Okay im new to linux, how new... well i havent even installed it yet.

Here's the problem. I dug an old pc out the closet and descided i want to learn linux, but its running windows xp. I would like to try and keep xp on it incase all else fails i still have a pc i can use for something.

However i ran into two suggestions on this so far. To setup virtual servers on my desktop. Or to dual boot.

I only have one harddrive so i would have to partition it i guess and then dual boot from the separate partitions?

So here is the other problem. Ive never partitioned a hard drive and ive never dual booted before. So i have no idea where to begin.

Please help i have all these great linux books i just bought and nothing to practice this stuff on

Its relatively easy to set up a dual-boot, just defrag windows a few times, then boot up a linux cd and make the partition smaller, and then set up a root partition(where all the stuff goes) a swap(in case you run out of ram) and then the linux distro should set up the dual-boot for you, if not, we can help you

So the cd will prompt me through all of this?
Next time i boot does it ask me from which partition automatically or do i have to stop it on boot and tell it.

Im going to be installing CentOs 4 single server

I would do a few things first -
1. Download and burn you a GParted disk
2. Use it to resize the windows partition - when this is done remove the GParted disk and reboot the computer, letting windows reset its file allocations and make sure it runs - then put the GParted disk back in and reboot
3. Make the free space an extended partition
4. Make two partitions in the extended space - one of them a 1 gig linux swap and format the other to ext3 - GParted will tell you the names of the partitions...WRITE them down...the big one where you will install Cent will be something like hda4 or hda5 - when installing it will ask where? And you need to know what to tell it - and let it write grub to the mbr
5. Google CentOS and learn about installing it, and Google GParted to learn how to use it FIRST
Do this and you will dual boot with zero problems.

k, sounds good.. Im going to give this a try and see how all goes.

Okay, before i get started with this i noticed something on my pc i dont have one c drive, i have a c drive which is the largest and a d drive which im assuming is mostly just windows.. Does this change anything to how i need go about this?

windows usually installs to the "C:\" drive. Are the 2 drives actual different harddrives or are they paritions?.

They are separate physical drives all my window files appear to be on C, but what would D be... its rather small. I know little about pcs im just trying to learn linux cause i hate Microsoft, especially vista.

D would be a data drive, I presume

Maybe I've mis-read the post and I'm mistaken, I don't have a windows computer in front of me to check, but isn't the D drive the CD player?

if you have two harddrives, or two paritions it isn't

Okay, what if i just delete windows all together would this be easier, how to just get rid of windows and make it a centos only server??

Will all my hardware still work?
Im afraid of switching to centos and not being able to utilize any of my pc.

You can always reload windows on it if you don't like Linux, or it doesn't work out for you..

Switching a machine to Linux isn't a permanent or one-way operation..

You could try running a centos livecd to see if it will work

Try a live CD for hardware compatibility testing. Wipe the partitions, make new partitions, install linux, install windows.

Here's how to do this:
1) Download a linux Live CD and burn and the iso image to CD. I recommend PClinuxOS, Mint, or ubuntu as an easy distro to start with. Insert the CD and boot your PC...it should load everything and know you will know if that version of linux will work on your old PC. Older harware may be trickier as nowaday the old driver packages may or may not be included in the linux distro...most just have the newer drivers but you will know when you try the live CD.

2) If all goes well then install the Live CD to your harddrive. If you chose PClinuxOS there is an icon on the desktop to start you off...if using other live cd distros use the method they have for this.

3)
a) When installing it will ask you for your partitioning preferences...delete ALL partitions (will WIPE current windows installations).
b) Create the FIRST partition for your windows install - start it at the BEGINNING of the hard drive!!! Choose your size ensuring you have included the FIRST cyclinder (beginning block) for windows.
c) Create a boot partition (/boot) of about 100mb
d) Create a /swap partition of about twice the size of your RAM installed.
d) Create the root partition next ( / )and then any other partitions you want. You don't need to make any others to have it work but there are many reasons to make other partition depending on your needs. Google it for more info if you want. If your only making a / partition have it fill the rest of the disk.
e) DO NOT FORMAT THE WINDOWS PARTITION. Format the rest with with ext3 (extended 3). /swap will take care of itself.

4) Pick your boot loader (grub or lilo) and install it but DO NOT INSTALL IT IN THE MBR (choose other option)!!!
5) Continue and finish your linux installation (easy)
6) When all is done...install windows. For the windows partition select the UNFORMATTED partition and format is as NTFS.
7) Finish windows installation.

8) Learn linux