I want to add Linux to my computer but I don't want to eliminate Windows XP. How can I do this?

I looked at Xandros but it looks like it combines with XP somehow. What I want is a dual boot set up with ability to choose the OS at startup. Could Linux work off an external drive thereby keeping it off the PC running XP and eliminate the need to create another partition for Linux? TKS

I want to add Linux to my computer but I don't want to eliminate Windows XP. How can I do this?
Yes, you would need to create a new partition. Yes, you need a Dual Boot manager. NO, Linux probably won't be able to see the Windows XP NTFS partition.





Basically, what you are trying to do is silly. If you want to learn Linux, I recommend that you seek an old worn-out Pentium II class or better computer, and install Linux on that.





Good luck and Happy Computing!
Reply:You can run a LIVE CD Knoppix that you can download


from their website. Download the ISO and then burn it into


a CD or DVD. After you are done , stick the CD into the


drive and reboot your PC , Knoppix(linux) will load and you can learn linux without the troubles to installing it. You can


also partition your drive using the XP manager and risizing your drive. That is more complex . After your hdd has been


partition install linux on the partition.When you come to the booter offered by linux choose GRUB which allow you to dual boot and giving you a choice between linux or XP. Don't select LILO because it won't give you that dual boot option.


Check Kanoppix linux LIVE CD which can even be better than Knoppix. Try both.





Good luck
Reply:You can download and run Ubuntu/Linux from CD without using your harddrive.


Just download it and burn it to a CD.


Then reboot your computer with the CD in the drive.
Reply:I'm not a dual booter....but.... I believe you really need to create a partition to hold Linux. I believe there is a section in bios for dual boot - or it is an option when you're creating another partition (to make it bootable). Then when your computer boots, you get a choice to click which OS you want to boot.
Reply:assume you've have 40 /80 GB hdd





create 2/3 Dos partition leave the remainining space unpartitioned . so that it can be used as a room for linux ,as linux can only work with NON-DOS partition .





thts whn u have unpartitioned space ,u can easily install linux ...





also use VM ware ,so that u can switch back between linux %26amp; windows xp without restarting the system ..





You can alwasy have dual between linux and any of the microsoft OS.





HTH





any doubts buzz me.
Reply:My pc is Celeron 2.4 GHz - two years old.


I have tried Fedora 2 installed version. It worked well,


but slower than Windows XP.





Then I tried many Live CD versions of different Linux


distributions. They all worked well, but I had problem


in accessing the internet.





Then I tried Dynebolic Linux live, it worked faster than


Windows XP. Internet access was very good. You can try:


http://www.dynebolic.org/





Other Live CD distributions:


http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd...


http://alltheweb.com/search?cat=web%26amp;cs=u...


http://search.aol.com/aolcom/search?invo...
Reply:---I have tried installing Linux on an external Hard Drive before, it didn't work. The problem was that my computer wouldn't boot from USB devices. Here is what I ended up doing:


-Got GParted, and created a 5 GB partition for linux, and left a 95GB partition for Windows. Then I transformed half of the external Hard Drive to FAT32, and left the rest as NFTS. That way, everything I do in Linux is stored into the FAT32 portion of the external Hard Drive, and can easily be read from Windows if I need to.

stalk