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[Chris Rossini]

I'm brand new to Linux. I've been a Windows user since 1.0.

I recently downloaded Ubuntu 6.1, burned the ISO images, and played around with the Live CD.

I love it!

I'd like to do a dual-boot with XP.

However, I've never partitioned a hard drive before.

I've been doing my due diligence on the Internet trying to piece together what I'm supposed to do, but I seem to be spinning my wheels.

I have an 80G hard drive (C:) of which 26G is used. This is my only hard drive.

I know that during the Ubuntu installation, I have 3 choices:

-Erase entire disk
-Use largest continuous free space
-manually edit your partition table

I don't want to do #1 as I want to keep XP, and I do not know enough to do #3.

Which leaves me with "Use largest continuous free space."

What does this mean exactly?
Does Ubuntu partition the C: drive for me? and then installs 6.1?

Sorry if these questions are are too simple. I've never needed to do something like this in the past.

Thanks. 

[Ajay]

If you have only one partition as of now, I suggest getting hold of a good partition manager like Partition magic or Acronis.

Reduce the size of C: and leave the other space unpartitioned. You can then tell Ubuntu to be installed on that unpartitioned space

[Ryan Wagner]

Acronis is really nice and that is my preferred choice as well. However, it isn't free and there are limited choices if you are looking to do this without busting the pocketbook out.

I haven't tried this personally but some of my friends have and it supposedly works well. It isn't a program that you install, but is instead a self-contained operating system that you run off of a cd to do the resizing and managing of partitions:

http://partitionlogic.org.uk/manual/install/index.html

Partition Logic is a self-contained CD image with its own operating system (Visopsys) included on the disc.  It is not installed as a Windows (or Mac or Linux) program as such -- instead it is written to a blank CD from which your computer can be booted to perform the desired partitioning, resizing, etc.

For this reason it doesn't matter which operating system you've got; Partition Logic should work for you as long as you've got a PC-compatible computer.

Partition Logic is distributed as a compressed 'zip' file.  The zip file contains just the CD image with an .iso file extension (it is zipped so that it's a smaller download -- about half the size of the uncompressed ISO).

The installation process consists of unzipping the ISO file, and then burning it to a CD using your favorite burning application, but is not burned in the same way as normal data files; your burning application must typically be instructed to burn from a disc image.

If you're gonna give that a shot you should probably backup some of your important data in Windows...it's better to be safe than sorry.

[Nogg3r5]

Use the partition manager on the CD! Boot into the linve installation and its in one of the menus somewhere in Ubuntu!!

Its a whole lot easier if you format and install Ubuntu first...I think...

I can recommend a few links from my personal bookmarks...

del.icio.us/nogg3r5/ubuntu My Ubuntu Bookmarks
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=183881 A Guide on doing what you want to do.
http://pcmech.com/show/os/917/ A handy Transition Guide, for that inveitable moment when you want to do something that's really easy in windows, but you just cant find it in Ubuntu. We all get stuck sometimes.

Some personal advice, get another computer, if you have an old one lying around or something. Take an Image of your window installation, I'm not sure on the best way to do this, and make sure this has an internet connection, for when it all goes Tits Up!!!!

[Richard]

use gparted - http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php

Great Free Hard drive partion editor

[Nogg3r5]

Gparted is whats on the ubuntu live cd, so there's no need to make a new cd just for that.

[Richard]

Gparted is whats on the ubuntu live cd, so there's no need to make a new cd just for that.

Oh yeah.... too early 

[Chris Rossini]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions!

I've completed the dual-boot successfully!

I used the Ubuntu "Live CD" to partition the drive, and it worked perfectly. Beforehand I did read on some other forums how people were having problems using this method, but fortunately it worked smoothly for me.

It's great to finally be a part of the wonderful world of Linux!   

[Ryan Wagner]

Linux is really great...my primary machine is still Windows but I have a machine dedicated to just Linux with OpenSUSE and Ubuntu currently installed.

[Chris Rossini]

Yeah, it looks like I still need my XP, which is why I wanted to do a dual-boot. There are some programs that I use that are only compatible with Windows.

The fact that I can run both on one machine is a great thing.

[Nogg3r5]

Chris, when you get used to things, try installing VMware, if ure PC is man enough. Then you can just have an Image of XP to boot up when you need it, like those flashy mac users with Parallels.

Then you can let us know all the problems you had, before I try and do the same

[Chris Rossini]

Ahh...so you want me to be a guinea pig....

Thanks for the suggestion though. I think I've seen VMWare on the download sites that I keep track of...Something to keep in mind, if necessary.

[Nogg3r5]

I have used VMware, on the flipside though. Ubuntu running in XP, it was good, I only have 512mb of RAM, so it was sloooooooooow. With more though, I think it would be faster, RAM is cheap, I need more RAM

[Ryan Wagner]

There hasn't been a better time to download VMWare since they are testing a Beta version that you can get for free. 

[Nogg3r5]

Aren't they all free n e way? By All I mean the Player and Enterprise Editions??