Re: help

["Gordon Hart" <who@which.net>]

> hello, I am a graduate student in molecular biology and I AM SICK OF MS
> WINDOWS! I am installing your debian Linux os on my IBM 600x laptop, but I
> still need a couple statistical packages currently only available for MS

'> Q: Can I have Debian/Linux OS installed on my computer while also having
MS
> Windows OS installed (god knows I don't want to, but I need it for now). I
> was thinking along the lines of a partitioned disk, where each OS would be
> on it's own disk...? but how would I solve the booting-up situation, can I
> suppress windows and open it on command when needed?

You have at least three options:-

1 ) Install Windows and Linux to separate partitions. This is not very hard
and both will  run at full speed. When linux installs you generally install
a bootloader such as LILO that can be configred to let you choose to boot
from one partition or another. (some dists even auto configure it to detect
windows, not sure about Debian as it has been a little while since
installing, but anyway LILO is v.easy to configure ) You have to reboot the
machine to change OS and can only use one at a time.

2) Use vmware (www.vmware.com) or win4lin to install windows under linux..
that is, its installed more like an app than a os. I've only tried vmware
but it worked really well for me.. handles pretty much anything apart from
games if you have 128M+ mem and a reasonable speed cpu.. Downside is windows
will not run quite the speed it does native, but its still not a problem,
especially fullscreen where its nippy on a pii 400.  (Yes , this allows
windows to run in a linux X window as an app and when it crashes it just
crashes in its sand box window without affecting the linux machine -- all
the while you can be running native linux apps too! ;)  Upside to this is
you can use the whole HD for Debian and Windows feels tamed and you can use
both OS simultaneously.

3) Look for a dist which allows linux under windows - this way linux will
run slow and windows full speed.. its all wrong if you ask me :)  Actually
it's intended to let people try linux without committing but really it's so
easy to get a dual boot system working these days it's worth the time spent
partitioning just to see linux run properly.


You probably want to go for door number 1), dual boot.  You can always try
2) in the Linux of 1) anyway.


> thanks allot, and I truly appreciate your help, It's kind of hard for us
> main-folk to escape the likes of MS Windows truly Shit OS.

Mmm your not the only one who can't escape completely just yet..

By the way, have a good look around at the math/scientific s/w for linux,
its surprising what IS out there even though some takes a bit of
uncovering..