Dual Booting with Windows or Just Linux?
It is possible to have multiple, bootable operating systems on the same computer (using multiple
partitions on a hard disk and/or multiple hard disks). Setting up to boot more than one operating
system, however, requires some thought. It also assumes some risks.
While tools for resizing Windows partitions and setting up multi-boot systems have
improved in recent years, there is still considerable risk of losing data on Windows/Linux
dual-boot systems. Different operating systems often have different views of partition tables and
master boot records that can cause your machine to become unbootable (at least temporarily) or lose
data permanently. Always back up your data before you try to resize a Windows (NTFS or FAT) file
system to make space for Linux. If you have a choice, install Linux on a machine of its own or at least
on a separate hard disk.
If the computer you are using already has a Windows system on it, it??™s quite possible that that the
entire hard disk is devoted to Windows. While you can run a bootable Linux, such as KNOPPIX
or Damn Small Linux, without touching the hard disk, to do a more permanent installation you??™ll
want to find disk space outside of the Windows installation. There are a few ways to do this:
Add a hard disk??”Instead of messing with your Windows partition, you can simply add
a hard disk and devote it to Linux.
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