partitioning windows for tc

[P5music]

hi
I would like to install tc on a system having windows already installed.
I ask you whether it is possible and how.
I guess cfdisk has to be used but I ask you describe some detailed steps not to erase windows out of the system.
thanks in advance

[gutmensch]

1. Backup your windows using any tool that is capable of doing so (Acronis TrueImage, partimage on sysrescuecd, plain block copy with dd, etc.)
When using file backup you should also backup the MBR of the disk with a linux command like dd if=/dev/sda of=mymbr count=1 bs=512, as it helps to restore the boot record if anything goes wrong.
2. Resize your windows partition (There are different ways, either do it by software like Acronis DiskDirector or delete the partition table, create a new smaller partition and restore your windows backup - that only works, when it's a file based backup, doesn't work with dd)
3. Boot tc on your pc, create a new partition after the windows partition, type 0x83, format with ext3, follow the steps in the installation procedure
4. Install and modify grub boot loader, Windows can be added to menu.lst using the principle of "chainloading" and it looks like this:

title Windows 7 Professional
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
chainloader +1
makeactive

5. Now grub should always start, leaving you the option to start either tc or Windows.

__IMPORTANT__ Do NOT modify your system, when you're not 100% sure to have a backup, which can reverse any failure.

[P5music]

I read that tc can install on a linux system that is already on the system.
Say I use wubi to install ubuntu into windows, then can I add tc?

[gutmensch]

Well you read the right thing but it wasn't meant for a wubi installation. It was meant for a real linux installation with at least 1 partition for linux. Wubi instead doesn't use a partition but a file inside the windows disk space. This is a good approach when you just want to test something but it has also some limits when getting close to hardware. I cannot tell whether it's possible to modify Wubi to boot more than Ubuntu from inside the "disk file" created within the windows disk space...

[P5music]

I remember, when I first installed wubi on another system, that if it just created a file space inside windows, well, it did like it was a real partition. Indeed I was disappointed because I believed I had been cheated.
I believe that maybe wubi is just a bit more invasive than it declares.
Am I totally wrong?

[gutmensch]

I think it has to be a little bit invasive... because booting the system, pointing to a file in windows space, etc. really needs some "magic" ;-) But I'm not qualified enough to explain any special details about wubi. Either way I would always recommend to make a backup of your windows (it can crash unrecoverable even without any wubi or tc) and dedicate one real partition to your linux - it's the most stable approach when you want to have both, without mixing them up.

[Guy]

You should be able to use Windows to reduce the size of the existing partition.

Then use Parted Magic to create an Ext3 partition and a Swap partition in the free space.

[P5music]

thanks guy
this is what I was looking for
but I need some more advice
please can you suggest what I have to do to reduce windows XP partition?

[Guy]

With Windows Vista you can reduce the size of the partition. Windows XP may not have that option.

Whatever you do, save a copy of all files you want to keep before starting.


Do you have the CDs for Windows XP and all of the other programs you have installed?


If you have all the original programs, you could:

Use Parted Magic to set up partitions as you want them. An NTFS partition for Windows, and an Ext3 and swap partition for Tiny Core. (You could even create additional Ext3 or Ext4 partitions and install other Linux distros.)

Reinstall Windows.

Install Tiny Core.

If you have the other programs but not Office, you could download Open Office.


If you don't have the CDs for Windows and all of the other programs you have installed.

While running Windows XP, run Defragment. Note how much free space at the end of the partition.

Use Parted Magic to reduce the size of the partition.

Create an Ext3 partition and a swap partition in the free space.

Install Tiny Core.