[help] Installing Mandrake Linux 10.1

Hello everybody:

Sorry for the next (stupid) questions, but I'm planning to install Mandrake Linux 10.1 in my Laptop but I've some doubts about it. I want to install Linux as a second OS in the PC but I don't know if I need to unistall windows or not...

My HDD is 80Gb and I have 4 partiotions on it, as follows (seing under windows xp proffesional):

c: 26Gb (primary) NTFS (here is where windows xp is actually installed)

d: 20.5Gb (extended-logical) NTFS

e: 21.4Gb (extended-logical) NTFS

f: 6.5 (primary) FAT32

the c: and f: drives appear as the first two primary partitions when using Partition Magic and the other two (d: and e: ) are under "extended" and they correspond to logical partitions.

After all this, my question is if I can install Mandrake Linux 10.1 without loosing Windows XP? Can I install Linux in the D: partition (extended), for example, or is has to be in C:? or F: (Fat32)? Do I need to format as linux compatible the partition before installing Linux? or the installation app of Linux does that by itself?

Thank you...

#260690

Partitions are just that partitions. What you do to one has no effect to any of the others. You can install mandrake to any partition. If you have a seperate physical hard drive install it there and save some hassel. Windows is a hog and needs the first partition on any boot disk to put its bootloader. Any os installer shouldl format to an acceptable format.

I wish you luck, from this post, you will be needing it Only one way to learn though

#260717

Hi!! you can't install *nix distros under a NTFS partition, you got to install it under the default partition for linux.

you'll have to format one of your partitions and erase it from the disc.

And then the mandrake installer will install the software under the empty disc space.

Mandrake installs lilo or grub as your bootloader, and it configures it if you have more than one OS. (Windows, Linux)

Goo ahead, Mandrake is one of the best distros for begginers.

#261168