dual boot linux and xp

hi , i downloaded all my drivers for windows xp and i am willing to format and install xp on my dv5t
but i also want to install linux and dual boot xp and linux
i never used linux before but i want to learn
i have the primary partition "C:" 80 gb and also i am willing to format the partition of recovery since i'va burned my recovery discs , i have a third parition of 150 gb but i have everything on this partition and i'd like to keep it untouched....
so my question is for someone who want to dual boot xp and linux , wich OS should be installed first , is it xp ???
as for the partitions how many space should i dedicate for the partition where i will install linux ???? ( remember i have 80gb + recovery partition , those are the partitions i can manipulate )
and one final question , wich linux OS is recommended for me ???? and can u give me a direct link to the image (ISO) of that OS to download (if available)

wow that's a long post
thx for ur help

 

If you install XP then install Ubuntu via WUBI you've got about the simplest, most brainless dual boot ever. Even easier than two Windows based OS's.
If that's what you're looking for... excellent.

If you're looking for a true method to dual boot for the sake of learning about dual boots, that's a little different. But I can still help you.

 

no man
i am only looking to make them both work
that's it
thx

 

Well, install XP as usual then.

Once you're done, download and install this:
http://wubi-installer.org/

I've never seen it so easy before, wish this sort of thing was around 8 years ago when I was first toying with dual boots

 

edit: The following recommendation is not using Wubi. Wubi is a bit easier if you're unfamiliar with partitions. The following is the standard method though. Try Wubi first since it's a very convenient feature!

You can refer to the ' Dual-booting Instructions for every scenario' thread. In the first post are external links with a walk through how to proceed.

You may like Ubuntu. It's very big on the GUI, so it's easier to adapt to from Windows.

You can download it here. Choose version 8.10, select your nearest download server and whether you want 32-bit or 64-bit.

 

ok thx gergory
what's more recommended 64 or 32 bit version and why ????
and how about the size of every partition for windows and linux

 

I am under the impression that 32 bit linux is a better platform for beginners, however - feel free to correct me anyone.

 

With the advent of the 64-bit Adobe flashplugin, linux x86_64 is fully serviceable. Almost all open-source solutions are available for x86_64, but wine and proprietary solutions like Skype will need lib32.

 

I installed the 64-bit version of Ubuntu. I haven't used the 32-bit version, so I can't really compare the two personally. All I can say is that I haven't run into any issues. Since I can't say much on the matter, I found these reviews of it that seem to be alright (though one is a bit outdated):

Please Read Advantages and Disadvantages of 64bit. (Plus install Guides)

32bit vs 64bit Ubuntu, that is the question…

According to the _FAQ, Wubi will automatically download the 64-bit version if your processor supports it. If not, the 32-bit.

Maybe others who have used both with similar hardware to yours can speak on the matter.

The size of your partitions is a personal choice, depending on your usage. I keep mine as follows:

• 2GB swap
• 48GB Ubuntu mounted at '/'
• 40GB XP
• Remainder NTFS partition with all my miscellaneous personal files

The installer, whether Wubi or from CD will recommend something adequate.

 

Speaking just about the Linux partitions I like:

One partition for /(for all OS related files)
One partition for SWAP
One partition for /home(for all your personal files, music, movies whatever)

This is simple and has been working great for me for basic desktop use.

 

Consider yourself corrected. There is no difference in learning curve anymore.

 

Thank you very much.

 

thx all for ur replies

i have read somewhere (i forgot where honestly) that there's a recommendation for those who wannt to dual boot that the linux partition must be twice as the size of my ram or something similar (wich i don't find logical at all and cant relate ram to linux partition size lol)
but 40 gb for xp and 48 for linux seems logical as gregory said , but i don't know what "swap" is:$
i think that i can lower the size of linux partition to increase the size of windows just because i will mainly use windows and i game frequently ....
linux is just for personal experience , and browsing since it's confirmed that using the internet with linux is very safe and will save me from anti virus thing or worrying about threats

what did u mean by "mounted at '/'

sorry , i didn't get what u meant by your reply

 

Install Windows first, because you don't want it to change your booting information after Linux is installed.

