tri boot madness!

[Hatecrime69]

Ok, after a new hd and makeing windows 98 on that hd and a bad cd made the install go bad i installed windows nt 4.0 to get it basicly working. I eventually got my cable modem working in it and i have the info i didn't have before to get it setup in linux that i previously had installed but trashed to get my new hd setup and my old one as decaded to linux (still have a problem with that but that is a different story). So as of now i have winnt 4.0 w/servise pack 5 and nothing else installed while i wait for a new win 98 cd and i have my dns, ip address, subnet, gateway info that i needed to get winnt to work with my cable modem. I want to give linux another try but i'm not sure if when (if ever) I get win 98 back (for my games q3, hl, tribes,ut,and diablo 1/2)for maximum compadibity with them, i want to give linux antoher try but dont' know when to reinstall mandrake linux 7.1 (gotten from maximum linux mag) on to my pc and how it will get me to keep win 98 and nt. I'm open to forgetting win98 if i can get all my games working in win nt and linux but my question is should i install linux now before i get win 98 back and will win98 not override my dualbooting software (currently now at the winnt boot manager) or lilo when i install it again? and how should i setup my pc so i can get a tri-boot working or any thing that will get me running all my games fully (for those just-in-case sutations i have a voodoo 1 i can install for 3d accelration) and with minimal problems. *sigh* i hope you understand what i'm saying and i know you get this alot but i'm willing to give linux antoher try and i do like it but i'm afraid i will screw it up without help from people who know what their talking about. thanks in advance!

------------------
AMD K6-2 450 On va-503+
Savage 4 16mb agp
Sound blaster awe 64 value
96mb ram
Dlink de220 isa network card
cable modem