Please help me install ArchLinux with WinXP (Dual-Boot)? All Steps.

NewsAndHistory · 2008-10-01 22:17:07

Please let me know why isn't this message mentioned in the ArchLinux "Beginner's Guide"?:
"Select any additional partitions to mount under your new root (select DONE when finished)"

Also: Please tell me why's there's a difference between the tutorial (specifically the "2.7.1 Partition Hard Drives" section) at the Official wiki-archlinux Beginners guide & the tutorial at: the Softpedia page?

Full story:
I'm having trouble setting up the partitions on my Dell Laptop (9100) computer. Please help me set it up correctly so I can dual-boot ArchLinux with Windows XP Pro (SP3)? Those 2 tutorials don't explain why the ArchLinux install-disk (Live CD) isn't allowing users to change all 4 major partition/sectors (meaning sda1, 2, 3, and 4).

Last edited by NewsAndHistory (2008-10-02 06:16:49)

AD28 · 2008-10-01 22:52:39

NewsAndHistory wrote:

it doesn't explain why the ArchLinux install-disk (Live CD) won't allow me & others to all 4 major partition/sectors (meaning sda1, 2, 3, and 4)

Hmm just based on your screenshot, it's not 100% clear exactly what you've done up this point.

Have you actually created more partitions? Your laptop most likely comes with 1 big partition containing windows. If you want to dual boot linux, you'll have to shrink the windows partition and then create the linux partitions.

Honestly without basic familiarity with partitions and boot managers, it's probably not a good idea to be tinkering with Arch, especially on a laptop.

NewsAndHistory · 2008-10-02 06:57:26

I'm stuck at this part of the Archlinux "Beginner's Guide"?:
"Select any additional partitions to mount under your new root (select DONE when finished)".

Note: That screencap (which isdisplayed above) is example of what I'm seeing on my laptop-screen whenever I'm trying to partition my hard drive to make room for Archlinux:

Please tell me where to find an up-to-date archlinux-tutorial, which explains the correct way to partition a hard drive with the Archlinux installation-CD. Apparently, Beginners guide is not up to date, as the Softpedia tutorial.

Specifically, I need a tutorial, which explains how a user can simply use the latest Archlinux install-CD to make a reasonable amount of partitions (space) on their hard drive & set-up a dual-boot, without using the "Auto-Partition" option.

AD28 · 2008-10-02 08:22:24

Simply put - the Arch installer does not have the functionality to shrink a Windows XP partition for you.

If you want to do this, you'll have to use something like gparted from SystemRescueCD or any of the beginner-friendly distributions like Ubuntu before you run the Arch installer.

Aside from that, it's still confusing to me how you got to that point of the installer in the first place. As far as I know, "Select any additional partitions to mount under your new root" doesn't come up until you've set the mount points for your swap and root partitions.. so what exactly did you set as your swap and root if you haven't figured out how to repartition your disk yet..?

fukawi2 · 2008-10-02 08:31:50

As AD28 said - you're best using another LiveCD like SystemRescueCD or GParted Live to resize your Windows partition. Until you shrink the Windows partition, you won't have free space to partition for Arch and won't get anywhere.

As a side, and don't take this the wrong way - but if you're having to following the installation / beginners guide this closely, then Arch probably isn't for you. You're likely to damage (read: wipe) something you don't want to. Arch isn't (by design) "new user friendly".

Last edited by fukawi2 (2008-10-02 08:32:31)

Misfit138 · 2008-10-02 15:45:33

By design, the Beginners' Guide purposely omits a method and procedure for dual booting.
A section outlining the steps to do so would probably take up its own page, so generally, an Arch user is expected to have this knowledge already.
If you are having trouble dual booting, or have never done so before, there are countless guides on the web, and the users here may be able to help you with specifics.
BTW, the softpedia article you have linked to is need of correction.
The guide concludes with "At the login prompt, type root and the password you have set up when you installed the system. When you're logged in, type startx to enter the graphical environment"

Funny, since it only covers installing a base system, and omits installing and configuring X.
I wonder who created that page or if they ever plan on correcting it.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-10-01 22:17:07

Please help me install ArchLinux with WinXP (Dual-Boot)? All Steps.

#2 2008-10-01 22:52:39

Re: Please help me install ArchLinux with WinXP (Dual-Boot)? All Steps.

#3 2008-10-02 06:57:26

Re: Please help me install ArchLinux with WinXP (Dual-Boot)? All Steps.

#4 2008-10-02 08:22:24

Re: Please help me install ArchLinux with WinXP (Dual-Boot)? All Steps.

#5 2008-10-02 08:31:50

Re: Please help me install ArchLinux with WinXP (Dual-Boot)? All Steps.

#6 2008-10-02 15:45:33

Re: Please help me install ArchLinux with WinXP (Dual-Boot)? All Steps.

Board footer