install linux as second os

[pinakas]

hi

I have 2133 with XP already installed.
I want to install also as second os a distro of linux.

First i know that i have to spit the HD in two parts.

Second what version to install that will not screw up the master boot ?

I mean i want to boot and have the option to choose: Win XP or linux

thanks

[mikez]

All of the major Linux distributions have an installer that recognizes your Window installation.

Most will guide you through re-partitioning the disk and re-sizing the file systems.

They will **all** trash your master boot record, instead you will have the Linux multiple system
boot loader installed.
Some installers will write the menu entry to boot your existing Windows install, others, you have
to read the menu file and un-comment that section.
Unlike Windows, all Linux control and configuration files are plain text files, not something binary.

[Upkeep]

Well, having given up on the SLED10 default OS (when I finally got the registration code and used it, it was apparently out of date!), I used the excellent help available here and elswhere to turn my Mini Note into a dual-boot system with Ubuntu 8.10. Wireless working just fine (connects automatically unlike my SLED10 install), 1280 x 768 resolution just fine, webcam works (not fought with the mic yet). Not tried 3D graphics though as I don't want to bust up my nicely running system. Full screen video in Totem is a bit rough though.

What I'd like to ask on this dual-boot thread is this...

I now have an unloved and unwanted SLED10 installation in a 15 Gb "rump". Is there any way of eliminating it and re-sizing the Ubuntu partition to take up the free space, without having to opt for installing Ubuntu again and chosing to use the whole disk?

There's nothing I need from the SLED10 partition except maybe some of the nice wallpaper pictures...

[willpower]

If I understand you correctly you have Ubuntu 8.10 installed in a dual-boot configuration with SLED 10. You now want to make better use of your 15GB SLED partition?

So use a partition manager of your choice and kill the SLED-partition (from Ubuntu, of course ;-)). Then create a new empty 15GB partition and create a new directory in you current file system as a mounting point (for example /home/deadSLED). Mount the partition there and the 15GB will show up! No need to resize current partitions...

[mikez]

I am assuming SLED was installed prior to Ubuntu - which, **at a guess** puts that 15G partition
**before** the partition used for Ubuntu - - -

That would require **moving** all of your Ubuntu install - - you can't "resize" the start of a partition,
only by changing the end of the partition.

Over time, the installation will accumulate a lot of files that are mostly of interest only to the system -
Not the user created files - - -
The bulk of them live under "/var" (such as your log files, the package manager files...)

So I suggest that you just reformat the 15G dead-sled partition (getting rid of anything recored there) -
Mount it to a temporary location, say /mnt/var
Copy the contents of /var to /mnt/var (be sure to get both regular and hidden files)
Delete the contents of /var (there are system applications running that have files open there - that is ok under *nix).
Edit your /etc/fstab file, add a line to mount the new partition as /var
reboot

Now the system has a dedicated partition for /var and you have the space freed up of having moved
its contents to what was once the SLED partition.

True - a bit of a hassle - but easier than doing a re-install just to move the start of the Ubuntu partition.
If you need detailed, step-by-step, directions - I am sure someone here can write them for you.
Or, spend some time with Google - you aren't the first to want to move the head of a partition.

[Upkeep]

Thanks for the useful suggestions there (dead-SLED made me smile!). I'm sure OpenSUSE is probably a lot better than the SLED10 that my Mini Note came with, but my first couple of weeks of frustration have rather put me off as a Linux "noob".

Thankfully I've not been put off Linux as Ubuntu has been relatively painless for a long-time Windows user.

I guess I should have had the b*lls to just eradicate the dead SLED from the start. I like things neat and tidy, so I guess I'll just have to do it properly.

Any chance of finding the nice background images before they get wiped?

Thanks
Ian