Installing Linux 3

[kevint21]

I have installed Fedora Core - dual booting with windows 2000. Is it possible for me to buy a second hard drive and install fedora on it and then just connect the cables to boot into linux when i need to use it. Then disconnect the cables and connect them back to the windows xp hard drive at my leisure. I dont want to continue with the dual boot. I only really need to use linux once a week or so to practise some stuff from work.

 

[Kozusnik]

Even easier. When you get the new hard drive, set your current drive to master, and the new one to slave. To be safe, disconnect the power from the master. Install Linux to the slave drive.
Once you're done installing, reboot, test, then re-connect the power to the master drive.
Rather than switch cables everytime you want to change to linux, simply change the setting in the BIOS of your computer.
Change the initial boot drive from HDD0 to HDD1 (or however your BIOS lists them).
Windows has to be the first hard drive, but Linux will know that it is not "hda", it will be "hdb" in the case.
Also by using this method, you can mount the windows drive into the running linux install and share files.

Another option is Xen or VMWare.

Good luck,
Mark

 

[RhythmAce]

Or you can create a boot disk or cd and only boot from it when you want to load linux.

 

[LawnBoy]

Or you can set the bootloader you're using to default to windows instead of linux.

 

[jshurst]

Someone mentioned VMWare above and I second that. You can always boot to windows and just open up a virtual console. Your PC needs to have some pretty good specs to run smoothly and if you have a choice then go with a light linux distro.

Also VMWare Server is now free.