Dual boot with linux and xp

C_Ronaldo

Is it easy to create a dual boot with xp and linux, has anyone done it before?

iv used linux and i was quite impressed with it

DatabaseError

yes, and it is easy, i last used ubuntu, nice easy menus, installed while still running xp, i get a choice when the pc boots.

fermi

If you want to try out ubuntu (or a variant) on the PC/laptop in question without partitioning for the dual boot, then you can use the "Live CD".

Alternatively you can use the wubi installer to install on your Windows partitions, so again you won't need to partition the drives to test out a dual boot.

spud17

My standby Dual Boot and Wider Selection .

Oops just tried it and there seems to be a problem with the site.

Now working.

isotonic_uk

I have just installed Vista ultimate and then ubuntu on a second partition, is working great!! there are some good information on the net, just google xp and ubuntu dual boot and you should find what you are looking for.

FrugalFriend

Yeah it's easy. I'd suggest re-installing Windows, just as normal, stick on your drivers etc.... Then boot using the Linux/Ubuntu/PC OS etc... CD. Click install on the live CD desktop. Choose "Use largest Continuous Free Space." The CD installer will create all the partitions, add the boot menu, and even import your favourites and wallpaper from WinXP (Bless!) . Next time you re-boot voila! your choice of Windows or Linux, and you didn't even have to get your hands dirty!!

Oh yeah forgot to mention, if you've got a document or file on your Window's partition (say in your My Documents folder) but you're in Linux, you don't have to boot into your Windows partion to get it anymore. Ubuntu and most Linux distros now come with the NTFS-3G driver, it basically means you can browse the contents of your Windows partition and see, copy and move whatever you like. It's all done though the Explorer window, so you just drag and drop that document or file from your My Documents folder, straight onto your Linux desktop. How cool is that!

mjr600

It's a doddle just use Wubi.

http://wubi-installer.org/

esuhl

It's very easy so long as you don't use a motherboard-implemented RAID. Linux users refer to this as "fakeraid", and it doesn't seem to be very well supported under Linux.

Oh, and I've always installed Windows first and then Linux. It just seems to be a lot easier to use a Linux bootloader to start Windows than the other way round.

esuhl

mjr600 wrote: »

It's a doddle just use Wubi.

http://wubi-installer.org/

That only works with Ubuntu, though.

But... how does it work? Does it install Ubuntu as a kind of virtual machine?

mjr600

Wubi automates the entire process of installing Ubuntu Linux on a partition, it really is the easiest and safest way to a dual boot Ubuntu Linux system.

It does not run it as a virtual machine

spud17

Oh, and I've always installed Windows first and then Linux. It just seems to be a lot easier to use a Linux bootloader to start Windows than the other way round

I'd second that, Grub always seems to do a good job for me.

p.s. my links in previous post now seem to be working.