I use to be a window user. i am therefore familiar with window maintenance, emptying my cache, managing directories for my files, having access to other information support, like diskette, CD, secondary removable hardrive.......

I have gone through installing Red Hat 9.0

I have now 3 hardrive. I am using the biggest one for Linux, the second one for Window 2000, and the third one is only a removable HD where i stock information and files.
Normally with 2 HD, one would be Master and the other would be slave.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A PRIMARY AND A SECONDARY MASTER HD?....The slave would be the removable.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO JUMP FROM ONE HD TO THE OTHER WITHOUT HAVING TO UNPLUG ONE OF THEM AND HOW WOULD I CONFIGURE THE SYSTEM TO DO SO?

Since installation, several setback i'm not sure how to fix.
There maybe a common issue to all my problems.
1-Whenever i boot the system, there is a check list stating everything is OK
except theses: "Bringing up interface eth0;" where the system get stock for a good 2 min, until it resume.

Immediately after "Bringing up ..." i have ;
"Determining IP information for eth0...failed"

2- I haven't been able to install any multimedia or any program whatsoever from internet. Of course, i have verified that was Linux( RH)related.

3- each time i log in i have to configure "internet configuration wizard".

Could it be theses 3 issues related? and more importantly may i have some assistance in fixing them please. Thank you kindly in advance.

It is possible.

What do you mean? Do you mean dual booting? If so, it's certainly possible. The first disk (most likely Primary Master) would have a bootloader installed on its master boot record to choose between the two os's. Linux has no qualms on not being the first hard drive, not sure about Win2k.

You certainly answered part of the many questions i have. thanks.
So if i understand correctly i should first install(re-install) win2k and partition it as NTFS(in order for windows to read Linux), eventhough it's totally a different drive and once win2k is install, from Booloader in win2k, install Linux in the other drive (and partition it in NTFS too)?
If your answer would be yes, then :
At what point do i recognise or install the bootloader?
Does the bootloader come with Win2k os?
Should and could both drive be masters?(i have a total of 3 drive in my box. I want to be able to use Win2k for some task and Linux for other tasks. The third one will simply be use for stocking files.)

I cant say Linux wont have a problem with you using 3 hard drives but since your motherboard supports it and Linux supports your motherboard then there should be no reason it shouldnt.

The only problem with your idea of using the 3rd slave disk as storage for both Win2k and LInux is NTFS. Linux can read NTFS (if enabled in the Kernel) but you cant write to NTFS with Linux (bad things can happen so I read) Plus I have read here that Windows cant read Linux.

So I guess can leave your current install of Win2k as NTFS on 1 disk ( im not sure of this ) install Redhat on the other (Redhat formats it to ext3) and you can find a guide on this forum on how to format a disk to vfat-fat32 so both Linux and Windows can use it.

You need to post more info about your internet connection.

What information would you need me to give about my internet connection?

I am using Dsl connection with a modem.

1-Whenever i boot the system, there is a check list stating everything is OK
except theses: "Bringing up interface eth0;" where the system get stock for a good 2 min, until it resume.

Immediately after "Bringing up ..." i have ;
"Determining IP information for eth0...failed" in the check list.

2- I haven't been able to install any multimedia or any program whatsoever from internet. Of course, i have verified that was Linux( RH)related.

3- each time i log in i have to re- configure "internet configuration wizard". in order to surf.

Could it be theses 3 issues related? and more importantly may i have some assistance in fixing them please. Thank you kindly in advance.

You should install/reinstall Win2k before you install Linux, since it likes to erase whatever's installed on the MBR. It would be best to have a a FAT32 partition somewhere, since write support for NTFS in Linux isn't ready yet. You would be able to use it to exchange data between the two os's easily. Linux uses filesystems that usually can't be read from Windows. With special software, Windows can read certain types of Linux filesystems (the ext2/ext3). Don't worry about partitioning for Linux beforehand, just leave a blank, unused space for it. You can create Linux partitions during the installation.

The bootloader for Linux (most likely GRUB)will be installed during the end of the installation. You should install it somewhere (not neccesarily the MBR) to boot Linux. You can use the Linux GRUB bootloader to 'chain-load' the Win2k NTLDR bootloader, or the other way around. For example, by installing GRUB to the MBR, it can chainload NTLDR from the Win2k partition. Or, if you install GRUB to the Linux partition instead of the MBR, you can use NTLDR to chainload GRUB.

Both drives can be 'master'. Just not on the same controller (you can't have two Primary Masters, only a Primary Master and a Secondary Master).