Installing RedHat 9 onto an existing Win XP system as dual boot
 

OK, sorry if this is already explained but I did have a look and couldn't see anything that helps me.
I already have Windows XP installed onto my PC and I want to add RedHat 9 onto my PC so I can use both OSs. However, I have downloaded the CDs and when I start trying to install it, I get to where you make a partition for it, and I go to do it manually with Disc Druid and I can't create a new partition. I think I need to reduce the size of the existing Windows partition, but am unsure of how to do this, and am a bit cautious as I do not have the Windows CDs if I needed to reinstall it. Anybody know how to get round the problem?

I don't know much about Disk Druid. In XP I installed Partition Magic 8.0 and let it create transactions to shrink the XP Partition down and create the necessary partitions for Linux.

They have materials on their support website that explain how to implement this very well.

When you go to install Linux, you must be careful not to overwrite the MBR (master boot record) that XP has created--you have to put it somewhere else which you can probably find out about somewhere else on this board or on Redhat's website

Best of luck!

Where can I get Partition Magic then as I don't have it?

That should have been explained in the Red Hat 9.0 Installation Guide.

Some other guides are:
GNU/Linux pre-installation checklist
The Pre-Installation Help File

Do you know your current partitioning scheme? The Mandrake installation disk can re-size ntfs, I think.

# Cheap CDs
Discount Linux CDs
Linux Central
Cheapbytes
TuxCDs
ComputerHelperGuy

I couldn't see anything about resizing a partition in the official guide, so either it is not there or I am missing it completely. And I don't quite understand the 2 things you gave.

Perhaps these will help, then.

An Introduction to Disk Partitions
ntfsresize FAQ
Shrinking a Windows NT/2000/XP partition with Linux NTFS

If you want PartitionMagic, you can probably buy it online or at a major software store.

You can find all what you need on kazaa!

I've been getting ready to deal with the same thing. I've been told that Redhat does not come with a tool to resize NTFS partitions, which is what your XP is on. You can either use partition magic or I've been told SuSE 8.2 distribution installer comes with the option to resize your NTFS partition to make room for the linux installation.

Hope that helps.

I have already done that 3 month ago.

just use kazaa to find and download partition magic 8.0 ( i get a chinese version)

resize XP partition, create a new partition for linux

then just install your redhat 8.0.

good luck.