Hi, I am quite new to linux, i have installed it many times but just give up afterwards beacuse its too hard.

I used to just partition my hard drive but i though i might buy another hard drive, i.e a 20 or 30 gig one to install linux and windows xp on then use my current one in either fat32 or ntfs format for linux and windows to share as a data disk, does that sound visable?

which hard drive would i install the swap space bit for linux?

Thanks

Which was too hard? Installing? Using?

With two drives, I would put both OSes on one, and data on the other. FAT32 for the data partition to make it easy to share between Windows and Linux.

Size of drives:
I'm not sure you can buy anything smaller thatn 40GB--but regardless, I would make the new drive AT LEAST 80GB (~$50 at Newegg--and the 40GB drives are almost the same!!)
How big is your current drive?

I use the rule of "not on the same HD as the OS" both for windows and linux,
example:
I got 2 HD's 1st HD with 60GB and 2nd with 80GB, I got it partition like that:
hda:
hda1 30GB Windows Xp
hda2 20GB Slackware
hda3 10GB Testing (I use it to test distro's I want to try)
hdb:
hdb1 70MB Boot
hdb2 2GB Swap (most ppl don't need so much swap)
hdb3 4GB Windows PageFile
hdb4 All the rest Shared partition where I hold stuff I want to share (music, doc's, programs, config files).
I hope that helps.

(said in re where to put swap)

Why? Is this similar to the logic for Adobe recommending scratch space in a different physical drive?

we'll i have a 160gb drive already.
I would look at buying say another hard drive
probably from a computer market because there really cheap
say like a 40gb one for £10 or something.

All i want to know is how to go about setting them up,
i have a rough idea but you guys always seem to know better.

Also i find using linux in genral dificult, like getting wireless to work and i guess i just need to learn. I got a load of books that im reading at the moment, teaching me how to use certain commands and stuff.

Thanks

OK--2 drives:

#1 40GB (or larger): 2 OSes + associated applications (20GB each)
#2 160GB shared data, formatted FAT32

Steps:
Backup--eg to an external HD
Install Windows in 20GB partition--leaving the rest of #1 empty (unpartitioned)
Install Linux in the remaining space on HD#1--the Linux installer will take care of making the necssary partitions.
As part of the Linux install, it will ask you where to put the boot loader. I suggest a floppy--this way, Winodws in not disturbed. (You can always put the boot loaser on HD later.
Finally, format the 160GB FAT32--you can then link to it form either Windows or Linux.

Note--Backup: I you copy your data to an external HD, and then format the 160GB HD, you will---for a few minutes---have your data only in one place. IF the data is really valuable, then consider ALSO doing a CD or DVD backup before re-formatting the 2nd HD.

Yes it's the same, I read in more than few places on how it speedup the use and make the OS use the swap/pf better.

cool. well i have a rough idea of what to do.

Still where do i install the swap part for linux? hd 1 or hd 2?

As I said few post before in different HD than your linux install.

You can combine this advice with the steps that I outlined and it will work fine. Put the swap area at the beginning of drive 2, and then partition the rest FAT32

Thanks you guys.

i know now what i nned to know.

you can look put for me in other post grubbling about
wireless!!

thanks guys
Cyaz