Then install Ubuntu. You don't need to get fancy with partitions, because you're only running your own computer. In that context, it's a myth that you have to setup each Linux partition individually, and you gain absolutely nothing by doing it in a more complicated way. Just let the Ubuntu install itself automatically in whatever free space you have for it. Ubuntu will give you the opportunity to shrink the actual Windows partition and then install Linux on the free space. Or you can use another hard disk... whatever you want. Keep in mind that Linux itself doesn't need to be installed on a huge partition. It can run quite happily on less than 20 gigs. I recommend using other free space later on as an archive partition (it can be a FAT 32, NTFS or any kind of Linux partition). A good, practical setup is to have a 20-25 Gig partition for Windows XP, another of similar size for Ubuntu, and then the rest can be used as storage for both operating systems. I don't recommend using Wubi unless you're a total noob. If you're going to install Ubuntu, you may as well have a full, real installation... and it's really not that much more complicated to install that anyway.

If it was me, I would stick with the long term supported 8.04 version of Ubuntu. Always having the latest version of everything is a Windows mindset. Oh, and about this ridiculous idea that a full Ubuntu installation is a GUI suitable for beginners, forget that too. It's beginners themselves who think like that. What you want is a complete system that is as fully configured as possible for the hardware you have, and then once you have that, you can do everything from the command line in whatever terminal you want. You can even go totally minimalistic and run everything via window managers like ratpoison or ion if you want. It's not like you are short on disk space.

At this point with Ubuntu, 32 or 64 is a wash. Either will do everything you need. The AMD64 version will use more memory, but if you aren't short of RAM, it makes no difference.

 

thank you starling
i will do that
8.04 , what do u think i should chose between 32 and 64 bits ???
my processor is efficient but i don't know what to choose

 

Hi wewe,
Here are some of my answers/comments to your questions...

1.) When they say double the size of your ram they are talking about your SWAP partition on your harddisk being double the size of your ram. The swap partition is your virtual memory. If your system runs out of RAM then it starts to use this SWAP partition. So this general rule of thumb was made to be safe. Since newer machines have so much memory and if your uses are limited to small things like surfing the web and such, this rule of thumb is looking a bit dated. This is a simple explanation. Google for "Linux how big to make my SWAP parition" and you can read a lot more debates if you want. Another thing to keep in mind is Hibernate and Suspend. Suspend suspends your session to RAM where as Hibernate save your session to Disk. So if you want to use Hibernate your SWAP partition will have to be larger than or equal to your RAM. I don't use hibernate but I use suspend. I have 4GB of ram and my swap partition is !GB in size.

2.) Linux/UNIX has the concept of mounting partitions and mount point. Yet another thing for you to learn and read up on . Basically each partition you create will be mounted to a mount point(aka directory) in your Linux system

3.) Go for the 64 bit version of Ubuntu. It works great for me. Another thing to be aware of, 8.04 is LTS and that is great and all, but my Bluetooth mouse did not auto connect with this version. I moved to Ubuntu 8.10 and it works perfectly. It has to be the easiest, most maintenance free distro I have ever used in my Linux adventures.

Hope that help!

 

thx dude that was a huge help
i have 4 gb of ram and i was thinkin of 64 bit to take advantage of all memory available
about linux version, if it's 8.04 or 8.1 i cant decide , i guess both are great
i will start downloading in a while , i guess i will go for the 8.1 despite that i don't think i will use a bluetooth mouse in my life
anyway i wanna ask something, some users mentioned that skype only works with 32 bit version .....is there anything that can be done to make it work with 64 bit????cz i was told that linux geeks on ubuntuforums can make a network card work like a gpu (kidding of course)

by the way , google guided me to your thread loool
i will check it and decide

 

ahhhh
check here

so isn't creating a swap file with the size that i want and use it as swapping device better than creating a partition just for swap ???
since it says that both methods have the same performance

 

Ubuntu is a free OS, and you can install, delete the partition and reinstall all you want without having to pay hommage to the gods at Microsoft. So don't fret it. Install whichever version you think you want most and see how it goes. There are all kinds of varied experience because there's all kinds of different hardware combinations. For me, 8.04 works with my laptop's wireless, while 8.10 breaks it. There really isn't that much about Unix-like systems that changes, and you can happily work with an OS that is several versions old if that's what works on your hardware. LTS versions are meant to be used where stability is important, while the in-between ones are meant for people like you and me to play with and find the bugs. Even 8.04 is way ahead of the current stable Debian that Ubuntu is based on.

