How can i install it so when i start up the computer, it gives me the choice of which OS to boot?
and which version of linux is best? I hear theres lots of versions.
Thanks.
also, if i install it, can what i mentioned be done in an external hard drive and still work as if it were my internal hard drive?
Its ok if it doesnt work that way, im just curious about this since i have a large external hard drive .
so i dont have to have a live cd in order to have dual boot?
You can dual-boot Linux and Windows. I do, from my laptop.
http://www.ubuntu.com Ubuntu is the easiest to learn IMO.
The installer is easy and it will partition the drive for you, just make sure you go through the process slowly and read everything, then join the community there and ask questions.
PC Tech/Network Admin… making the painful transition to Linux!
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what your talking about is dual booting if you want to do that you’ll have to look around on the internet for some instructions on that but an easier way is live cd’s and usb drives
Live CD
A Live CD is a cd that the computer boots off of so you can turn on you pc if the Live CD is in the pc it will boot off that if not it boot off the hard drive http://www.slax.org is a good free virson of linux that you can run on a Live CD
USB
or i like to call it a Live Dirve anyways depending on you motherbord you can boot off a USB drive search for MySLAX Creator it has the stuff to make a Live Drive the advantage of a Live Drive is you can use a the cd drive and live drive are very loud cuz the cd is always running
PC Tech/Network Admin… making the painful transition to Linux!
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Ubuntu is the best for you. It’s based on a very stable linux distribution called Debian and you have nothing to worry about its stability. See the following url for step-by-step instructions on installing Ubuntu in your laptop.
I’m running Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty) in parallel with Windows Media Center Edition on my laptop Toshiba A100.
You don’t need a Live CD to dual boot your system. Now-a-days both Live CD and the installation cd comes in a single disk. But Live CD is *nothing* to do with dual boot.
You can use your external hardisk without any problem. Once you installed the os, just plug the usb cable in and Ubuntu will automatically detect it as an external harddisk. Then you can access it just like a regular harddisk.
Ubuntu – http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
Installing Ubuntu – http://www.pcmech.com/article/installing-ubuntu-linux
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No, you don’t need a Live CD to dual boot.
Bootloaders like GRUB (Usally a default for Linux) Will give you the option of which to load.
Ubuntu is easy to learn, and has a very simple install process (that includes dual boot set ups)
Ubuntu – http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
Installing Ubuntu – http://www.pcmech.com/article/installing-ubuntu-linux
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Like everyone says, Just dual boot using the Ubuntu distro. My buddy set his Toshiba Satellite to dual boot with Ubuntu and it was easy for him. It goes through all the steps. Before you dual boot, make sure you know how much space you need for your windows and linux partitions. that way, u wont have to redo everything. And yea, all the bootloader nowadays, work fine, GRUB or LILO
But if you just want to try things out, just go get a live CD and see if thats the distrobution u want to use. Its basically all the same thing, its just each has its own quirks.
Lastly, not a fan of dual booting, so i just stick with linux. only reason i get to do that is i get to remote into my work PC and use my windows apps over there
Ubuntu – http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
Installing Ubuntu – http://www.pcmech.com/article/installing-ubuntu-linux
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