Linux and Windows XP

Support knowledgebase (dstark_linux_xp)

SuSE Linux: Versions since 7.0

Situation

You want to run Linux and Windows XP on the same computer.

Procedure

Linux on a Separate Hard Disk

Simply install Linux on the free hard disk and configure the boot loader.

Linux on the Same Hard Disk as Windows

First, make room for Linux. Computers with preinstalled Windows XP usually employ the NTFS file system Version 2. Unfortunately, there is no documentation available about this file system at the moment, so Linux currently cannot read or write in NTFS. Resizing the partition with YaST2's Windows resizer is not possible.

Use either a commercial partitioning program or reformat the disk. After this, you can install SuSE Linux and subsequently Windows XP.

Computers with preinstalled XP may have a separate partition containing recovery data. This partition must not be deleted!

• First, create a primary FAT32 partition for Windows. This can be done with SuSE's installation program. Leave the rest of the disk free. If you also use an extended partition, it should occupy the remaining disk space. Some laptops require a special partition that must not be deleted.



• Install SuSE Linux after the first partition and copy the boot loader LILO to a floppy disk.



• Install Windows XP on the primary partition.



• For more information about the configuration of the boot loader, check the article Linux and Windows NT

More information on Linux and NTFS is available at Linux NTFS Project

Linux and Windows NT

Installing Linux,DOS,Windows,WindowsNT onto one hard disk

Enhance disk space for linux