A final question before I do a dual boot install

[SVEN1]

Sunday, my computer will be rebuilt, all new but the case.
I am going to install Windows XP first, then install Ubuntu off the cd. New hard drive is SATA 620gb, my old drive was only an IDE 80gb.

I have a lot of programs that I have been using with XP.
Ubuntu asks to partition the disc and I have to move the slider to the percentage I want of each.
Consider originally I only used 45% of the 80gb hard drive. I now have a lot more storage space to play with.
Any opinions on how much space to give each OS?

Thanks.

[dougalkerr]

Depends upon how much you are going to work with each and what kind of work - or play.
If equal amounts then 50/50 obviously else if you intend eventually giving up on Windows (like I aim to do with my next machine), then leave your orignial disc in for XP and load Ubuntu entirely onto the new drive.
You may be able to do this seperately by using a boot manager.
If you load XP onto the old drive without the new drive connected then disconnect the old drive and reconnect the new drive to load Ubuntu, you will have two independent operating systems which anyone of you can discard at any time. Like I say you will have to use a boot manager after you connect both drives else you may not be able to boot into any of them.
Try downloading Supergrub and burning to a small cd (or a standard one if you don't have an 8 cm one).
I find that you can load which ever system you want once you get used to Supergrub (I am still getting used to it). It has quite a few options. Google all of this first so that you are sure of what you are doing before you go ahead else you may waste your time. Especially Supergrub.
Good luck - sounds like fun...

[darco]

I have learned with installing Linux is to create 3 partitions:
1- /root (10-12gigs)
2- swap (depends on amountof memory, for 4gigs, I use 256mb)
3- rest of the hdd space available

This makes it much easier for reinstalls or new installs as well.

good luck

darco

[trendyabinash]

Hey just give 40 gb around to Ubuntu as the biggest advantage of ubuntu is it can read NTFS partition.

In that way you can use most of the disk space with both ubuntu and WinXP