How to Add Linux to Your Windows Computer

Hello Windows user. Curious about Linux but don't want to disturb Windows? Is it finally time to check out Linux for yourself? Well, here's how to: . - choose Windows OR Linux at boot time . - test to be sure Linux works from CD . - install Linux to your hard drive [optional] . - without disturbing Windows . - from the safety of a Live CD . - all in one afternoon.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• computer & Windows 98 or newer
• 7 GB+ hard drive space to spare
• CD burner and software
• blank CD-R or 700MB CD-RW
• Internet connection by Ethernet
• BACKUP of ALL critical data

1. PCLOS Start Button Have you burned a CD before? This time you'll create a bootable "Live CD" from an ISO image downloaded from http://getpclinuxos.com/KDE/ [link at bottom of article]. Just click on the big DOWNLOAD button at that site. This will put a touch under 700 megabytes of ISO file onto your hard drive named "pclinuxos-200x.iso".
   
   Remember WHERE you put it and allow a couple of hours for it to arrive. Saving to My Documents is a good place. Don't delete it until AFTER installing Linux - as insurance against using too much hard drive space for Linux. Plus, you may want to burn more copies for your friends!
2. Linux is FREE! You did back up irreplaceable data, right? A disk cleanup? And a scan-disk? If not, do so now and return.
   
   Open My Documents, double click on "pclinuxos-200x.iso", and "Open With" your CD burning program [Nero, EasyCDcreator - or download "gratis-ware" named ImgBurn] [link at bottom of article].
   
   Perform the burning program steps to create your bootable CD. Basically, insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW and click okay. Don't just create a data backup - BURN the ISO image. ImgBurn helps you avoid that confusion.
3. Live CD Menu Restart Windows with the CD in the drive. This will boot your computer from the CD directly into Linux. If the CD doesn't boot, power on again and push F12 or enter BIOS [F2, F8, ESC, varies] to edit your boot device order. You want CD boot to be tried first - before Hard Drive boot.
   
   If still not booting - check that you didn't do a data backup instead of an ISO burn. If a data backup was done, the CD will have only one file. If you burned it [ImgBurn is the best tool for this], there will be many files and directories on your new CD.
4. PCLinuxOS 2007 start up The first time you use your new CD, arrow down to "MediaCheck" to be 100% sure it's good - "LiveCD" is default - and push Enter. The new CD will be carefully checked for errors before proceeding. This takes about 5 extra minutes and then startup will resume. Worth the effort so no errors happen later!
   
   Accept all the default choices to questions asked during the Linux startup - 10 more Enter key pushes and the system is fully configured for Linux. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes. If problems occur, you can read the configuration questions and use obvious options - but the defaults work most of the time
   
   Log on as username "root" and password "root". You are now running Linux on your PC!
5. DiskDrake Partition Editor Notice the Icon that says "Install PCLinuxOS" and double click it. Just click "Next" until you see the 4 choices for partitioning. Click the "Custom disk partitioning" radio button. You will resize your windows partition [using DiskDrake - see screenshot] to leave 7 GB available for Linux, so click on the blue "hda1" and read the info. Note your Windows partition size (18 GB in pic) and percent used (49%). That will work, so click on "Resize".
   
   Note for advanced folks: if you have multiple partitions, you can resize any of them - or even delete them - or see and identify free space not even used yet. But this tool can zap everything, so proceed with extreme caution!
6. Move the slider on the "Choose the new size" bar to the left until it has decreased the size by about 7 GB. Example: if it started as 18000MB, slide until it says 11000MB and click ok. The slider won't let you make the Windows partition too small.
   
   The partition will be resized and a new empty 7 GB partition will be created - and then you MUST shut down your computer, restart Linux from the CD, then perform steps 3 and 4 again. On step 5 , pick the Radio Button that says "Use Available Space". Install to the space that you just created. Now just let the installation complete by accepting defaults!
7. Linus Torvalds created Linux in 1991 IMPORTANT: You will be asked for a root password, then for a regular user name and user password. REMEMBER your root and user answers. DON'T use obvious passwords, ESPECIALLY for ROOT USER. Linux is SECURE so you need those passwords! AND - when you use Linux from the hard drive - do so as the regular user - NOT as root!
   
   When installation completes, shut down, remove the CD - and start up again. That brand new computer startup menu you see will let you choose Windows or Linux. It will quickly default to Linux - but that can be changed. Now all you need is a few days to learn the Linux ropes - by playing and/or clicking the "PCLOS Help & Documentation" link below.

Tips & Warnings

• Many have done this installation before you. A knowledgeable friend at your side would be nice. But - because of the distribution chosen - default choices will very likely be the right ones for you - which makes it very nice - fast - and easy!
• Windows does NOT have native ability to burn ISO images. ImgBurn adds that ability for free [see Resources]. A Microsoft Power Tool supposed to provide the ISO burn functionality is - borked. As noted in Step THREE, do an ISO burn, not a data backup.
• Feel free to stop after Step FOUR and experience Linux - a little slow off the CD and not ready for updates, new applications or serious customization - but definitely usable!
• How to shut down Linux? Click the bottom left button [picture at Step One]. "Log Out ..." "Turn off computer", "Restart computer" or "Log off" so another user can have their turn. Switch user is there too. Amazingly similar to Windows!
• A good project for overnight - apply all available Linux updates. From the tool bar, click on "Package Manager". Enter the ROOT PASSWORD. A new window opens and initializes your package status. Click the RELOAD button. The initialization repeats. Click MARK ALL UPGRADES, then APPLY. You have just updated everything - both for security as in Windows - but also for the LATEST VERSION of all software currently installed! Repeat monthly.
• Your first "after repartition" startup of Windows will result in a scan/repair of the disk; don't panic. All Windows knows is that something changed [Linux? What Linux?]. Mr. Gates' creation will look, mull it over, and eventually announce all is well.
• There is a finite risk of destroying all data during the repartitioning Step SIX. So back up all critical data! Remember - you were warned!
• Do a Windows scan-disk before resizing its partition - pre-existing problems with Windows file structure might cause data disaster during repartitioning.
• During Step SIX, shut down Linux normally after resizing the Windows partition. This SHUTDOWN and RESTART before installation of Linux is absolutely necessary to synchronize BIOS with the partition resizing! Then follow Steps THREE and FOUR again - but at Step FIVE, click the Radio button for "Use available space" instead of "Custom partitioning".