Linux Without Windows?

Harold38 · 07-04-2006, 12:44 PM

Long-time user of Windows, now using XP. First-Time user of Ubuntu and Linux.

Have two hard drives--I wanted to keep drive 0 for XP and use drive 1 for Linux. At this time, I must keep both drives in place in order to boot to Windows or to boot to Linux.

Is there a way to have Linux on a hd drive and have nothing to do with Windows?

Happy Fourth of July.
Harold

reddazz · 07-04-2006, 12:57 PM

Just install Linux on the second hard drive (/dev/hdb if its an atapi drive). You can use the Linux bootloader to choose between Windows and Linux at boot up.

tamoneya · 07-04-2006, 01:06 PM

yes. Ubuntu makes it very easy for you. IT will partition your new drive for you and everything. It should even install the bootloader for you. Just burn the ISO to cd and boot from your cd drive. then follow the steps.

pixellany · 07-04-2006, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harold38

Is there a way to have Linux on a hd drive and have nothing to do with Windows?

Not sure what you mean by this....When dual-booting, only one OS is active at a time. It does not matter whether they are on separate drives.

I prefer to have the OSes on one drive, with the other formatted FAT32 for shared data.

Harold38 · 07-04-2006, 09:17 PM

Thanks to all who made suggestions. I now have Linux on one hard drive and XP on another which is what I want to do for a while.

I wanted to be sure I could use Linux by itself in case Windows ever gets too expensive or much more complex.

Best Regards.

Harold

Nylex · 07-04-2006, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harold38

I wanted to be sure I could use Linux by itself in case Windows ever gets too expensive or much more complex.

Why wouldn't you be able to?

. Linux has nothing to do with Windows.

DeusExLinux · 07-04-2006, 11:23 PM

You can.
There are many ways to use that.

You seem to be doing fine with it for now

if all else fails, you can juts make your linux drive the master, and install grub into it's MBR.

Harold38 · 07-05-2006, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nylex

Why wouldn't you be able to?

. Linux has nothing to do with Windows.

Thanks for the reply.

Certainly, I am a bit confused after only a few days of using Linux. My concern over its association with Windows comes from years of glancing at Linux demonstrations at computer shows and always thinking Windows, or DOS, was used to get Linux started. I guess I didn't pay enough attention!

Best Regards

Dummy-in-Linux · 07-05-2006, 08:20 AM

Windows what is that, about what is everybody talking? Or do they mean the OS my grandmother is running on her way to expensive computer (all that MIPS power to run a simple OS)

Okay that was a joke, but serious I have Pentium III 1300Mhz running Linux (okay clean Kernel) and is with office work, Internet as fast as WinXP with a Pentium 4 at 3.2Ghz.

It is even cheaper, as a Pentium III uses so much less electric, it is ideal system to download multiple files or torrents and I never need to restart or turn off.