I just bought a new NEC Versa E680 few weeks ago. Due to my study requirement I want to dual boot my preinstalled XP with Fedora or RH9.0.
But this guy from the shop keep telling me that I can't do that since I can't partition my harddisk. If I do so it will destroy the xp installation.
It seems nonsense to me in the first time, but somehow there is some problem that keep me from doing that.
There is no WinXP cd bundled in the distribution. To re-install the OS I have to run the Recovery CD. Is this normal for the laptop? (sorry this is my 1st laptop after all :> )
I'm afraid if I install Linux (hence partition my HDD), I would have problem with my xp installation later.

Could anyone give me any info with this issue please? I have some experience about partitioning and installing Linux on desktop. But not on laptop. Sorry for my poor english.

Thanks in advance for the help

Your english is great, what are you worried about?

Yeah, a dual boot can be a pain. There are a number of options:

1. call and bitch until you get a real copy of XP, then do the re-partition and 2 installs.
2. Track down a legit copy of XP from someone else and then use the windows sticker on the bottom of your laptop, and the reg code on THAT, and you're totally within the law. You've paid for your copy of windows, if the install media you use is someone else's, that's coincidence.
3. There are programs out that that will take an existing partition and squish it down so as to create free space on the drive that you can then partition for something else. Partition Magic is the well known one, there are other free ones. Look around, I don't have any experience with these at all, but from accounts most of them work well.

Cheers,

Finegan