My current computer configuration consists of a 150 Gigabyte HDD already separated into 130 G Windows xp, with 20 G set aside as a Linux Disk. All of the distros I've attempted to install seem to want to take over the whole disk, and I simply want to install Linux to a discrete partition, not have Linux partition the disk, so I'll be running Windows xp and Linux at the same time. How is it possible to do this? Thanks for any help you may know of or links on the web that will illustrate how to do this. Please respond to me at <philr61@yahoo.com>

Is the 20GB already formatted? If not, most installers have an option during installation to "Use free space only".

In Debian, or Ubuntu, you'll want to use "Guided Partitioning".

Which distros have you tried? Are you trying to install College Linux? Is your 20 GB partition a Linux partition? You should be able to tell whichever distro you're using to use it as the root partition. None of the major distros should have problems understanding that.

I run windows Xp and suse 10.3 ad the moment .
Before I run suse 9.3 Both distro give the expert option
so I to decide The swap en linux native part.
But I had also the option to let suse do the job And then when she installing her self you have the impression that she would take the hole disk But what a relief after the first boot from hd while she still installing windows was still there life en kickking