Various Linux Distros on a PC?

wittyguysuku · 08-24-2004, 08:14 AM

Hi,
I am a newbie, trying to do some hands-on on different Linux distros/flavors. I'm having my PC installed with Win XP. The config of my PC is:

Pentium III, 866MHz
80 GB HDD
128 MB RAM
Mercury 810e M/B

Please give me some brief about partitioning and installation of two or more Linux distros along with Windows XP.

ZaphyR · 08-24-2004, 08:19 AM

if you have free space on your hd, the easiest thing is to tell it to install there. resizing an XP partition will NOT have a good outcome.

i would suggest to install Mandrake, as it has the easiest understandable interface when it comes to partitioning.

masand · 08-24-2004, 08:34 AM

hi
this has been asked a lot of timer

u can go to distrowatch.com

u can get some good information there
and u won't haver any problems with installation any linux along with Xp in dual booting

regards
gaurav

pete the crab · 08-24-2004, 09:23 AM

Have you thought of VMWare workstation?
You install it on top of XP (like any other application), then you can have as many distros running as you hardware can handle. I have RH9 and Debian running on VMs on a XP laptop and they are quite happy.

The other good thing about this is that if you blow your linux out of the water you can restore it back to the last good boot (you have to set this up, but it is not rocket science).

greg108 · 08-24-2004, 09:47 AM

Another option is to get second harddrive
I have XP on my 40GB and all my linux distros on 80GB
I boot everything with GRUB
100% safe solution.

masand · 08-24-2004, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pete the crab
Have you thought of VMWare workstation?
You install it on top of XP (like any other application), then you can have as many distros running as you hardware can handle. I have RH9 and Debian running on VMs on a XP laptop and they are quite happy.

The other good thing about this is that if you blow your linux out of the water you can restore it back to the last good boot (you have to set this up, but it is not rocket science).

hi there
i had tried vmware some time back, but could not go much further
is linux stable on vmware???

which vmware version u r using and how much resource does it require

regards

pongmaster · 08-24-2004, 04:29 PM

With an 80Gb drive, I'd create one FAT32 partition to use as storage (say 30 or 40Gb) all your various OS's can then read/write to this partition.
Break up the other 40/50Gb as you see fit to cover your various OS installs.

pete the crab · 08-24-2004, 04:59 PM

I am running version 4.0.5 build-6030 on XP (patched up to the eyeballs!)

My only complaint is that I had to reinstall XP as it was getting creaky (nothing to do with VMWare!)

It takes as much resource as you are willing to give it. I have 512Mb on the laptop (HP NC6000, 1600Mhz (new style - I don't understand how it works anymore))

At one point I was running debian with 192Mb, RH9 with 192Mb and listening to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers using iTunes on the XP "machine" and it was fine!