If this guide doesn't help, then look at this one: http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=92701
How to create a dual-boot (dual boot) with Windows XP Home Edition and Fedora Core 5:
I previously had a standalone Windows XP Home installed on my computer and I wanted to put the newest version of Fedora Core 5 on it. I wanted to dual-boot because ndiswrapper was giving me problems. So, I decided a dual boot would be appropriate for switching between Linux and Windows in order to learn from the Internet and its communities on how to use FC5 and/or other versions of Linux.
Before starting:
- Find out how much hard drive space you have free
- Find out how much hard drive space you have
- Find out how much RAM you have (128? 512? 256?)
- This guide assumes you already know which Fedora Core 5 ISOs you need: amd64, Intelx86, macintosh.
- Make sure the BIOS loads to the CD/DVD-ROM drive first.
1a. Have Windows XP already installed.
1b. Depending on how much space you have taken up on the hard drive, you will need to back-up and delete some files; this will clear up space. Afterwards, defragment. Defragment that drive 1 time for each 20 GBs of space that are being used.
For 30 GBs of space, defrag two times.
If you want to do a complete clean install, you would backup everything, restart the computer, check to make sure it's all backed up, reinstall Windows with the Restore CD or Install CD. Afterwards, carry out this procedure.
2. Download Knoppix or System Rescue CD
- Knoppix:
http://www.knoppix.net/get.php
- System Rescue CD:
http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page
3. Burn the CDs ISO to a CD or DVD.
4. Restart the computer with the disc media inside the drive.
5. Get to the qtparted program through the rescue disc.
6. Get ready to allocate your disc space.
- Resize the NTFS (Window's file system) to about 25 GBs. This resize will vary depending on your hard drive disc's (HDD's) space. I would suggest no lower than 15 GBs. Others may vary.
(Go here for more information:
http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_upgrade_paths.htm)
7. Create an /ext3 partition with left over space.
You'll see a free partition that doesn't have any file system (fat, ntfs, /ext3..) on it yet. You'll want to create that partition into something. Try right-clicking.
* If it doesn't let you make /ext3 make an /ext2 (I used System Rescue CD, which allowed /ext3). Make that amount of allocated space for the partition to be 25 GBs. If you're trying to make the eventual switch to Linux, then it won't be a large problem to give more space to the ext3.
8. Create
swap space.
I decided to allocate 2 GBs worth of space toward the swap space. I have 512 RAM but I like a larger amount of swap space. I feel this helps me evade computer crashes. When RAM starts to get too much "paperwork" it will give some to swap; thus, this enables it get back the "paperwork" when it has some free time. You will want twice the amount of swap space for the amount of RAM you have. If you have 128 MB RAM, then you will want 256 MB of swap space.
9. Create a FAT32 partition.
Not many people understand computer science, so I'm trying to break this down a little bit. Ever since Windows XP moved to NTFS, Linux has not been able to write to a part of the hard-drive using that file system. However, Windows and Linux can both write on a file system called File Allocation Table 32 (FAT32). Thus, with this type of partition on the HDD, you can read and write files onto the FAT32 partition from Linux or Windows. Thus, transferring files between operatings systems becomes more simple. Although one may not know how to use FAT32 at the moment, FAT32 is the medium for transferring between Windows and Linux.
I suggest allocating perhaps 8 GBs to this partition. No lower than 5 GBs because you may want to transfer an ISO of something to the partition and then transfer to Linux.
There may be a free partition left over. Leave it alone and commit all changes to the hard drive.
10. Restart the computer and take out the CD or DVD from the disc drive.
10b. Put the Fedora Core 5 install DVD or CDs into the drive.
11. Go through the procedure of setting up the keyboard and language until you come to the part where it wants to install on HDA and destroy all partitions. You'll want to select the choice that lets you create and modify all partitions.
You'll notice there is already the first partition taken up be something. This partition is usually give in megabytes, but you'll see a canny resemblance to the amount of space you left for Windows. Leave that partition alone. You'll want to go to the second partition on the list. When you begin to edit it, you'll notice it already has /ext3 listed. You'll want to modify that partition so the Fedora Core 5 cd will format it for itself. Then, you'll want to go back to the list of partitions and select the swap partition. You'll want to format that for Fedora Core 5, also.
After all that, you can continue on with the installation process.
11b. It will asked you if you want to install GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB) on the first sector or the Master Boot Record (MBR) sector of the hard drive. I chose for it to be the new MBR. Some people differ on this but I chose the MBR.
12. It will go through some network configurations, and you can set those up if you want to. Or you could set them up later. It depends on the person. If you want to install some extra progams from the install CD, then this would be the time to do so. It allows you the choice to select "office productivity" and the ability to bring in new programs now or later. I chose the ability to install KDE. But the first time I did this install, my computer crashed from loading everything on the Install DVD; therefore, I chose to only install KDE and whatever was preset.
13. Continue with the installation and let Fedora Core do what it was to do as it goes through the progress bar stuff.
14. Eventually you'll be asked to remove the media and restart the computer.
15. You'll restart
16. It won't go to GRUB right away. No. Instead it will go more installation steps of Fedora Core 5. Also, somewhere before or after, Windows will run CHKDSK to make sure its disc is alright. While in Fedora's "form-filling" stage, make sure you create a username. I did the stupid thing at first of not creating a username. I didn't want a username at first. But I couldn't login without one, as I later found out. Then again, I probably could have done something as root, but that's a different scenario for another day.
17. After doing the "form-filling", restart the computer and you'll be able to go into GRUB.
Windows will be listed as "Other" and Fedora Core will be an obvious one.
At least this is how I remember doing things. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Linear Mode
