On Tuesday 03 Feb 2004 8:47 pm, David Reid wrote: > I'm preparing to install Mandrake 9.2 to dual boot with Windows XP > on my laptop. It's my first install and I've reduced the NTFS > partition using Partition Magic 8.0 to make 9Gb of the 20Gb disk > available. Ideally, I'd like to install LILO/GRUB on the MBR but > I've read reports of non-windows boot loaders being considered a > virus (by XP or the BIOS or Virus software I'm not sure which) and > advice to retain the XP boot loader and to place LILO/GRUB on the > boot partition. Does anyone know if this is still a consideration? > I'd really appreciate it If someone could also tell me whether it's > easier/better to create the Linux partitions with Partition Magic > before starting the install or to leave the install process to > create them for me. > > Thanks, > > David.
Hi David, I have a dual boot Windows XP Pro and MDK 9.2 on my P4-M laptop. I had Windows XP Pro installed as a single NTFS partition (about 36gig). I just resized the Windows partition using the Mandrake partitioning tool (why use Partition Magic?? :-) and made a second partition (native Linux ext-3). I didn't even bother defraging the Windows partition!! I didn't bother with a shared FAT partition as Linux support for reading from NTFS is excellent or a swap partition (the laptop has 1 gig of RAM). I just installed MDK with a Lilo bootloader and it works great. I also have MDK Linux installed on a PC I use as a router/gateway with a cheapo MSI motherboard. This MB has a virus checker in the BIOS which checks the MBR for nasty viri. Unfortunately it thinks Linux is a virus so I just turned it off (its probably only needed by M$ Winblows users anyway :-). So don't worry about using the MBR... budge over Winblows and make room for a real OS :-) Robert
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