Multiple OSs

Okay, I'm going to put a linux distro (redHat) on my computer, but I want to keep running windows also. My plan is to partition my HD and just select which I want at startup. I want to only install Linux on a small partition and share all the files across. Is any or all of this doable? Thoughts?

only_samurai wrote: Okay, I'm going to put a linux distro (redHat) on my computer, but I want to keep running windows also. My plan is to partition my HD and just select which I want at startup. I want to only install Linux on a small partition and share all the files across. Is any or all of this doable? Thoughts?

I am not really sure you can put 2 OS on the same HDD. Although, if you had multiple, you can do it very easily.

Bl4ckC4t

yes, it is possible to put two os's on one hdd, i have xp pro and ubuntu on the same 250 gig (125 gig per os). when i installed ubuntu, it automaticly asked me how much i want to split the hdd.

p.s. a friend of mine has osx 10 on a disc, and offered to give it to me. is it possible to triple boot, now that apple uses intel processors?

Also You can share your files/folders w/ your linux partition as long as you get the files while your logged into your partition and you mount the Windows/OSX partition. But to put files on your linux partition from windows you need special software, but it is possible I do it all the time.

okay, but do i have to clone them? i have alot of files and only a 100 gig hd(its a laptop) and i dont want to take up double the space.

If you just want to view them you don'y have to copy them to the linux partition you can just view them, if you are using NTFS file system you can't edit the files on the windows hard drive so you would have to clone/copy them to be able to edit them.

no way around that eh? Cuz id really love to able to access them all as normal

As far as I know there isn't a way around it if your using NTFS, I may be wrong though, if you find out a way around it besides using external drives let me know.

gotcha. guess ill just give it a try.

bl4ckc4t wrote: I am not really sure you can put 2 OS on the same HDD. Although, if you had multiple, you can do it very easily.

Bl4ckC4t

Someone please take this guy's wayback machine away.

Yes, you can multiboot OS's… usually, it's just a case of figuring out which order to install them in so that none of the bootloaders get lost.

As far as accessing your information on your drive, you would have to use FAT32 to be able to modify your files/folders. Partition Magic allows you to convert NTFS back to FAT32 (since you can't normally), but pretty much anything with PM runs the risk of causing harm to the information on your HDD.

A better solution might be to leave some space on your HDD after installing your second OS, and format that extra space as FAT32. Then, you might be able to copy from your NTFS partition to the FAT32 partition, modify what you want, and Windows would be able to see the FAT32 partition when you boot back into it. It sucks to do it this way, but this doesn't run the risk of damaging your data.

you might wanna check out norton partition magic 8.05 not 8.0,or anyother one, 8.05 it can install multiple os's for you on a disk,or several disks. make it multiboot and all.it is also,a superior disk manager/tool. to access ntfs,from another file system:there are tools for that. i can browse ntfs data from a fat16 floppydisk :happy: and do with it,whatever please.

i hope that helps,

peace.