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[SOLVED] Running linux and windows on the same machine?
What would you recommend to use in this instance? I currently have Win XP Pro installed on my laptop and would like to set up Linux on this computer as well. I know about VMware, but its roughly $200 and I don't feel like spending money on it. Is there any other way to run Linux and Windows together? I have done a search on this and came across CoLinux and Topologilinux. Are those two apps what I need or is there something better out there?
Thanks
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If by running them together, you mean you want them running at the same time, you could run Linux under Windows using qemu, or run Windows under Linux using qemu, which can be faster as there is a Linux kernel module to speed up emulation however doing it this way round may cause a problem with Windows' product activation as Windows will see the emulated hardware is completely different to your real hardware.
Topologilinux installs to a file inside your Windows filesystem, which has the advantage of not needing to repartition your hard drive to make space for Linux. You can either select to boot into it directly, or run it under Windows using coLinux. coLinux runs a lot faster than using qemu as it doesn't use emulation, rather it runs Linux as a process under Windows, however coLinux is still beta software and while mostly stable is capable of crashing Windows (I have experienced this myself, but only when trying custom compiled kernels on it) and using a GUI with it won't give as good results as you'd get from running Linux natively.
If you don't need to run both Linux and Windows at the same time, then you can resize your existing Windows partition to make some free space (be sure to back up all important data first), then install any Linux distro of your choice in the free space and dual boot.
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Thanks for your detailed explanation. I guess I meant the latter, with just having linux and windows on the same machine, but running them seperately. Are there utilities that let you resize partition sizes and a program that lets you choose whether or not you want to boot linux or win at start up?
Thanks again
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yes look into QtParted, which will let you resize your windows partition to make room for Linux. Then you can install a distribution as normal. I recommend Ubuntu, but any distribution will work. However you may want to checkout Linux-Laptop to make sure you are not trying to install on a laptop that simply doesn't like Linux. Also, it may help you decide which distribution to use, based on other people's expiriences.
The program that allows you to choose between Windows and Linux (more technically, from which partition to boot) is called a boot loader.
Try searching for "dual boot" for more information as this is what you want to do.
Goodluck.
Last edited by eskiled; 12-04-2005 at 12:54 PM.
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Alright, thanks again. I"ll have to check up on my laptop compatibility. I heard that partitionmagic will do the trick as well as far as making room for linux.
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Most main stream distros...
include lilo or Grub, or both and you choose.
I have just been figuring out how to multi-boot, Win and more than one linux distro. To my surprise, Grub manual tells how to put in multiple Windows or Dos installations, and Windows does not need to be installed in first partition.
However, in most cases, beginners will want to put Windows first, and learn advanced Grub later.
Do be aware that defrag in XP does not compress entire Win filesystem at beginning of partition as older versions did. There are things at end of partition, so do a careful backup before you install Linux, so in the not unlikely event you blitz Win, you can reinstall after the partitioning work is done.
I have always used a Mandrake or Mandriva CD#1 to partition because the manual partitioning tool is so user friendly. You can do this even if you are installing another distro; just partition until partitions are saved, and it starts to search for packages, and hit power switch, start over with desired distro.
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