CentOS 5.0 dual-boot with Windows XP

Posted on June 13, 2008
Filed Under CentOS |

This is a summary of  CentOS 5.0 dual-boot with Windows XP:

 When you go to start installing it will ask you to partition disk space for linux (Linux uses swap space and ext3…those are file systems like NTFS). It won’t run on NTFS file format. So the space for Centos won’t be accessible by Windows and vice versa (unless you get special software).

It should walk you right through it, even install the boot loader.

one option here is to reformat the old Windows 98 C:\drive making it fairly small say around 10-MB or so and install DOS on this partition. Here is a link to a boot floppy you can use for this if you are in need of one;

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm ;get the Windows 98 Custom, No Ramdrive floppy disk, the downloaded file creates the floppy disk from either Windows 98 or XP, a blank formatted 3.5 inch floppy is required.

Leave the rest of the space as unformatted free space to install Linux to a bit later on, after you restore Windows XP booting.

When done you will need to re-install the Windows XP bootloader files by using the fixboot and fixmbr commands from the Windows recovery console;

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654

Now you are ready to install Linux, please select your installation options carefully. You have the option to install Linux using the unformatted freespace during the installation process make sure that you choose this advanced option.

A walkthrough; http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/06/18/partitioning-to-dual-boot-linux-and-windows-walkthrough/

One can use the SystemRescueCD instead of PartitionMagic for the reconfigurtion of the “C:\” drive;

http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page


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