done?:::

Install linux to secondary slave (listed as G: in windows, prob f in dos)
Fdisk /mbr on pri master to keep xp on mbr, tell ntloader that f:\linux.bin="Linux" ???

seems like it would work but I have no idea.

Yep no need to mess about, you can install linux quite happing on the second blank drive now.

Why bother with the windows Bootloader, When Grub or LILO can handle it anyway?

You'd have to create a boot file for windows to boot. If you did it through windows.

Right now you could just install linux and let the installer take care of the bootloaders.