wanted to setup dualboot on my new laptop that has windows installed already. does suse have any partition resizing and will the install give me any dualboot options?

i have access to partition resizing tools, so i could do that was well, but i am hoping the boot loader config would be automated somehow in the install?

so i guess to summarize my question is:
what distros will do this during the install (detect windoiws, give me choices to resize and then install as a dualboot system).


any other tips? its a relatively new machine so it wouldnt be the end of the world if i had to start over in order to reinstall everything but it would be preferable to avoid it so i wouldnt have to reisntall all my apps.

any tips for geting started appreciated, thanks!

I have that exact set up on every PC I have and I have figured out the easyest way to do it. Ok if your hard drive is totally one partition meaning you have like an 80 gig HD and Windows C: is 80 gigs youll need need an partitioning program that will resise an existing partition. (I recommend Partition Magic) Youll need to create a new partition for linux to install to. I say to format it FAT32 so windows can read and write to it. After you have created a new partition just reboot and stick in the Linux cd and change the partitioning options durring the install to have linux install to the fat 32 partition also you can change the boot loader (grub) so windows is the default partition (in case your wife has no idea how to use anything but windows like mine).

Mandriva's installer will do everything for you also.It asks if you want to resize your win partition.I thought it was pretty much smooth sailing.

I'm kinda new to linux but I've tried almost 30 distros(I have 9 in my box now)and I think Mandriva is the most easy install with the most choices during installation so far.I love it.

I would do this also.About half way through the install,before it starts installing packages,you will see a screen with a bunch of configure buttons on the RH side of the screen.Find the line that says "Bootloader LILO" and change to GRUB GRAPHICAL.GRUB will find your win partition and add it to your startup boot selection.

If you miss this step dont sweat it.lilo should find your win also.You can always change later.

Btw.Stick with mandriva 2006 for now.2006.1 had some serious hiccups on my machine.

Hope this helps.

I've just installed Suse 10.0 on my Windows XP laptop. I had one single partition with windows on and Suse partitioned it and set up the dual booting for me.
Before you start though I strongly suggest that you sort out your windows files. Delete all the rubbissh, clear all the caches and then defrag the hardd disc.

ok cool. i will try opensuse install then as (im here ) I like it generally.
i put mandriva 2006 on a machne i donated to a nonprofit and it is a clean interface and is running fine but i dont care for it too much myself, too simple.
i have a friend who loves it too go figure
Ill try the suse and see where it goes. it will resize the partition? so cool. not antyhing criical to worry about on it ill give a try. interesting about using fat32 i didnt know that. so if i do that and can see the data from windows can i defrag the partition from windows later?? thanks for tips seems i have choices!

hey im doing it now thanks folks, it (suse) offered to split the partition which i resized to my tatses and it resized the partition in no time which surprised me.
oh - it would not allow a mount point of / to be fat unfortunately. this shouldnt be a big deal i have things i share on a server anyhow. be interesting to see for the first time how linux does on a laptop with wireless which ive never done yet! thanks !! its installing now, hope she boots

keep us posted!.. You'll probably need to install ndiwrapper and your XP drivers to get your radio card working. There are some great instructions at:

http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/

Oh, and if you have spare room on your hard drive, see if you can add a small fat32 partition. It'll let you transfer files between Windows and Linux with ease.

My partitions are: 50gig ntfs (XP), 15gig reiserfs, 50mb boot, 10gig fat32.

My fat32 holds all of Suse's cd install info (so I dont have to pop in a cd everytime I install a package) and I still have lots of space left over to transfer files between the two without use of flash drive, floppy, cd, etc. Just convenient.

thats a good idea.

well im installed and it all works great, sound, widescreen display (onea those small light cute & cheap compaqs onsale recently) except for my Zyxel G-162 pcmcia wireless card. anybody got that model working? too bad as i just bought it but doesnt look like any linux drivers available for it. i tried a couple diff ones but not sure what im doing yet as i never messed w/pcmcia, wireless or notebbooks with linux before. fortunately the wired nic works though if i could pick which you know id rather the wireless.

i just found a lspci command which apparently should list something which its not so maybe thats a good place to start looking.