If you have the CPU and the RAM, you may as well go for the AMD64 version. Why? Because you will want to try it at some point anyway.

 

already started downloading amd64 bit of ubuntu 8.1

 

I think you will like it. Enjoy.

 

I've been trying to follow along with this because I'd like to try Ubuntu too. I'm a little confused by the comment that Wubi is for more advanced people, I thought the whole point of it was to make it easier for dummies like me and to help avoid boot problems.

Here is my setup:

6735s, 250 GB in 3 partitions

C:160 for XP (seems large, in hindsight)
D: 40 storage
E: leftover 39 G or so for Linux

Can I shrink my XP partition since it seems I made it rather large, and expand the D drive to absorb it? Without much trouble?

If I just use the Ubunto install am I going to encounter dual boot problems?
I really dont want any of those as I'm not smart enough to fix them.

 

You should make sure that you have a backup of important files before installing another OS/repartitioning your HDD.
While there is (very) little chance of messing up your current XP install or the data on the D: partition, such a precaution would be wise.
You can shrink your XP partition, and extend the D partition, with the built-in partitioner GParted from the Ubunt u ( ) Live-CD.
Make sure that the XP partition is defragmented before you start shrinking it.
Read about GParted here; manual, FAQ's, screenshots etc.
Cheers.

 

Just a caution about all this though: you have to remain aware that not everything may work on your computer, especially if it's a laptop. For example, if you really make use of all the features of your touchpad, anything outside of basic functionality may not work. Also, and this is probably the single biggest obstacle, you may find that your laptop's fan won't work, and eventually, it may get hot enough to burn something.

If you really want to learn to use a unix-like system, you can do the same much more simply by installing Cygwin. You can run many x-window GUI programs, but more interestingly, you can do pretty much everything that you can do with Unix/Linux from the command line. I think Cygwin is absolutely terrific, and it may even be a better choice for you than installing another operating system. Everything that now works on your laptop will work seamlessly with Cygwin. Those guys have done a terrific job with it over the past couple of years.

Here's just one very simple example of what you can do with it, and it's ALL free software. Let's say you don't want to use that crap/bloatware CD/DVD program that came with your computer. You could search the web and find Infrarecorder or other free burning programs. But if you have Cygwin, you already have one: just type cdrecord name_of_file and there you go. It proceeds to burn the iso. No pointing and clicking this and that.

Command line unix/linux is fast, and Cygwin is a great environment to do it in. Run Emacs or Xemacs, Lyx, various provided window managers, install programs from source (for instance, I use ratpoison and links2, and various other programs which easily compile without any problem). It's a lot of fun.

 

Great advice here. I would also say that if you have not used linux before, get a "live" linux CD and run linux from it without installing for a week or so to get the hang of things.
Ubuntu/linux mint have great live CDs. You will be able to browse the web, play movies/music, wireless etc.

 

Call me paranoid but I'm, extremely wary of doing anything that will screw up my windows installation. Not because of love for windows, but because I finally have a functional laptop (and yes, it is a laptop) after over 2 weeks of screwing with 4 different computers.
I definitely think i will go the live cd route. Now can anyone provide a link to one? I poked around the Ubuntu page today and found the Ubuntu download, but nowhere did it say this was a live CD download so I assume it was just an installation file and didnt d/l it.

 

The installation CD includes the ability to run live. So you can download from the main download area, or go here for further assistance:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD

That link will provide you with download links for the different versions. Also it discusses customizing the live CD and setting up "persistence" so you can keep changes after reboot.

 

You are not paranoid, setting up windows is hell

If anyone installs linux as a dual boot, I would definitely recommend having a backup computer in case things go wrong and they need to go to the net to solve the problem.
Though I cant recall the last time something (seriously) went wrong with a windows partition when installing linux. There was an issue with a thinkpad, but it just required some bios options to be modified.

This reminds me, do research on what partitions can and cannot be deleted; some manufacturers put drivers and other things on hidden partitons. Linux sees them, and if you mess around, it can screw up the system.

Sweet, I did not know this could be done !

