Starting WinXp install from within linux
 

Don't ask me why but I'm wondering if I can start installation of windows xp from inside already running linux (centOS). So boot into Centos mount share with winxp files and click setup.exe. During next reboot it would go through normal window xp installation process.
EDIT: I should also add that it's ok that upon reboot the windows installation would wipe the linux partition.
thanks

Sorry---Why would you want to do this???

First, you can't run an .exe from Linux (unless it will run with WINE or CrossOver.

Second, I don't think the Winodws installer is particularly robust and may well complain.

Third, if you want to use the same partition, it will not work. (You can't install something to a partition you are running from.

There's absolutely no reason why you would want to do this. Even more if you want to delete the linux partition. Just put the cd into your drive, reboot using the cd and then delete and recreate the partitions using the windows installer.

I never speculate as to why someone wants to do something----but if OP will not tell us the reason, we might chose not to help.

I need to install winxp remotely. that is i don't have physical access to the machine. although i do have kvm access. So I can't put the winxp cdrom or to provide RAId drivers etc. Using RIS is not really an option.
However, there is an easy way to install linux remotelly so if i can do that first I might be able to install winxp from that.

However, the windows installation needs user intervention as far as I know. You won't be able to control it anyway, even if you can setup your system to boot the installation image. An easy way would be to point grub to an iso for the next boot. It can be done though don't ask me the details. But once the iso boots, what are you going to do?

the box is on kvm so i have keyboard and mouse control. besides I've been looking at Unattended http://unattended.sourceforge.net/ which can do unattended windowsxp install. However, unattended is proving a bit more difficult to setup than I've expected. That's why I want to try to install full fledged linux OS first and try installing windows from that.

I see. Then the grub idea that I mentioned might worth a shot, after you have a working linux OS I guess.