Mobile Computer Workstation

I have 100GB on my computer and I want to essentially turn it into a laptop that uses XP as a desktop computer (to run all my games and graphics intensive applications) and Linux for use as a workstation Mobile (for school and programming). I try to explore what version of Linux to use, but with so many choices (Red Hat, Ubuntu, etc.), which should I use? Is it as simple as backup, reformatting and repartitioning and installing XP so that operating system? All links to the right direction will be greatly appreciated.

when I did, I is 500 MB in the FAT boot sector so you can have your linux there and the right boot, I used Red Hat, just make sure you have all the partitions of your game right, swap, etc.

OK - the best of the simplest (and) the overall strategy for doing this is as follows:

1. Back up everything on your hard drive to DVD, CDR and so on to verify that it has all copied correctly.

2. Re-install Windows on your hard drive, but DO NOT install additional programs at this point.

3. Get a PCLinuxOS Live CD (version 0.93 Big Daddy is currently the best for this - Buy a CD of one of the vendors Distrowatch http://www.distrowatch.com ). You can now start the PCLinuxOS live CD by changing the boot order in BIOS to boot first from CD / DVD. The Linux will probably start. Once you're at the office, double-click the installer icon on the left of the screen. Choose the program disk partition QParted one of the following screens, and resize the Windows partition for one huge may be half its size by dragging the right side of the band score. When you are satisfied with the size (a Linux operating system requires at least 10 GB to work comfortably in - 20 GB is even better), click the small Save button in the upper left dialog. It will ask if you are sure - Click Yes or whatever.

Once done, there should be only a blank gray space to the right of the Windows partition. DO NOT attempt to try to make any more partitions.

Leave this dialog box and continue the installation - there should be a button to auto-allocate partitions. Click on this and three scores will be created - one with a smaller swap partitions on each side called the root and home. Go with this setting self-assigned, and you should talk through the rest.

It is a very abbreviated description. Please navigate http://www.pclinuxos.com and ask in the forum for more detailed advice. Once the structure 3-partition is created, it is very easy to install different versions of Linux as their installers can see the partition ready for use and loan pending.

Linux EXT3 partitions are generally not FAT / NTFS.