How to add Win XP to my Puppy 'puter?

[jhecht]

I've got a pretty modern 'puter (512 MB ram, p4 CPU, 80 GB HD) that's now running Puppy alone. For various reasons, I need to add Win XP to it, and have all the original Win install CD's for the unit.

But since Win XP is not now on the HD, I can make the HD layout anything I want for optimal use. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I mainly want to use XP for remote access on client 'puters (I'm a 'puter tech). All my current Windoze needs are served by another 'puter.

And could someone point me at threads on how to use 'mkfs'? It seems to work for me sometimes and sometimes not. Is there a Linux live CD distro with a GUI front end for 'mkfs'?

Thanks!

[jmarsden]

But since Win XP is not now on the HD, I can make the HD layout anything I want for optimal use. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Define "optimal"

One easy and reasonable way is probably to use the 4 primary partitions: hda1 == C: for WIndows OS, hda2 == D: for Windows data, hda3 == ext2 Linux filesystem, hda4 == Linux swap. Size each partition to suit your needs. Job done? You could omit the D: partition if your WIndows usage will be light. You could also get fancier and make a separate Linux filesystem for /home or /var or /usr or whatever you want, though the Puppy HD installer doesn't make it easy to set things up with lots of Linux partitions and then install onto them. Puppy is mostly a "boot from CD or USB key" distribution, after all.

I mainly want to use XP for remote access on client 'puters (I'm a 'puter tech).

You do realize you can do rdesktop sessions and VNC sessions from Puppy, right? I use Puppy here at home to do Windows tech help on multiple servers and Win2K and XP Pro client boxes when I need to. Are you sure you actually need XP at all on this machine? If you need inbound remote access to this box, there is a TightVNC server package and an sshd package for Puppy, too.

And could someone point me at threads on how to use 'mkfs'? It seems to work for me sometimes and sometimes not. Is there a Linux live CD distro with a GUI front end for 'mkfs'?

It's so simple it really doesn't need a GUI, does it? mke2fs /dev/hdaX for an ext2 partition, mkdosfs /dev/hdaX for a FAT partition, ... you get the idea? mkfs is just a front end for all the mk*fs and mkfs.* pieces, really. You could even use mkfs to make a Minix fileystem, though why you would want to do so these days I don't know

When it "doesn't work" for you, what specifically happens? What exact command line are you typing? What error message appears, and what (if anything) is the effect on the drive or partition concerned? As I am sure you know as a Windows tech, it is difficult to help users who describe their issue by saying "it doesn't work" without supplying any further information The same is true for Linux issues... Further, in this case, if there is really an mkfs bug, hiding it under a GUI front end is unlikely to make it go away, it will just make it harder to find and debug, I suspect. Provide more details on your mkfs issue, and the community here stands a much better chance of helping you deal with it.

Jonathan