Need a step by step instruction to dual boot knoppix and XP on the 1 hdd

Hi
sorry to bother u guys again,
but i need help.
ok to start with i'm not the smartest person with the programming side of computers, although i know how to build one.
i've recently purchased the KNOPPIX 4.0 live dvd and wish to dual boot it on my PC with XP pro, i know how to install both OS's on the HDD but don't know how to set them up as a dual boot system, i've been through forums all over the place googled it etc and havent found instructions as detailed as i would like, i like to get things right the first time.
so here goes, my system includes:

3.2Ghz P4 socket 478 CPU
XpertVision ATI Radion X800 Graphics Card
SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 sound card
2 x 512Mb GEiL PC3200 DDR400 RAM
ASUS P4P800-E Deluxe Motherboard
1 x 200Gb Maxtor IDE HDD (OS and application)
1 x 200Gb Seagate SATA HDD (files and backup)
thermaltake Soprano ATX case and 430W PSU
2 x LG multi-function DVD +-R/RW

as you can see there is plenty of room on my HDD as i am going to wipe them both and start over, i'm hoping to leave 50Gb on the Maxtor for Knoppix and the other 150Gb as XP pro (sorry guys but i still cant do without windows...yet), keeping the seagate for files and backups for both OS's.
i also need to know how to partition the HDD to prepare for this, do i use the WIN XP cd partition utility...NFTS for windows and FAT32 for linux or is it better to use qtparted on KNOPPIX, either way i'm guessing u know what i'm asking.
also can anyone tell me how GRUB works i know its something to do with dual booting and selection which OS to boot, and will i need to download this in order to do what i am asking.
anyways
i hope someone can help, i know i'm asking alot here but i would be forever thankful
Cheers
Andrew

knoppix forums is the first place that I'd look.

Then the other place seems to be the knoppix wiki where there appears to be some instructions.

One of the things that I found out when I played at having knoppix on my hard drive was that it can be a bit of a bugger when it comes to networking it.

Someone said that I might have been better placed going for Kanotix instead. It's a slightly more polished version of knoppix and is more up to date package wise (KDE and some other ones).

Or another new user type distro like Mandriva, SuSE or Fedora (first two I've used successfully, but never had any luck with the Fedora).

You only problems might be, the graphics card as ATi driver(s), I understand, can be a pain to get installed (nvidia have better linux support and I've never had any problems with them).

Plus you seem to have an SATA hdd as well - I understand that they can also be a bit of a bugger to get going sometimes (can't say for certain as I only have EIDE hdd - just what I've heard/read).

If you do look into kanotix, you can do the download and burn under linux. The only thing is to make sure that you get the english language version (if thats what you speak ), plus get the MD5sum file for the download as well. To check the download, you also need to get something to verify the MD5sum of the download so it can be compared with the file one that you get from the download mirror.

theres a utility here that can do that under windows.

Then if the downloads OK, you just need to check on how to burn ISO's with whatever software came with your burner.

Hope that helps some.

regards

John

If you have already Windows XP on your computer, and want to partition your second drive as you say, then I would use Partition Magic 8 by Power Quest if you can get it.

This programme lets you select your partition on which disk you want and format to Linux 3, or Linux 2 with ease.

One of the things that this programme will do is tell you if the partitions on the disk are healthy.

If the disk partition or partitions show up as BAD, then you could use sorry to mention Windows in a Linux reply is a Win98SE boot up floppy disk and after backup of all data delete the logical partition, then the Primary Partition with FDISK.

You then Create the new Primary Dos Partition, all this is done with the FDISK option. As you intend to use the secondary (slave) drive. If you managed to get Partition Magic you now have a clear clean raw slave disk for formatting to Linux. You will be told to reboot to apply the change.

Partition Magic may also request that you reboot. Of course you probably will know that Windows XP cannot see or recognise Linux partitions unlike Linux which can recognise VFat32 for reading and writing from Linux.

Good Luck
Moshe