I am a real neophyte please bear with me. Thanks
Question: when you say dual boot, does this mean that when you turn on your computer Mepis boots and then Windows XP boots and from there on you can flip between the two?

May I ask one further question I have Mepis 6.0 is it possible to do a simple update to 6.5 or must I remove the 6.0 before installing the 6.5

I am a new comer to the Linux scene and have very simple computer skills any advice would be appreciated. Again, thanks

Dual Boot explained: You install ex. XP + Mepis, now when you boot you get the choice of EITHER starting XP or Mepis. This is called dual booting.

Your second question, i've never used Mepis so i don't know if it's possible to update instead of reinstalling the new version.

It would appear so, I am not sure though. They have the same kernel, so you won't have to worry about that...

While I was learning, I would install a later version of Ubuntu to a new partition. This allowed me to dual boot to different versions without overwriting the prior vesion. I also dual boot win98 and Ubuntu on one computer and XP and Ubuntu on another computer. After you find a version you want to stay with, you can always delete the versions you don't want.

The GRUB loader gives you all the options as to which operating system and version you wish to load when you boot up.

Roger

take a look at my posts and the answers of aus 9...good luck !

i suggest you to use different hard disks for win and linux and put grub in the same hd in which you put linux too for not having boot problems,now they cost a few euros..i always did this way since mandrake 10.1 and have never,never,never had win/linux dual boot problems..and use kubuntu 7.04 'cos it has new kernel 2.16.20 while mepis 6.5 still has kernel 2.16.15 or 2.16.16 or 2.16.17,don't remember,anyway an older one and a newer kernel always resolve problems of kernels before including boot bugs too..for the update i don't know,think it should be done without problems or maybe uninstall grub,then delete linux partition and reinstall new distro and new grub..anyway do a look all around in the forum for this....

i actually dual boot win xp and kubuntu 7.04 without any problems..good luck!

I use for this Acronis Disk Director Suite. Lower the size of your Windows partition, make a primary partition formated for the operating system you need, and a swap partition with a double amount size of your RAM memory. Then install your preferred operating system on the second primary partition and install Acronis OS Selector in Windows. At next boot you should have a boot menu who asks you what operating system you want to start . It works with every operating system, and you can install how many OS-es you want (depending of your HDD capacity)

Installing Ubuntu on a hard drive with Windows already installed will result in Ubuntu partitioning your hard drive for you. It will then install Linux applications on the free space. The GRUB loader will show both operating systems and let you decide which to use each time you turn on the computer.

As I said, I also dual boot different versions of Ubuntu and Windows on the same hard drive and computer.

In answer to your 2nd Q: From http://www.mepis.org/node/13330 (2nd para.):
Now that doesn't mean that when I upgrade to 6.5 I won't do a fresh install, perhaps on a clone on my 6.0. In my experience, a fresh install is the safest way to go.

A boot screen (called GRUB or LILO) will give you the choice for to boot Win or Mepis at every reboot.
Use apt-get update in a console command-line or MEPIS ICON >> SYSTEM >> PACKAGE MANAGER (Synaptic) using the menus.
I also consider myself a novice Linux user. I keep trying new stuff all the time, and ask many questions. I've installed (and tinkered with and crashed) probably fifteen different Linux flavors since 2000. Mepis has been the most forgiving for my uses, with LiveCD or installed. You will recognize that not every solution is the exact solution for you. Sometimes you have to gather a group of ideas from various Mepis (and Ubuntu and other Linux fora), compare them and keep notes of your actions and the results. Soon you will be giving advice. Good luck. I hope everything goes well.

Hi All

As someone who has tried the updates, and who reads the Mepis forums almost daily...I've been advised that updating 6.0 to 6.5 is not advisable.
You are able to save your home directory..but things like bookmarks in firefox etc. need to be backed up to cd or floppy in order to save them for the new version.
It is advisable to do a fresh install then restore your files to the newer version.
There might be a way around this. You can search the Mepis forums for more info, but i would always backup important info, do a fresh install, then restore.

Hope this helps

Tom