Bootloader: When your computer starts up the BIOS (basic input output system) does a bunch of checks to see if everything's working, and then it goes to your first harddrive (typically your master HDD of the first IDE channel). This is what happens when you see all that text flashing across your screen just after you've switched on your computer. The BIOS then searches for the boot sector, a very small "partition" in the beginning of your hdd. And loads the program it finds there. (This is what happens after the text goes away) That program is called a bootloader... It knows where all your operating systems are stored, and knows how to make them start.

Windows' bootloader can only load windows OS's (operating systems), but linux can load your windows as well...

So in effect when you install linux, you shouldn't need to worry about which hdd is master or slave, your bootloader will keep track of that and give you the option to load windows or linux.

It might however be better to just take out the windows drive first, and make sure everything's working, you might have to install linux over again, but this way you know things won't go wrong and mess up your windows...

I agree with muddywaters. If both knoppix and Ubuntu don't work there might be something else... I'd try that first...

You might want to do it like this:
1. Take out windows drive so you know you it's safe
2. Put in your other drive, doesn't matter if it's master or slave
3. Run knoppix live cd the way muddywater suggested (this disables some functions that might be the reason for things going wrong)
4. If knoppix works, try out ubuntu or other live CD's and just get a feel for the different distributions of linux.
5. Choose your favourite one and install that.

If you want to download SuSE in the meantime (it's quite big compared to Ubuntu) there's two ways:
1. 5 cd's, the 6th is optional, but is nice to have, contains flash, java, acrobat reader and other non opensource programs you'd otherwise have to download.

http://download.opensuse.org/distrib...M-i386-CD1.iso
http://download.opensuse.org/distrib...M-i386-CD2.iso
http://download.opensuse.org/distrib...M-i386-CD3.iso
http://download.opensuse.org/distrib...M-i386-CD4.iso
http://download.opensuse.org/distrib...M-i386-CD5.iso
http://download.opensuse.org/distrib...don-Biarch.iso

2. a DVD
http://download.opensuse.org/distrib...M-DVD-i386.iso

If you want to have a live (no install) version there's a dvd:
http://download.opensuse.org/distrib...GM-LiveDVD.iso

These links can be found on:
http://en.opensuse.org/Released_Version

Good luck!

I'm still plugging away, but alas to no avail.
It looks like theres something very wrong with my PC anyway.
I've been having problems with XP since one of my kids did something that required 2 weeks of work to fix. ( not solidly, I have a job to go to, I hasten to add.)
I'm going to keep trying and will be getting a new computer very soon. Bet your life that will contain a dual boot.
I would still welcome all advice as I still hope to put it on this one.

Skaapgif, I hadn't seen your reply when I posted the last.
Brilliant about the bootloader.
I have a "blank" hard drive.
I will try what you suggest.
Once again thanks for everybodys help, its very much appreciated.

Yes..............
I now have Mandrake on my laptop.
Love it so far.
trying to sort out internet now.
Brilliant............

Congrats !

A person with with your kind of perserverence should do very well with linux.

I'm curious, how did you make it work?

Sorry. I've been away............

Basically I ran disk check on windows.
Then tried again.
Bingo.
Loving it. Not on internet yet, as can't get wireless card to work, but I understand this can be a bit of a problem.
The programmes included on the distro are superb.
I have just ordered a brand new system and with a 300G drive you can bet that will be partitioned.
Any advice about belkin wireless card may well be welcome.

i am succesfully using belkin 54g usb wireless adapter with ndiswrapper. ndiswrapper is a kernel module which makes it possible to use windows xp drivers for wireless cards under linux.

you may want to have a look at this ndiswrapper + mandriva how-to:
http://linuxfornewbies.org/forum/ind...topic,3.0.html
*EDIT*
i've just noticed, that there is a typo in very first command this how-to suggest, it reads 'urpme ndiswrapper' whereas it should read 'urpmi ndiswrapper'. don't let this stop you

i wish you best of luck, i still remember how painful my very first install of linux was - but trust me, it was worth every swearword uttered and hair grayed. i was finally able to get actual control over what's happening on my hardware, thanks to linux.

HAve you got the right CD ? I think the defualt Ubuntu CDs are i386, but youll need an AMD one.

According to this
http://ftp.ussg.iu.edu/linux/ubuntu-releases/6.06/
the amd disk is made for 64bit

renoir

If the advice from Sammael doesn't solve the problem start a new thread. This will (as the moderators like to put it) "give it the attention it deserves"

i386 is the lowest common denominator and can be used on any x86-based system.

PS that's to say (obviously) 80386 and higher

try at the boot prompt

boot: knoppix acpi=off

newbie here too but, i've installed ubuntu 6.06.1 on several systems old and new. it is also a live cd. i had the same problem with one machine (not due to the age of the machine). after switching out the memory, it worked. also, when it boots to the desktop you'll have to icons: samples and install. if you don't see that, then i'd suggest checking your memory since it runs in memory to begin with. if you install on the second drive, be sure to put the loader grub or lilo in the windows mbr. it should give you that option during setup. another thought could be just bad iso burns. can you burn them from another system? try that too or atleast consider it. man this is so much fun!!!! I LOVE LINUX AND ALL IT'S CHALLENGES!!!!

Yes, at last . I have managed to get a live distro of feather linux to work.
Went on to the internet with firefox and evrything.
Wow it was as fast as lightening compared with XP.
This PC is going next week lets see if I can get Linux to work on an Intel Duo 6300 processor.
Thanks once again for everyones support.
I'm going to keep at it.

awesome job and good work!!!!! don't forget that this forum has a massive download list of different distros.