Installing XP & Slackware

[Manolo]

I'm having a problem, I have a 40 GB hard disk , I already install WinXP in 1 partition (30 GB) and I want to install Linux Slackware 8.1, in the other partition (10 GB) but I don't know how.

I know that I have to live some space for the swap partition, and I have to use the Fdisk command or the cfdisk command, but don't kow how.

Some one please helpe me.

[UgoDeschamps]

You only have one partition?
if so, you will need to defrag your drive.
then start the install from the cd... it will repartition... make sure you dont end-up deleting your windows partition... you could also use Partition magic from windows to separate your windows partition in 2... then from the installation cd (linux) you could format that newly created partition from the install... it'll take care of things for you...

Tell us if you need any more help

[Chris H]

Manola, why Slack 8.1?

Can you confirm how many partitions you have at the moment?

[adrenaline]

This might help. In the early days of LILO it had to be on the first 1024 of the hard drive. I am not sure what version of lilo is in 8.0, but this is not a problem in 10.0
Mine is the opposite I have a 40 gig drive and 10 is XP and the other 30 is slackware. I put the xp in for compatibility issues for work but so far hasn't been an issue. The only reason I don't get rid of it is I don't want to reformat yet, but honestly I have not used Windows once yet since the format.

Cheers,
Mike

[Manolo]

So far I have two partitions in my HD(40 GB) one partition that I already use for XP(30 GB) and the second partition(10 GB) that I pretend to use to install Linux.

Note: the two partitions that I have I made it whit the XP cd instalation.

My question is: What can I do to get Linux in my second partition.

Thankx...=)=)=)

[UgoDeschamps]

Simply put the Linux installation CD

[Chris H]

He wants instructions on the way to turn his 10Gb partition into a swap and bootable root partition withouit toasting his 30Gb XP partition using cfdisk or fdisk.

I will write it out later when I have time.

[Chris H]

Manola, in overview you have to use cfdisk to delete the 10Gb partition and then using the free space create a swap partition and a root partition.

I think cfdisk us available when you boot the slack cd before you start the setup procedure. If not you'll need something like a live distro such as knoppix to access the cfdisk script.

Using cfdisk /dev/hdx where hdx=drive identifier will load cfdisk and show you the existing partitions. For master drive on first ide cable hdx = hda, for slave/secondary drive on first ide cable hdx=hdb. If second ide cable then hdc and hdd respectively.

You should have cfdisk showing one of 30Gb and one of 10 Gb.

Move the cursor onto the 10Gb partition and select 'delete'.

You should then have a 30Gb partition and free space.

Move the cursor onto the free space and select 'new', set primary, set a size of 512Mb and make the type 82 (linux swap)

You should now have one 30Gb partition, one 512Mb partiton, and some free space. Note sizes may not be exactly 512Mb but don't worry about it.

Move the cursor onto the free space and select 'new', set primary, set size to default values to use up remaining space, and make the type 83 (linux) and toggle make bootable.

So you end up with one 30Gb partition, one 512Mb partition of linux swap and one 9.5Gb of type linux that is bootable.

If all looks well select 'write'. This will write the partition table information to disk. Then reboot the machine and install slack to the 2 newly created partitions.

Manola, don't do this until someone else has come along and had a nose at the instructions and checked them over.

Be aware that any partitioning you do is at your own risk and that you should make backups of your XP data/partition just in case it all goes wrong.

Can someone have a nose here and check the instructions?

[zba78]

The instructions on the slackware website (found here) are quite useful. Be careful, just make sure you don't delete the windows partition.

And as someone asked earlier, any particular reason why slackware 8.x and not the latest version (10.0)?

[Manolo]

Thankx every body for your help, I already install the slackware 10.0 on the pc, but I'm havig a problem, when I turn on the pc it always start with XP, and it doesn't have the option to start with Linux.

Iknow that it got to be with the lilo program.
Some help Please