Will this install Linux correctly?

[Densun]

I've never installed Linux before, so I want see if I understand how to. I'm going to have Windows 98 and 2000 installed also, and I'm going to use Mandrake. Okay, here's what I was planning to do:

1) Make three partitions and install Windows 98 and 2000 on two.

2) Make a bootdisk with rawrite (is that the correct one?). Download an image of Mandrake onto one of the Windows partitions.

3) Install! :cool:

I've got a question about the partition part. I'm going to have the Windows partitions created with DOS formatting tools, but I should leave the third one to be created by the Linux installation, right?

[Cuthbert]

You've got it pretty right so far! I've always downloaded the iso images and made cd's to use for installs.... so I'm not sure about any other way of installing.

As for the partitions... you can make all three with dos utils (windows fdsisk) and during the Mandrake install you can just make the partition you want to install Linux on into a linux native partition. Not tough at all.

[Cuthbert]

you should also have a small fourth partition and make that your linux swap partition. 200 megs for that should be sufficient.

[reboot]

When you get Mandrake, you have a choice of install options.
In the "dosutils" folder, you have got rawritewin.exe, which will open a Windows utility to create the bootdisk. Choose hd.img to install from HD.
Run the install.
Note WHERE you have the .iso's or the Mandrake files. In Linux, your HD's and partitions are referenced a little differently than DOS.
C: becomes HDA and partitions after that are referenced as HDA1, HDA2, etc.
If you have a second HD, on primary slave, it will be HDB, secondary master is HDC, and secondary slave HDD, so pay attention to where your files are (the folder with all your install files in it).
When you get to the partitioning part, just click on the HD you want, then the partition (or blank space) you want to use for Linux, then click the AUTO button. It will build the root, home, and swap partitions WITHIN the partition you specify. You can then resize as needed, right there, using the mouse.

[Keyser Soze]

you can also do an ftp install(takes the guess work out of trying to find your iso directory. Just use the rawrite to do the ftpinstall image. Quick if you use broadband.