How to duel boot with a NTFS file system

[bpratt]

I want to duel boot install Mandrake 8.2 in my Win XP machine that has a NTFS file system. The manual has a caution note saying “Windows 2000, NT, or XP users should be very careful not to resize NTFS partitions with GNU/Linux. In this case use an appropriate disk-resizing application such as Partition Magic.” This means that I can not use the automatic partitioning built into Mandrake.

I am new to Linux and do not have the confidence to set up the individual Linux partitions myself. Can I make a 10 Gig partition, that is not NTFS, with Partition Magic and let GNU/Linux go ahead and do everything automatically in that partition? Will Partition Magic even let me make a non NTFS partition on a NTFS formatted hard drive? I don’t have PM yet but will get it if I can install Mandrake this way.

If this will not work, are there any other simple ways to install?

Many thanks, Bill :)

[l01yuk]

Can I make a 10 Gig partition, that is not NTFS, with Partition Magic and let GNU/Linux go ahead and do everything automatically in that partition?

Yes I think this should be ok. You don't need to worry about the second partition being NTFS or not, it's just re-sizing ntfs that's the problem. Once you have the partition it will be re-formatted anyway to install Linux. Go for it!

[nomo_green]

yes you can. you can just resize your window$ ntfs partition smaller.

say you have 20gig windows partition now. just resize the windows partition to 10gig and leave the other 10 empty and then run the installer (or you can create a swap and ext2 or ext3 partition w/ partition magic). i'm scared of anything that has "automatic" in front of partition. i use disk druid that comes w/ RH install to partition.

very basic linux partition: swap (make it twice the size of the amt of ram you have) then add ext partition mount point of / that's it. very easy.

ntfs won't bother anything. partition magic is nice to have.

good luck :D