 

So I ran the live CD of Ubuntu today and it was pretty cool. But I'm not sure why I would switch at this point. Nothing screwed up, so that was a bonus. I liked the open office applications. BUt the whole thing just seemed like a funny looking windows to me, except when I looked at the drives and they were gibberish letters.

What should I do with it (before installing it, if I install it) that will make me say yeah, I really want this on my computer...? I'm sure there is a lot I didnt see, I just kinda poked around looking at stuff for 10-15 minutes

 

Nothing. Linux is not aimed at people like you to begin with. Distros like Ubuntu are pushing it that way but... it's still not right for the general public.
Those "gibberish letters" were because unix/linux and the like do not use drive letters, but mount points.
hd0 - first hard drive
cd0 - first optical drive
fd0 - first floppy drive
...and so on.

 

Another option is to install it on an old computer.

Linux is built for tinkering. Once you play with it, you'll find a lot of nice features. The package manager is convenient, Compiz makes your desktop look impressive, and a bunch of other things hidden deep inside the world of Linux. It's certainly the most customizable, but, depending on the distro of course, not always the easiest to use.

Think of it this way... a gamepad is easier to pick up and play, due to the reduced number of buttons and clean layout. However, most FPS and RTS and MMORPG players will never give up their keyboard and mouse. It may be cluttered, but it has a bunch of more choices in terms of keybinds, sensitivity, and control. Windows and Mac are like that gamepad. Linux is like the keyboard and mouse combo.

 

I'm not a geek you mean? I'm not a techie but I've always hated windows except maybe the first version which was a novelty. I preferred Dos, not that I was particularly good at it or knowledgable about it but I could look up commands. It felt like I was using a computer. Now it feels like I'm using a televsion. I hated it when windows become so "intuitive". Intuitive my ***. I'd rather type "format the goddam disk" than hunt around through files and folders for a stupid picture that is supposed to mean "format the goddam disk".

So is it still not aimed at me?

 

You're right, hating Windows is certainly motivation to move onto something else. I'm glad you're looking to open source and not jumping on the Apple bandwagon like so many others.

Huh, weird. I work on PCs all day and I tend to type those commands because I agree, it's much faster. But I also know that they still exist and I know how to properly use them, so it's no issue. Windows is only as unintuitive as you make it. That said, I know the methods to do everything via GUI on 9x through Vista, but again - it's my job.

Nope, not really aimed at you. Anyone who says "what should I do that will make me switch?" is expecting something they won't get; and it's not made for them. If you loved DOS then you should try installing a distro from commandline, like Slackware. I swear I'm not trying to be rude, I just don't think you're going to be wowed the way you're expecting to be.

 

I know you're not trying to be rude, but nobody has ever called me the general public before, and that is very offensive lol. I'm merely asking what features set it apart, I only spent a few minutes with the live CD. There must be some or nobody would use it.

Anyway this is a good article I found that answers some of my questions

http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT3688964005.html

I'm not looking to be wowed by anything. Computers don't wow me. Something that doesnt hang, crash, p*** me off and make life difficult would be nice though.

 

All flamebait aside, Linux is more about "how" than "what" (as in "what features"). There are plenty of features exclusive to Linux (or more generally, Unix-like systems), but the reason I use Linux is that it allows me the freedom to do whatever I want with my system. That, and the Unix way of doing things fits better with my usage style. It's more of an attitude (or a philosophy) for me. That said, the only way to know if you like it is to try it. Best of luck!

 

This. This is what I'm trying to get at. Since there is no "what," if you don't already have the "how" on some level in Windows, linux will be equally, or more frustrating. Linux is where you go when you need even more control over how things are done than Windows will allow. General public or not (Not sure why that's offensive? You don't seem like a power user. I'm not a mechanic and I wouldn't be offended if someone told me so.) you don't seem like you have the proper motivation to move off of Windows - at least one that will make you happy wherever you end up next.

 

Just install it already and you will know what you like about it and what you don't.

 

I have no control of Windows. Windows cant even control itself. Sounds like Linux may be for me. I dont mind a learning curve.

I think I will just play with the live CD and maybe try a couple others for now, and decide if I want to install later. Since I'll be travelling for a month with only one computer I dont want to take any chances at losing my only internet access.

