First things first >>

How do you partition the hard drive, so that I can use dual boot> I have xp and am not ready to give it up just yet.

thanks

Most distributions have an installer that will automatically set up dual boot with Windows. Which distribution are you planning to install? If it is one with a good installer then you can just boot the installation disk and follow the prompts.

Ubuntu

I have an older Dell, 2000, I added an extra HDD to it, and restrictions on the HDD's to use?

one drive has 18gb free and the other has 65gb free, file system, FAT32 and NTFS

win XP, SP2, 512mb.

I was thinking about formatting the larger HDD and using that one for LINUX, keep the smaller one for xp, this is a PC that was sitting in the corner, not in use since December when I got a new PC.

Thanks in advance for your help.

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/lin...rd-drives.html

http://mandrivausers.org/index.php?showtopic=26800

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=179902

http://www.lockergnome.com/linux/200...o-hard-drives/

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...talled-481603/

https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/11650

I've done this before using the NT boot loader menu to boot linux.
XP has to be installed first, then install linux on another partition. When the installer asks you to install the bootloader in the MBR or first sector of the boot partition, choose first sector of the root/boot partition. Of course you will need to boot your system from the cd or boot disk. once you've booted, dump the first sector to a file using 'dd'. Copy the file to c:\ (xp partition) and then add it to the xp boot menu. you will then be able to select XP or linux at bootup.

everything you need to know has been documented in the HOWTOs.