Topic: Linux or XP

[butchas]

I have this SFF Dell Optiplex GX280 that was given to me that I have been playing with.  It has the 4GB ram and a 40GB HD. Someone gave me a larger tower case with a approx. 210W PS so I moved everything in there and added a 1" fan blowing from the memory chips to the suction fan for the power supply so I think it can take some serious use???  Giving it the 24 hour test now.

I Just picked up a free 230GB SATA HD.  Now the question is what to do?  Maybe some day I will make it into a web server...  But for now it is a back-up computer.  I was thinking about installing Open Office since I do not have the Office CD's that came with the computer.  But, I have the original Dell Windows XP CD that came with the computer.

Here is the question:  Should I install Linux or XP in the bigger HD?
 

[Talvace]

Dual boot until you decide which one is more practical for you. Or just leave it as a dual 

[butchas]

I thought about that but my board only allows for one HD at a time.  I can always keep XP on the small one.  One thing though, Dell has HD rails so it takes 15 seconds to swap a drive.
 

[bigguy]

Partitions are your friend, lol. If that's all it allows is one drive, partition it and dual boot.

[butchas]

I saw on you tube that you can install Mac OSX on a GX280?  This could be another option??

I have been eying up the old Pentium 4 3.2GHz processor from the bad mother board.  I think I will swap out the Celleron D tomorrow...   

[alahuin]

I thought about that but my board only allows for one HD at a time

For a few dollars/pounds/euros, you can buy a pci card with 2 ide slots for extra drives...

 

Here's one for SATA drives..
http://www.conceptronic.net/site/desktopdefault.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=212&cid=10&gid=1060&pid=CSATA2P

[butchas]

Kinda low on funds, this is why I am salvaging computer parts before they go into the dumpster.   

[butchas]

I looked at that SATA card.  Could not find it in the US.  But I am not sure if it will work since I have a small form factor motherboard/ small desktop PS with a 1/2 high PCI slot.
 

[Talvace]

If you install windows first then unbuntu (for instance),  its very easy to dual boot from the same drive. Grub will allow you to boot either windows or linux at starup. No need for two separate physical drives.

[butchas]

Would I need to partition the drive?  If so any recommendations?


I found out why the Old Dell motherboard failed.  The fan motor was week at low speeds, the board heated up and the weak capacitors went bad.   So far the pentium 4 seems to work great. 

[bigguy]

You will need 3 partitions I think if you dual boot linux with XP.

Partition 1 = xp
Partition 2 = memory or something for linux
Partition 3 = Linux itself

Please any of the linux guru's correct me if I am wrong about this. I don't know a whole lot about Linux yet.

[butchas]

I like the idea on both, can use Linux for the internet.  I am tired of all those people trying to get into my windows. 

I just double checked and I have 320GB to split up.  Any recommendations on each size?

[bigguy]

That memory partition only has to be a small one, say 250 mb or so. (I think) I would say 100 gb for linux, then the small partition and the rest for xp. Just my opinion of course.

[Talvace]

I'm gonna dual boot tonight with ubuntu 10.04

* Talvace gets the urge to play on linux again

I'll post back on this when done.

[Talvace]

So I installed linux (ubuntu 10.04) on my WDC harddrive. Partitioned 23 gigs and installed with no swap. I now have 137 gb for vista and 23 for ubuntu. As long as you have windows installed already and you can partition a section of that drive grub can use it to install a linux distro.
 

 
That screen shot is from ubuntu after the install. I love ubuntu for it's ease when dual booting from a partition of the primary drive. I actually installed from the live cd portion of the disk. I'm no linux guru but ubuntu is probably easier to install than windows    , at least it's fairly easy to dual boot your rig at any rate. When you boot up a screen will ask you which OS you want to load and away you go.