Main index

Introducing UNIX and Linux

Installing Linux

Overview
Starting out
Preliminaries
      Collecting information about your system
      Installation options
Single boot
Dual boot
      Booting from CD/floppy
      Booting from your hard disk
      A partitionless install
      A dedicated Linux partition
Emulators
      VMware
      WINE
Installing Linux
      Installer software
      Linux partitioning
            Typical partitions
            User accounts
      LILO
The window manager
KDE
      Desktop help
      Applications
      The KDE Control Center
      File access and the command prompt
Summary

A partitionless install

It is possible to provide a dual boot system without any repartitioning of your hard disk. However, repartitioning is a way of keeping the file systems and operating components of your two operating systems completely separate, see below. As a result you may find that you achieve a more reliable build if a dedicated Linux partition is provided.

If you are aiming to set up a dual-boot Linux on a non-partitioned disk - an option which is often offered with many of the Linux distributions - then you should search for a distribution of Linux that uses UMSDOS (UNIX under MS-DOS). This allows Linux and DOS to coexist in the same partition and uses the Linux loader loadlin to boot between each.

While this might seem like a good solution, it should be noted that a partitionless dual-boot installation may have serious implications for your existing operating system. Rather than take this risk, and to be completely sure that you achieve a clean installation, it is better to opt for a dedicated Linux partition.

Note