Lnx4Win (GNU/Linux for Windows) is what you need if you don't want to re-partition your hard disk at all. This program will create two files on your Windows partition which will hold your Linux-Mandrake system: one file for the data and one for the swap. This installation mode is undoubtedly the easiest, but it has its disadvantages:
it is slow in comparison with a native filesystem installation: loopback mounting of a file (this is the method used) is not as fast as a filesystem located on a dedicated partition;
if you have to reinstall Windows, your Linux-Mandrake system will also be lost.
However, this is a good way to explore Linux-Mandrake without tampering with your hard disk partitions. For a normal installation, you can skip this chapter.
All you have to do is insert the first CDROM and reboot your computer, as for a normal install. When Tux (the Linux penguin) shows, press the F1 key. Then at the prompt, enter
lnx4win |
From this point on, installation will be carried out as a traditional installation, so go to the chapter "Installation with DrakX", dealing with the installation with DrakX.
Uninstalling Lnx4Win is very simple: you simply have to start the script uninstall.bat. The name of the directory the file is found in is lnx4win and it is located in the "drive" where you installed Lnx4Win.