ok i must be bored cos i have a strange inclining to install linux. i have a Packard Bell Easynote5 Laptop currently running XP Home. it has a 20gig hard disc, of which 7gig is stolen for "backup" by PB (duno why i also have an external usb2 Maxtor 40 gig drive. currently if i want to re-install windows i have to run the Packard Bell recovery wizard, which is like having a XP disc in the computer (ive used it) is it even possible to install linux on this system? would i have to re-format the whole hard drive? plus, i am not going to ask for a beginners guide, im perfectly willing to learn myself. but some pointers to some good websites would be fantastic! any help much appreciated cheers dave

super great tutorials, info, etc. (in order of how much ive used them) Linux survival (where i learned everything): http://www.linuxsurvival.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=1&meid=-1 rute: http://linuxcourse.rutgers.edu/rute/node1.html google: www.google/linux linux newbie guide: http://linux-newbie.sunsite.dk/index.html Im a newbie too, its hard, but fun and rewarding. You might have a heard time finding a distriibution (kind of linux, like win xp vs. 98, nt,etc) for your laptop. So at www.google.com/linux do a search for linux on laptop and hopefully youll find osme good stuff there. I highly recommend Mandrake Linux. Goodluck :)!

cheers for the info, i'l follow all of it up

you can also try knoppix which is free and runs only off a disk so you don't have to format or install just pop in the cd and set your bios to run off your cd as first boot

Some manufacturers who supply the operating system on the hard drive as opposed to a CD allow you to burn the images onto some CDRs (usually 2 or 3) to let you free up some disk space. After trying knoppix (a good way to test GNU/Linux hardware compatibility without going through an install), I would suggest moving your data on your 7Gb partition onto your external maxtor and then delete the partition. You can then use this space to install a distro. One of the main ones like mandrake, suse, fedora....or even knoppix can be installed to the hard drive if you like it.