Partitions for multiboot system

[multiboot]

After finally seeing the need to have linux and wanting to eventually do away with windows as my main platform I need some help in partitioning my drives.

I am creating a new setup after destroying my old windows installation. I have a AMD 64 processor and would like to have windows (for testing and running games tell the linux is setup properly) and linux 32 as well as a linux 64 version. I have a new 200GB hard drive as my main drive and am getting a older 160GB drive for a second. I want to have a partition for each basic install of each OS as well as a shaired data drive for all to share data, such as the 160GB drive.

It has been a long time since I successfully ran a dual boot system and need some advice since I can't remember what the partitions are used for or what the best would be for a multiple os setup.

Questions:

1. can I use one swap for both linux installs and how much space (1GB of ram)?

2. what is the best format type for the shair drive?

3. what space will I need to the basic linux installs? (looking at Fedora and Ubuntu what ever is the best for a dual monitor with Nvidia dual head card)

4. what partitions will I need to have separate for the linux installs?

5. How many partitions and what mount points for the shair drives (such as /home or /usr what is the best config)?

6. Is there something that I can use like partition magic that runs in Linux to make non destructive corrections to partitions if I need?

7. What is the best boot loader for something like this?

Please help.
Multiboot

[a thing]

1. 1GB is good.
2. see other thread
3. That depends. If you want everything on all four of Fedora's disks, that's 7GB itself. I use 15GB ext3 / partitions with .25GB ex2 /boot, 7GB ext3 /home, 5GB ext3 /usr/local.
4. You don't need any.
5. see other thread
6. QTParted on various live CDs like System Rescue CD
7. Everyone has a different opinon on this. I like GRUB because you can do stuff before booting. The other popular boot loader is LILO.

[chopin1810]

For swap space, you're supposed to have double the size of you're RAM.

Or that's the general rule at least...

edited by moderator 2 one liners into one

[chmac]

For anyone reading this thread wondering what "see other thread" means, it means click this link!
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/lin...ggestions.html

Callum.