After trying for 2 months to get my original installations of Win2k and linux to work together, I've learned several important lessons and decided that those two were not meant to be.

Here's my situation: I want to create 3 partitions across two drives: one for windows 2000, one for RH linux 7.2, and one data partition (the data partition will have to be fat32 for windows to read it )

In what order should I install the OS's (I've already got the data partition and would like to keep it)? What boot loader should I use? Where should the boot loader be located? What else do I have to consider that will save me time later on?

Your gonna actually need at least 4 partitions just to let you know. Linux requires a swap partition separate from the native it will be installed from.

Always install Windows first. Then install Linux and I would recommend Lilo as the boot loader on the MBR. Lilo is easy to configure and most everyone has some experience with it and easy to find help configuring and getting help.

Try this site.
It works great and it hurts microsoft as you manipulate thier boot loader.

and its simple

http://www.littlewhitedog.com/reviews_other_00011.asp

Lance