Xandros 3 install question -- before I start

[Walipala]

Nube here. I just purchased Xandros Version 3 Delux and I have questions I would like answered before I try installing it. From everything I've read, this is supposed to be a quick an painless install on machines already running Windows: It will detect the existing OS, create its own partition, and enable the computer for dual boot once the install is complete. What's implied here though, is that the host machine only has a single partition to begin with.

Here's my situation. I have a Dell Demension 8400 running XP Pro; it has a 160-GB HD. I've already partitioned it using Partition Magic. I now have one primary NTFS partition (the C-drive), plus two logical NTFS partitions (F- and G-drives) that I am using for data and backup. On my HD I have left about 40 GB of unallocated space that I would like to use for one or two Linux distros. This is not a scenario covered in their marketing literature nor in any of the reviews I've read.

Is Xandros' installer smart enough to handle this situation gracefully and be able to put Linux in the unallocated space I've set aside? If not, what would be the wise thing to do here?

Would it be helpful if created, say, a 20-GB Linux partition (which I can do with Partition Magic) prior to installing Xandros? Or, again, would this confuse the installer? Or would it even matter?

I suppose I could ask here if Partition Magic was just a big waist of money, but maybe I'd rather not know.

[Roxoff]

I use Fedora Core, and I just installed in a similar ratio of hard disk space on my g/f's pc. 40Gb is more than enough for a linux distro - just go ahead, Xandros should be able to cope without any problems.

[Walipala]

I use Fedora Core, and I just installed in a similar ratio of hard disk space on my g/f's pc. 40Gb is more than enough for a linux distro - just go ahead, Xandros should be able to cope without any problems.

Actually, it wasn't the size of the partition I was wondering about. It was more a question of what the installer will do if it sees a Linux partition already on the HD. Will it consider this space to be currently occupied, and want to create a new partition? Or will go ahead and install it there?

Forgive me if these seem like silly questions.

[Walipala]

I discovered that I needed to make installation boot floppies, so I made them per the procedure and restarted the box with "disk 1" in the A: drive and the installation CD where it ought to be.

Disk 1 seems to work okay I guess, but when I am prompted to insert disk 2 and press ENTER, I do exactly this and nothing happens. After a minute or two I just had to unplug the box. I tried this twice. I can tell this is going to be a fun project