You don’t have to get rid of Windows to use Linux on your personal computer. Why not take advantage of having the power of both operating systems on one computer? As long as you ensure that you have enough room on your hard drive for both systems, your computer will handle both of the operating systems without too much difficulty. The things you need to look at for compatibility with the Linux operating system include: the motherboard on your computer; video card; sound card; printer and drivers.
If you’re installing two operating systems from scratch (generic computer, barebones, etc.) then you will ensure that the hardware is able to handle both operating systems. For example, you do not want to try running Windows Vista on older hardware, let along try to install Linux on top of that. Have fun, but be reasonable about your computer project. If you’re converting an old or recycled computer, chances are you’re better off running the older versions of Windows operating systems. Windows XP is the more stable and reliable system. Partitioning your drive for XP and Linux is fine, so long as you’ve read the requirements for the most updated version of Linux (and XP, of course).
You can visit Linux here before you begin your project on your operating system.
Get your system hardware up to date. You’ll need about 256 MB of RAM. Ensure that your hard drive has 4 GB of free space. A good amount of processor power is the Pentium III/AMD Athlon class. You will also need to purchase software for partitioning your hard drive (dividing the hard drive, and organizing it). I recommend using Symantec’s Partition Magic software for this kind of project.
Create a backup disk for your current operating system. You can also backup your system to an external drive, or another computer. The reason for backing up your system is so that you can try out the Linux system safely. You can reinstall your old operating system with all the files and settings that you saved to your backup disk if there are any problems. You do not want to lose your old system. You just want to install a second system on your computer.
Organize your hard drive. Run Symantec’s Partition Magic software when you’re ready to divide your hard drive for both operating systems. After you’ve read through the instructions, and have partitioned your drive. You may install the operating system. If you don’t have Windows on your computer, but you want to run it alongside Linux, you will need to install Windows first. Do not install Linux first! You will not be able to install Windows after installing Linux. It is important to follow this order of installation for your operating systems to work on the same hard drive.
After you’ve run the Partition Magic software and have installed your operating system(s), you may then boot either operating system on your computer. You’re all set! Enjoy your new operating system(s).
