I have Windows in my PC. Now I want to add Slackware Linux in it.

What kind of partitions I must create with Partition Magic to install Slackware Linux?

You'd want to create something like ext3 or ReiserFS, and then a swap partition.
Personally, I'd just use the installation CD Partitioning Tool.

The first rule of Linux is not to break your system with Winbloze apps.

If you have a normal Winbloze installation, then it ate your whole disk. You will have to resize the NTFS filesystem so that you have room to do anything else. You can use Kanotix live CD and use qtparted from the system menu, or boot some other parted live CD like gparted, etc.

After that, Like Xian said, just go through the Slackware installation and let it build the filesystems. If you need to partition, then exit from the installation and run fdisk or cfdisk in console mode, or use a Linux Live CD like Slax or Kanotix. (I can't remember but now that I think of it, there must be an option to partition from inside the installation.....)

If you're asking about partitioning schemes, well, it's up to you. Some people have separate partitions for /, /home, /boot, possibly /tmp and others. Personally though, I just have / and a swap partition.

if you want to install Slackware on the same drive as windows and you have partition magic then use it....i have done it on the wife's computer (although i prefer a separate hdd for linux ).....and if you do not want to overwrite your mbr...i am assuming you have windowsXP...you can always install lilo on a floppy ,assuming you have a floppy drive ... i would not use partition mgic's boot loader utility ,i had issues with it......good luck

The great part about Slackware is it's installer, it's a great installer. With partition magic as long as you make at least one partiton of any other kind you'll be fine because the Slackware installer will prompt you about making partitions when you boot up.

Like Xian said, ext2 or ReiserFS are two options. I use XFS myself because it has great journaling (it won't make your FSCK it if you restart without unmounting properly).

When you load up the slackware disk it will give you the option to boot a few different kernels, which one you boot up determines which File Systems you can make when if you set up your partitions in the Slackware Installer. To select a different kernel just type it in at the command prompt and you're set (ex: boot: xfs.s)

Watch partition magic, I had a problem with it hiding my windows partition. I had to run qtparted and unhide it to be able to boot into windows.

It's retardedly easy to dual boot with slack 10.2

I have problems with the Lilo boot installation. I have Windows and Linux and I want to choose which one to use during the boot. How can I deal with it?

What was the problem with LILO? It should have asked you during the installation if you wanted to add an entry for Windows (or possibly done it anyway).

as root run this command

liloconfig

Don't let it automatically run, choose to use the expert mode. That will allow you to set up your lilo config the way you need it. It'll generate all the menus, all you should have to do after that is edit the kernel information if you've compiled a new one.

There's lots of ways of doing this. My Windoze disk was nearly full and I didn't want to risk clobbering it anyway by running a disk partitioning tool. They're all pretty scary if you've had no experience with them, and gaining experience by fiddling around with your working operating systems is not the way to learn. So I bought another drive. They are cheap these days.

Here's one safe and fairly easy way to get to a dual boot Linux and Windows setup. This is just based on my recollection of how I did it. I may have left out a step or two, so if anyone knows of shortcuts or sees any error or omission, hopefully they'll chime in.

1) Download and burn CDs for Fedora Core whatever (any version, you only need the first disc) and Slackware (currently 10.2, burn all discs).

2) Buy and install a new hard disk in your system. Make sure the jumpers on your current Windows drive and your new drive are set to Cable Select. Connect the new drive as the first drive (end connector on the cable), and the Windows disk the second (middle connector). I'm assuming IDE here but it works with SATA, you just have individual cables instead.

3) Boot the Fedora disc 1 CD to install it. Most of the responses you make don't matter, because you aren't going to keep Fedora when you're done. Just answer the ones that are necessary to get the system up (keyboard type, language, etc., you don't care about network or software packages, just install a minimal configuration). When it comes to partitioning your drives, make the first partition on your new drive 128MB (100MB will do, but 128MB is 2 to the 17th power, an auspicious number that those who admire it have found to promote cosmic balance and whirled peas), make the second partition 2GB, make the third partition cover the rest of the drive (or as much as you want). Set the first partition to type 83 (Linux), the second to 82 (Linux SWAP), the third to 83 (Linux). Don't bother installing Logical Volume Manager that comes with Fedora. Tell Fedora to install Grub in the first partition, and Fedora in the third. Grub is the only reason why you are installing Fedora. Slackware doesn't provide it during installation.

4) Boot Fedora to verify that Grub is properly installed. Say 'bye to Fedora, you'll never want to see it again.

5) Boot from the Slackware CD. Install Slackware to the third partition (yes, overlay Fedora), and tell Slack to make the second partition your SWAP partition. Slackware doesn't know about Grub, but that's ok. Slackware will ask you if you want to configure LILO. Don't. Do go ahead and create a boot floppy disk for your Slackware partition (assuming an IDE drive and my instructions here, probably hda3).

6) Boot Slackware from your floppy diskette and go through the rest of the configuration. Install it all, skip nothing. Savor the energy and the power coursing through your viens. You will never forget this feeling. Don't bother with a lot of customization yet.

7) Read Patrick Volkerding's Slackware initrd mini HOWTO. It comes on your Slackware CDs and gets loaded to your system during installation to /usr/doc/mkinitrd-1.0.1 or similar.

8) Do this from a command line (logged in as root):
Then if you chose ext3 for your file system and assuming you installed Slackware to hda3, do this:
where x.x.xx is the kernel version you installed (maybe 2.4.31, for example).

If you chose ReiserFS for your file system, but also want support for ext3, you might do this:
9) From a command line, do this (logged in as root):
If your hda1 drive (the small 128MB partition) is not mounted, then
then (next command assumes you are using kernel 2.4.31, alter as necessary)
then assuming you are using the ide-2.4.31 kernel, but alter as necessary
10) Next, do this:
Edit your grub configuration:
Insert some lines like these before the first entry Fedora made:
Then add this next:
Save your grub.conf.

11) Shutdown and reboot without your floppy diskette. Should work. From the grub menu you should be able to pick either Slackware or Windoze. You might need to go tweak a few things here and there. There's some cleanup you might want to do to your grub configuration file (get rid of the Fedora entry, change timeout value, set a password, etc).


As I said, this may not be a perfect description, but it will get you pretty close if you're willing to experiment a little.

Have fun.

Oh yeah, one more thing. After six to nine months when you realize you no longer boot your Windoze system any more, reformat that drive and use the disk for something else.

At least with 10.2, Grub is in the /extras directory of the installation discs. You don't really need to go through the hassle of messing with a different distro just to get that one package. Seems needlessly complex and time consuming, at least for me.

I prefer Grub myself, so what I do is just go ahead and install Lilo, then after rebooting, immediately install the Grub package, run the grub configuration script, which is basically liloconfig for Grub, and then you're done.

Alternatively, you could not install lilo at all, then when the installation is done, mount the CD and install it before a reboot. I personally don't do that because I don't have a floppy to make a boot disc and don't want to mess with what would happen if something failed in that process.

No kidding? In the /extras directory? Dang! It never occurred to me to look there.