Linux Install

[Syndyre]

I'm running XP on my laptop but want to install Linux on an external hard drive, haven't decided on a distro yet, but want to do it without changing the boot record on my laptop's internal drive, basically just want to try it out without risking the XP install at this stage. Doesn't really matter what it installs on the external drive's boot record because I don't have any other OS installed on there. Is it possible to do it that way without affecting the configuration on the internal laptop drive at all? Just want to check compatibility etc and decide what I want to use in future so even if I have to temporarily change the boot sequence in the BIOS to switch between OS's its fine.

TIA

 

[w1z4rd]

Ask in the Ubuntu forums. www.ubuntuforums.org . Will find a lot of people that will advise you step by step which way to go.

 

[bekdik]

Download knoppix or Ubuntu - they both allow you to boot off a CD, which means you don't change the installed OS. Google will get you to the downloads.

 

[Syndyre]

Thanks, used live cd's before, just wanted to try a proper installed version.

 

[ic]

If you want a Linux distro installed on an external HDD that you can boot into, without affecting heXPee, you would need to add a few lines to heXPee's c:\boot.ini file to give you a boot menu option for Linux on the external HDD, be warned though that the Windoze bootloader might not support booting from an external HDD - I haven't tried it before, expect problems if it's an external USB|Firewire HDD.

That said, Linux's GRUB bootloader is much better for dual-boot purposes, which is something I have working very nicely & tricks Windoze into thinking that it is booting off of IDE0 when it really isn't .

 

[Syndyre]

Thanks for the warning, it is USB but its detected in the BIOS as a normal drive so I'm hoping it'll work.

 

[HvRooyen]

Regarding the boot.ini modifications mentioned above:
I just installed Ubuntu (6.06) onto a USB drive, changed boot order in BIOS. Machine now boots without a problem (no GRUB either - obviously no changes made to primary drive) when USB drive is unplugged, but refuses to boot with the USB drive plugged in. (Blank screen, with GRUB top left. No response to any keyboard input)

Any ideas? Will modifying boot.ini fix the problem? If so, any ideas what to change and how?

Thanks