Newbie: How to install

[Mic Q]

When I installed Linux, it automatically installs itself into the existing C: drive and auto-partition.

Now that i got a new HD as my D: drive , how could I :

1. Uninstall Linux from my C:
(good to learn even if putting it there is of no harm)

2. How to install Linux into D:

3. If after installing into D: and after sometime (weeks/months) if the D: drive crash. Will the computer have a problem booting from C: (which is running WinME) as I understand that Linux installs grub/lilo that somehow manages the booting.

4. Can we installed multiple flavours of Linux into ONE HD

[NinjaRider]

the MS bootloader does not support linux OS
so you want to do one of these:

1. either you use the lilo/grub bootloader, which will indeed stop working, when your drive that has the bootloader conf file on it, crashes
but it is quite easy to install the windows bootloader afterwards, so you can still boot into windows (in dos type fdisk /mbr, this fixes your master boot record, generally reinstalls the Ms bootloader)

2. or you use and aftermarket bootloader (like powerquest bootmagic) of which you can make resque disks or something like that

it's generally up to you
i prefer the first method
though i would not advise using windows ME, either use 98SE or 2000

have fun using linux

[Mic Q]

Thanks for advise.

When we install Linux, it will automatically select the C:drive and install.

Is there a way that I could install it (maybe by some form of selection) into the D: drive and a specific partition.

[NinjaRider]

linux doesn't work with c: and d:
you can hower install it on a 2nd partion, which is the only way when using 1HD by the way
and windows will name it's installation partition by defaults C:
and other partitions it finds d,e,f,g and so on
however it wil not find the linux partition by default, i believe there some programs which grant this

[Mic Q]

Does that mean that i cannot install Linux onto the slave drive and run from there?

Linux only can be installed and run from the master drive?

[DCLXVI]

i would reccomaned using powerquests partition magic in windows to format your C: partition with linux and then during installation specify that you want to install on /dev/hda2...

[daemonOS]

ahh... you can add linux to the win boot.ini (windows boot loader). so yes it does support it, you just have to add it.
on a floppy after install ctrl+alt+F1/F2.. now type
dd if=/dev/hda2 of=/mnt/floppy/linux.bin bs=512 count=1
add to boot.ini
c:\linux.bin="Linux"
that is all!

[majoritywhip]

Change D:\ to C:\ by:
Pysically uninstalling the C: and making the D: the master.
Install Linux on the entire drive.
Reinstall original C: drive and make it master

This will isolate the two onto their own drives. If you want to load onto Win just keep your BIOS on HDD-0. If you want to change boot order to hdd-1 go into Bios and change at startup. Rinse, Repeat.

Does this answer your question?

[Omegared]

I used a very easy partition manager, called Ranish Partition Manager v2.40. It easily allows you to resize, to make, and(most important), to make the boot loader and coming back if you don't like Linux.

Installing Mandrake Linux under graphical mode is advised. It comes with a tool for partitioning(in case you don't know how to use a partition manager). You can format, partition and install Mandrake in another hard disk. I did it, even with an old machine, and results are great!(well not so...since the machine is kinda slow)

WARNING: DONT try to install Linux if you don't have a more than superficial knowledge about Linux. Modifying your MBR can make your hadrd disk unusable, with no other option tha formatting.

See ya!

[lakerdonald]

i think that's a bit drastic...
what he means to say (i hope) is that be careful when dealing with your MBR
-lakerdonald