Clean install of MS W XP H & Linux

amayer · 07-09-2004, 10:01 PM

After a hashed install of a printer, my Win 98 (with corrupted registry)/Linux desktop is now an expensive electronic paperweight. I thought about getting a print server for my printer, but apparently that is not an option (HP 5510). So now I'm planning on buying Windows XP Home to use basically as a print/file server, but I also want to keep some room on the HD (20 MB) for installing Linux.

I have Googled for an exact answer to my questions, but to no avail. If anyone can help or direct me to a good site, I would be grateful.

I would like to set up my HD more or less like this:

5 GB - Win XP and minimal programs
7 GB - Data (Windows format)
8 GB - left for installing SuSe 9.something when I get the chance, for me to play.

I'm going to repartition my HD from scratch.

1. Can I use whatever partitioning software that comes with XP to set up my HD like this?
2. What should I format the (future) Linux section to, or can I leave it unformatted to do this at a later date?
3. Can I set up the system so I boot Linux from a floppy, instead of using a boot loader (that's more to satisfy my wife who has to turn the PC on to print). And also that was part of what got trashed in the printer install.

I realise you people must get bombed like this on a regular basis. Even a link to website for people-who-really-would-like-to-learn would be gratefully received.

Ash

Vincent_Vega · 07-09-2004, 10:48 PM

You can't use XP to partition the ext2 or ext3 or whatever you use for Linux. You can leave a blank unformatted partition for whenever you begin your linux installation and let it do that part. I recommend ext3 for Linux. You might also want a swap partition (like virtual memory) but you can probably live without it.
You can boot Linux from a floppy. Your wife won't even know it exists when she boots into XP but it's a longer boot process. You could use Lilo with a 1 second delay and XP as default or something to speed things up but either way you're good.
Linux doesn't get along with NTFS too well so you might consider making that data partition Fat32. That will let you share stuff between the two.