installing mandrake

[istruthfull]

Next to last step in freedom from windows is installing mandake with a dual install with win xp (knoppix was fun). My HD has 80gb and 1 large partion, will mandrake make a new partion, or do I need to reinstall win xp and create 2 partions? (it warns to do 1 as primary though).
  *****As his contempt for windows shows he says with a smile turning into a smirk, "Soon, soon freedom is at hand".*****
   Oh! Thanks for all the help that ya'll have been giving without making me feel like an idot. NTFS to FAT32 and advise.

[Calum]

mandrake's installer is pretty good at doing everything like that automatically but DO remember to push the advanced, or expert button on every single screen in the installation. they hide a lot of stuff you will probably want to fiddle with in the newest mandrake installer.

so no don't reinstall it, unless you have some garbagey ntfs installation, even then you could simply make a fat32 partition and use it as an area that both OSs can access.

do defrag windows first though. and don't use some crappy 3rd party bootloader, use GRUB or Lilo (this is the default in mandrake anyway)

good luck

[snowdog]

By repartitioning the hard drive to make room for Linux, you should know that if you ever need to do a System Restore in Windows, it will remove the Linux partition.

[istruthfull]

Oh no, ha ha..I wish I had read your reply about 16 hrs of work earlier, snowdog. But still thanks, messed it up somehow and now am not as leary about try'n again. HA HA..rotfl...will try again in a couple of days.**been stuck with windows for about 1 1/2 years now, a couple of weeks more won't make that much difference** I received good directions..there is a lot to it. Can hardly wait to replace IE,outleak express, and word 2002 with this one cool program.