I am a Linux user!

I have Mandrake 10 as dual boot with Windows XP, I figured out a new way of setting up both the OS. Since I have two Hard Drives an 80GB WD with 8mb buffer and a SATA 120 GB for video and backup I decided to install both operating system on different drives. The good thing in my opinion is that if one drive fails the other will have the OS and I can get my basic job done like mail and web browsing till I can get the other drive up and running again.

WD on which the Windows is installed has the Master Boot Record for only Windows and is therefore independant. Mandrake is installed on the SATA and I forced it to install the MBR on the SATA as well. With the SATA as active HD I get a nice boot menu on which I can choose either Linux or Windows as OS and the system boots up with the choice. If I enable the WD as active only Windows boots up. This for me is ideal way of setting up the two operating systems.

Recently I asked my son to use the Linux/Firefox to browse the internet and check his mail as well as use the MSN messenger all within Mandrake. He was surprised at the speed he was getting and the system seemed to him much faster than when he was working in Windows XP. Anothe thing he was also happy about was the fact that I had already set him up as a user so he now has his own desktop and all the goodies that he uses just a mouse click away. He is hooked totally and uses only Linux to get on the web through the broadband connection.

For some of the softwares we do need to use the Windows XP since we invested in them and are not available in Linux. Besides I am trying to get used to different free softwares available for Linux. Eventually I will shift to Linux only OS.

For those who have two hard drives this is an ideal way to setup, learn and experience Linux.

Just remember if you are a newbie I would advise you to use the Mandrake 10 which is the most user friendly Linux Distro and is easy to install without really worrying about anything at all.

I have dabbled Have Mandrake 10 installed on a drive at the moment.

Only trouble is, as soon as I run into a problem and I can't fix it, I lose patience, get frustrated and give up. It really is quite a long learning curve, imo, and that's just Mandrake, supposedly one of the most user-friendly distros.

Mandrake 10.1 official will be available for d/l in a few weeks, I'm going to get that and make a serious effort this time at learning this thing.

One disadvantage with having a dual boot system is that if either OS decides to hose the mbr, it's possible you won't be able to boot into either. I suppose you could say that with any OS, single or dual boot, but I've managed to do just that with an installation of Red Hat and XP a while ago. Twas 'format C:' time

And Quad, yes, I'd agree, browsing does seem quicker to me within Mandrake than within XP.

I use Linux, suse9.1 pro is my main OS. I have a small windows 2000 boot for games and the like. I chat, browse, check mail and do all my work in Linux though.

I know about linux, but i play too many games to have it. I read that loads of games dont work with linux, which would be uselesss for me because its the only thing i use my pc for basicly.

That's true the learning curve is pretty steep, no dought about it, but that is because we got used to Windows which maybe an idiot proof OS but unreliable, on the other hand Linux is not really idiot proof but very stable and reliable in the long run.


I sure hope you will really make an effort this time

never used it before - never seen it before!

had a quick look at Knoppix Linux (the fake one sort of where you just boot it from the CD) but never used any of the mainstream versions.

May take a look. Will probably download it when i get my 2meg broadband connection as it shouldnt take long (!!)

But No, Never used it.

You can always give it a try!

Planning on doing so