I have a dual boot system with winxp and linux and I use linux 99% of the time and right now I have my system divided into a few partitions and linux resides one of the latter ones which I need to increase in size... I can easily do this with Partition Magic from the windows partition and I am only concerned about if I do that will the GRUB in the boot sector get screwed up because it won't point to the same location on the disk? How would I go about doing this? Also does anyone know a good way to back up my entire linux system to possibly one big tar file? (and will that work?)

Very good questions and great idea asking them before you hose everything up
1. Make a Linux Boot floppy.
2. Make a Partition Magic Rescue Floppy set.
3. Make a WINDOWS 98 emergency boot disk. (can download am image from the net I'm sure if you don't run 98 anywhere.
4. Do what you need to do in partition magic.
5. If nothing will boot, boot up from the win98 floopy and type format /mbr. This will allow you to load windows and come here for info on how to fix GRUB.

Chances are good everything will be just fine. I've changed several systems around the way you want to and haven't had any serious problems.

One problem is that my brand new laptop doesn't have a floppy...

http://www.911cd.net/links/

If you have a CD-R check out the site.

If you don't have a CD-R......you'll have to use your own judgment. I'd just go for it, the red hat install CD has a repair option, but thats just MY OPINION. Feel free to think it's a silly irresponsible opinion, I think that sometimes too

I did it... And it worked. I was fairly confident that since I wasn't messing with the first partition at all I would be fine.

i noticed u guys were talking bout boot partitions.
does anyone know if its possible to change my boot device location.

for some reason it always wants to be /dev/hde and i would like it to be /dev/hda.

any help is appreciated. it only seems to be with mandrake 9 versions

and i have only the 1 primary ide hard drive and cdrom

thanks
crazydrve

Check out /etc/grub.conf

hey thank you i will try that

i just wish i could have it be /dev/hda from a fresh install

its weird no other distro does this

again thank you

crazydrve

Just a thought, you might want to fill in your Distro for future help so you don't have to mention it in your posts (at least I always look at the persons Location and Distro on the left side of your post for the fun of it and for diagnosis purposes --- not so much the Location as the Distribution)