Newbie, disabling and writing device drivers.

[lucyd88]

Hi Everyone,

I am a complete newbie to Linux Ubuntu. I just downloaded Ubuntu to my USB key and got a C program up and running. Firstly, I would like to install Ubuntu on my laptop but I am terrised in case I lose my photos and videos. How do I go about partitioning my hard drive? My OS is Windows Vista. How do I go about installing Ubuntu permantly on my hard drive and create a dual boot machine?

I would also like to gain experience in writing device drivers. How do I go about disabling features like the parallel port in Ubuntu and writing my own device driver for the parallel port. I have seen a site which has the "Hello World" program as a device driver, What does this program do?
I have some experience in C programming. Have you any more suggestions along these lines that I could try.

Thank you in advance,

Lucyd88

[reed9]

Before doing any partitioning or attempting to install linux, back up everything you care about, your photos, your videos, etc.

How to dual-boot Vista with Linux (Vista installed first) -- the step-by-step guide with screenshots

Linux Device Drivers, Third Edition [LWN.net]