Hello people, I'm a here, please don't hurt me if this has already been answered. I'm hoping I can dualboot Mandrake 10 Official and WinXP SP1. I have two harddrives: one NTFS, 120GB, with XP and all my files, and the other NTFS, 40GB, and completely blank. Now, I want to install 'Drake on the blank one (duh), but I heard you can only install Linux on FAT32. I also heard FAT32 only works on partitions of 32GB or less. So I installed a Partition Magic 8 demo, and attempted to create a new partition (all I saw under that drive was Local Drive F: and "unpartitioned space"). When I got the dialouge box, it wouldn't let me make a partition over 7.8MB! Does anyone know of a fix, or an easier way to create a FAT32 partition?

Part 2: Once I have made a suitable partition, is there any special steps I have to take to dualboot XP and Drake 10? Or will it be all in the installer?

Thankx0rz in advance. I had bad luck with Linspire, though Mandrake would be cool.

-Super uber mega .

Actually, linux has its own filesystems ( there are several) and typically creates more then one partition. If you want to share files between the two then that is where you want a FAT32 partition.

It is best to leave the drive blank and let the installer do the partitioning. No special steps to dual boot either and I would probably pick Mandrake.

OK, you don't need to create a FAT32 partition to install Mandrake, or any other Linux distro. Leave the drive blank (unpartitioned) and just boot from the first Mandrake CD. When you get to the partitioning stage of the install, you'll be presented with some options. Choose "use empty space". The installer will then ask which drive it should use, choose the 40Gb drive. The install will continue and when it's finished it'll install a bootloader (lilo) that'll detect and install your Windows partition into it's list so you won't have to mess about setting it up to boot windows.

FAT32 - as stated before, use a FAT32 partition only if you want to have read/write capability to files shared between Windows and Linux. NTFS partitions natively have read only support in Linux at the moment.

Ah, so you mean, I can install Mandrake into a NTFS drive, but can't write things on my other NTFS drive? Then could I read them off the Windows drive and save them on the 40GB Linux drive?

No, you'd install Mandrake onto the blank, unpartitioned drive. If you partition the drive as NTFS, Mandrake will only reformat the drive when you tell it to install there anyway.
When Mandrake's installed, you'll be able to see your Windows drive from Linux. You'll be able to read files on the windows partition, but you won't be able to write (save data to) the windows drive.
Out of the box, Windows won't be able to see your Linux drive. There's a program for Windows to do this, and you can have a look at it here: http://uranus.it.swin.edu.au/~jn/linux/explore2fs.htm

OK, I burnt all the ISOs. When I put the 1st one in, it says something to the effect of, "cannot find the rammdrive" or something like that, and it says it might be a bug in the Linux kernel. Then it tells me to reboot. Well, it might be a problem with the ISO, because disc 1 was knly about 7 megs, while the others were around 650-700 megs. Should I reburn, or do you know what's happening?

Install disc 1 should be nearly 700Mb.
There's something wrong with either your .iso file or your burning prog messed it up. Either way, if the disc is a CD-R, it's a coaster now.
Did you check the md5sums prior to burning? If you did and they checked out OK then burn the .iso again.
If the md5 doesn't match the one provided by your mirror then it's probably corrupted and you'll have to download it again.

Ok, I got a new ISO and burned it. The setup went smoothly, and when it was done, I rebooted and got the (ugh) LILO error: 07 07 07 07.... Know anything? Anyway, I used the XP recov disc and used FIXMBR. My comp is OK, I just want to know how I can fix it. No, there is no "LBA" or "Large Disk" options in my BIOS. I've had the error before, and someone offered that. Nope. In any case, if I'm permanently scre*ed, thanks for the replys. They were so fast.

You can either add Mandrake into the Windows bootloader or re-install Lilo.
If you've got virus detection setup on your mobo for the MBR, you should probably disable this before trying to install lilo as some have had problems with this. If you boot the first install disk and press F1. At the boot prompt type: rescue.
Follow it through and you'll get an option to re-install the bootloader. Make sure you put it on the MBR of the primary master drive.
Lilo should detect your win partition automatically and add it to it's boot list.

Oh, nevermind. I messed with the HD settings and but the slave to Auto. It's booting fine now, but I can't connect to the 'Net, but I can go to XP and do that. Know of a fix?

the 777777 error in lilo is when you boot off the wrong hdd because i default boot from hd1 under bios but linux assumed that i boot from hd0 so put the MBR there.

the only reason the internet wouldnt work is you havent got the device functioning properly yet

what internet connection is it?
Adsl/Cable through USB
through network card?
or dialup?

Well, the boot is fine. As for my connection, I have cable. There are 2 comps on the network. The other one recives the cable, and shares it over a Linksys. This comp has an Instant Wireless USB adapter, which works fin in WinXP. How do I configure it in Linux?

when you say it run through a Linksys? is that switch/access point or the computers NIC


run harddrake in linux
if your in KDE
the little start menu thingy lol
choose
System>Configuration>configure Your computer

choose hardware> (then again) Hardware

check through the list to see if your device is actually installed or at least detected. if it is there select it and click
"RUN CONFIG TOOL"

a. it should show a simple wizard,

b. choose wireless choose from the list the best match
c. follow the prompts about your network




i always find it easier if you set a static local address to connect the computer / router sharing the net ie 10.0.0.9 or 192.168.0.33. but you can choose static if easier.

If the card didnt detect at all and doesnt show in the list exit that

System>Configuration>configure Your computer

Network & Internet>New Connection

An access point. I will try your suggestion now, thanks.