 

That's a limitation of you, the user. Not the operating system. You will have even less control over linux since this is the level of user you are.

 

Now you are being an elitist jerk, a fact I only suspected before.

 

I think you will like Linux. You say you used Dos in the past and so you are used to seeing a terminal, while a lot of new users aren't. There is a lot to learn and you seem willing. You can run Linux all command line if you want or gave a GUI and command line when you want using virtual terminals. I personally love Linux and its awesome power and configurability. If you have any questions I am willing to help.

 

It's not my fault, nor Window's fault you don't know how to operate your computer.
Now I'm being a jerk, sorry to dump the truth about your technical level on you.

Oh, and last I checked even if to format a disk you type "format the god disk" then you still have to know the command and syntax, the same you'd have to know which picture to press that means "format the god disk." Yeah, you can look up commands like you stated, but you can also look up which picture to press. You're not forced to press that picture, you can still issue the command, the picture is there to make it easy for users like you. Linux will not change this. OSX will not change this. No operating system will not change this. Linux is simply far more customizable than Windows so you can make a UI that is intuitive for your needs. It won't magically be that way.

 

No, its there for stupid people, which I would be one of if I continued to acknowledge your toxic presence.

Thanks, I'm sure I will have questions along the way. I'm going to experiment with several other distros before making any decisions.

 

@Wayne99

Instead of virtually assaulting the forum guys here, i say you go pick up a copy of Ubuntu Linux (or whichever distro you like(d) better) and try it out for yourselves and see if it fits your bill or not. When you really come to see what its capable of, i am sure you will change your mind on this. Linux isnt something what you look at and blindly (seemingly) compare with any operating system, esp.Windows. Its something that is totally different and capable and that too really much, of showing what you want it to be. Its upto you to take advantage of that difference. Thats what its all about.

And there isnt any theory of a distro being a crowd favorite that you should consider it your favorite too. There are 1000's of distros out there, its upto to you to see which one you like best and which one suits your wanting.

Anyways, i have been using Ubuntu since 2 years now. Nobody coaxed me into it or anything. I found this to be a superb alternative for my laptop which got screwed over some windows XP and server edition installations of which i got tired of. And i found Ubuntu to be the right thing for me.

Everybody has preferences. So find what they are and show your individuality by showing what you prefer, not what others did.

And mind you, if you got hurt when someone called you something (general public), dont be, 'cuz you are showing that you are one of them if you act otherwise.

Cheers dude! (Be a geek in yourselves)

And incase with any help with Linux, drop in a message, i (or we @ NBR) would be glad to help. Everyone passes through a rough tide when reaching new waters.

 

Sup guys, im new to linux here and I just dual booted my pc with it. The problem is now every time I start my pc everything is lit up but the screen is blank. I know it is not the monitor because I tried an external hd, so for those thinking of dual booting beware...

On a side note is there anyway I can get rid of linux on my pc beside reformatting the whole thing or at least the intro where it lets me choose which os to boot first?

 

What distro did you install? Do you see anything like stage1 or stage2 in the top left before it goes blank?

For your second question, if you have the windows disc, you can run the installer and select recovery console for XP or recovery mode/command line for vista. The commands for xp are fixmbr and fixboot, the command for vista is bootrec /fixboot

 

Yea, FIXMBR works for XP and BOOTREC /FIXBOOT for VISTA.
Do that in the Repair menu when you boot with the windows cd.

It wipes out the OS choosing menu and defaults you to Windows.

 

dual booting didn't work with me either ....
windows couldn't load because something wrong with the file <windows root> /system32 / blablabla.dll
i google the error and tried all microsoft ways to solve it but nothing worked
also , i don't know how that happened but incredibly my partitions numbers changed loool
i will never try to dual boot anything in my life again ....

 

Well, this is not a good attitude to have if you want to learn things about computers in general. We all get frustrated with things, but take a break and come back. But If you don't want to tinker with them then that is your choice, run whatever works for you.

BTW - Dual booting is really not that hard once you learn more about it. I am doing it on my desktop and laptop which are both fine.

 

i had to delete both linux and windows partition and re install windows on my dv5t
wich is a delicate process
i wish my desktop had a good processor , i can test everything on it in this case
but i cant mess with the lappy