Howto Install Windows XP and SuSE Linux on the same PC
I have Windows XP Professional and SuSE Linux Professional, 8.0
installed on the same PC:
| Architecture: | CPU: |
| i386 | Intel Pentium 4 1.60GHz |
| Boot Architecture: | RAM: |
| lilo | DDR 128 |
I searched the SuSE support database myself before attempting the
installation of both OSes on my PC and found the following information
in regard to the installation of Windows XP and SuSE Linux on the same
PC. (This is the only trustworthy information that I could find to
reference).
Using the following information I have installed both OSes and have had
no problems to speak of.
- Applies to:
-
SuSE Linux 7.0 + (I am using 8.0 professional)
- Situation:
-
You want to run Linux and Windows XP on the same computer.
- Procedure:
-
-
Linux on a separate hard disk
You can simply install Linux on the free hard disk and configure
the bootloader.
-
Linux on the same hard disk as Windows:
-
First of all you must make room for Linux.
Computers with preinstalled Windows XP usually employ the NTFS file
system Version 2. Unfortunately, there is no documentation available
about this file system at the moment, so currently Linux cannot read or
write in NTFS. Resizing the partition with YaST2's Windows resizer is
not possible.
You may use either a commercial partitioning program or reformat the
disk, after which you can install SuSE Linux and subsequently Windows
XP.
Please note that computers with preinstalled XP may have a separate
partition containing recovery data. This partition must not be deleted
in any case!
-
First create a primary FAT32 partition for Windows. This can be done
with SuSE's installation program. Leave the rest of the disk free. If
you also use an extended partition, it should occupy the remaining disk
space. Please notice that some laptops require a special partition that
must not be deleted.
-
Install SuSE Linux behind the primary partition and copy the
bootloader LILO to a floppy disk.
-
Install Windows XP on the primary partition.
-
For more information on the further configuration of the bootloader
check the article Linux and Windows NT
Further information on Linux and NTFS is available at Linux NTFS Project
Note
Note that the size of the partitions here are only my 'guesstimates' in
light of my own hardware/software.
I offer this information in hope that it may benefit someone, or inspire
some constructive thinking.
