The Multiverse

[jwhiz]

Hi, I have an interesting problem, I think.

I have a PC with XPPro running on the 30 GB HD that came in it.
I've just added a 40 GB HD with Win 98SE on it from an older computer, there are no particular files on it that I can see, just some 98SE apps (which I removed, as well duplicates of apps on master HD, running XP)(that is to say, I dragged out some folders, as I don't see applications showing up in XP control panel).

I had pondered trying a triple-OS system, with 98SE for the hell of it, but that's looking like, so unneccessary - all of the apps I used in 98 seem to be ok in XP, and doing the dual Windows part looks like I might wipe out XP data, which I'd rather not (this computer is not my main computer, but I have some game characters going...)

So -
I have an old copy of Fedora Core 3, with the Negus Bible - so a huge paper manual for reference.
But - it looks like there was some pretty crucial problems with dual booting XP and this version of Fedora, I printed off the workaround, do I even want to bother, book or not?
I was orginally thinking of simply plopping (some!) Linux onto the slave HD, it's only now occuring to me that with 98 on it, the dual-booting thing may be just random, trying to figure out with either Win OS.

So - suggestions?
Can I wipe the 2nd HD, if I do that, can I install XP on it? (I was thinking of moving some big files onto the 2nd HD, and only having apps/games stuff on 1st HD). How would I do that?
I can see that it might be easier to format the 2nd HD and put a Linux on the whole thing, but then I lose the capability of using the 2nd HD for Windows files - don't I?

I'm still thinking of maybe installing the Fedora 3 (as the 'latest' version of book+software Linux I own), but am interested in Ubuntu - there is a good tutorial on dual booting with XP at Forge.

Any ideas? Can I have 3 OS on here without reinstalling XP? Which HD should I put Linux on, if I want to dual boot?
What are your thoughts on old Fedora 3, or newest Ubuntu (it's a low-average setup PC, maybe 3-5 years old, so I don't think hardware will be a huge issue, either way).

Again, this is not my 'main' machine, so I'll only be melancholy, not devastated, if I end up starting from scratch -
I have XPPRO OEM, Win 98SE, and 2-3 old versions of different Linux distros to hand (while keeping Ubuntu in mind).
As it happens, my 'working' machine is an Apple PowerBook

, which I have zero intention of EVER foofing with.

 

[Urmas]

What are your thoughts on old Fedora 3, or newest Ubuntu...

If you're on broadband, this is a no-brainer... ANYTHING but Fedora 3! As for Ubuntu: new 8.04 LTS (Long-Term Support) aka Hardy Heron is due next Thursday. (If you're in a hurry, you can download & install the 8.04 beta.)
http://www.ubuntu.com/

I had pondered trying a triple-OS system, with 98SE for the hell of it, but that's looking like, so unneccessary...

Your call, really; a triple-boot isn't difficult to create, but if you don't need it, methinks you can use your disk space better by wiping the "98SE" 40 GB HD and - perhaps - creating two 20 GB partitions: one for Linux, the other (formatted FAT or NTFS) for "storage" accessible from Linux AND XP.

Can I wipe the 2nd HD, if I do that, can I install XP on it?

Sure, but why bother? It makes no difference which HD you install Ubuntu on... it'll detect your XP and create a GRUB (=bootloader) entry for it.

it's a low-average setup PC, maybe 3-5 years old, so I don't think hardware will be a huge issue

Live/install disks (Ubuntu, Mandiva etc.) DO require MORE THAN 256 MB RAM. Processor? "High end" PIII will do. More oomph better, of course... especially if you want 3D eye-candy.

 

[Abarbarian]

goofedYou could give Kanotix a try . It will fit and run of a cd so you can try it first . If you have less than 512 Kb of ram you would need to have a SWAP partition . I haven't played around with it much yet and I'm a newbie to linux but it seems pretty neat to me . There is a Kanotix thread here on the site .

 

[jwhiz]

Wisdom

I am mulling your replies - I knew Linux could read FAT and NTFS partitions, didn't know, or forgot, that the penguin could read the files on them as well! (the Ubuntu site, I think, has a big section on converting Windows files to Linux files).
I like the idea of only targeting the one drive, it's been a while since I had a muiltidrive box, some reminders on how to start that would be great! Do I then just treat the whole drive as a partition, and install Linux as though I had partitioned a drive?

I guess I should put the stats for the PCs on my profile - I have upgraded this one with 1 GB RAM and my mum's old 128MB video card - ha ha, with that in, I have to be very cool to push anything into the PCI slot below it, the mobo does NOT line up with the case slots, and I don't want to touch the video card again until I have to. The CPU is some kind of 1.4 GHz AMD, anyway, post-pentium III.

 

[Abarbarian]

Look here at post 13 for an example of a pc with two drives and how they have been partitioned . The smaller of the two drives , the 40Gb one was partitioned with GParted during the instillation of Kanotix . No brain ache involved and no pain either .

https://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-3464463-2.php