Hi everyone,

I would like to install Suse 8.2 on a Dell Inspiron 8100 plug-in hard drive (E). Thus avoiding partitioning the C: drive. Also, when I inevitably progress to another laptop, I want to take my Linux drive with me and plug it into the new one.

Has anyone done this?
Is it easy?
Is there a URL for an idiots guide?

How do I set up a dual boot from two separate drives, C: and E:, depending on the nature of the drive plugged into the E: socket? I ask this because a CD burner drive also uses this socket.

The object is to use this laptop as a server in a travelling CRM demo system, also running Oracle 8i. If this project is successful I would also do the same on a plug-in hard drive with Sybase 12.

I am a CRM/MIS architect but not a PC guru.

Welcome to Linux Questions.

I take it that the disk you intend installing Linux onto is a USB drive (has a funky rectangular plug)? If so, then you might have a couple of problems. You could look into something called loadlin (a dos program that can load Linux so no need to fiddle with bootloaders), but unless your laptop supports booting from a USB device, I don't think it'd be that easy.

No the drive is not plugged in via USB. It goes into one of the swappable drive bays at the front, usually occupied by the floppy drive (A), or my CD burner (E). I'm not a PC hardware expert, so I don't know which bus that would be (don't even know if that matters!).

Thanks for the tip about loadlin. It is mentioned in the Suse literature. Time for some serious reading.