Can I ( a ) install linux alongside my dell xps 400. that has windows xp media center installed already because i want to use the windows half for gaming and the linux half for everything else. so can i run windows and mandrake linux also?

yes you can i have done it but do you know how to dual boot a harddrive?

now that is one hilarious qoute. lololololololollololololololololololol

what is dual booting

So when you install linux, you will end up with your hard drive partitioned... one partition for Windows and one or more for Linux. When you start up your computer, a program called a 'boot loader' will run and ask you whether you want to boot to Windows or Linux. This is known as 'dual booting'. When you install linux, it should install a boot loader for you and take care of configuring it.

Having two operating systems installed on your machine and being able to choose between which to load, when you boot.

Edit: you will need to resize your Windows partition to make room for Linux.

Dual booting is basically the ability to boot multiple OSes from on system. That does not mean at the same time. So what you are asking for is a dual booting system. The answer to you question Is yes you can run linux as long as you have some free hdd space which if it is a new pc you may have to resize windows because the factory install will take up all the hdd space.

Edit: Sorry Nylex, You must have been posting while I was. Sorry to double post the same information.

The answer to the original question is YES!! (That was getting lost... )

The steps can be ultra-simple:
1. Make room on the drive (4GB minimum--8GB better)
2. Boot from a Linux install CD and install--as part of the install, allow it to install the bootloader to the mbr of drive 1**.
2A. A safer approach for a beginner--if the installer lets you do it--is to put the bootloader on a floppy. Then if something goes wrong, Windows will be unaffected.
3. Re-boot and choose Linux or Windows.

** Make sure you have the Windows install CD before doing this.

PS: Don't buy a computer if they do not supply a Windows install CD. The practice of selling systems which require that you have the vendor re-install the OS is--IMHO--outrageous. Even if it costs more, get a system with an install CD--or build your own.

so all i have to do is boot linux and i'll have a dual boot machine?

Well once it's installed, yes.

That brings up a good question that has been bothering me for sometime. Why has Dell all of a sudden stopped packing their new pc's with install cd's and now making it a 10$ purchase price? You bought the software which should In my opinion mean that you bought the media that goes with it.

i did not order the dell yet it but it all comes out to 940. so could i save money and get a better system buy building? if u want the specs to help make a suggestion email me at sam.riceburenr@gmail.com

It is not as bad as you think. I just setup my first dual boot machine last month. All I did was install windows on a 10 gig partition.(I am also using it just for gaming and vpn until I can get strongswan to work.)Then I used linux on the rest of the partiton. During install just told linux to install lilo to mbr. After install finished I did the reboot and lilo gave me the option to boot into windows or linux. First tried windows to make sure it came up. Started up with no problems.

So you can do it and If you have problems then that's what we are here for.

You won't save money by building your own--what you will get is a system EXACTLY your way---plus the knowledge and confidence that goes with doing it.
NOT for everyone, however.

NOTE: people will not normally respond by e-mail to forum questions. I would post your specs in the non-NIX general forum and then ask for advice on building your own.

thx for the helpguys i know this has nothing to do with anything but i'm getting alienware.