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8.7.3 Installing Linux and Windows on the same machine
The Linux operating system is a modern, reliable and high-performance platform for both business
and home users. Since its popularity is growing, many Windows users are choosing to sample Linux;
however, not all of them are willing to change operating systems completely or have a second
machine on which to install Linux.
The preferred option is to run Windows and Linux on a single machine.
8.7.3.1 Linux peculiarities
From the perspective of bootup, Linux, like Windows, has two parts:
A loader that loads the Linux core into memory and passes it the controls
The main part of the operating system
The most popular Linux loaders are LILO and GRUB.
The main part of Linux is usually installed to an Ext2/Ext3 or ReiserFS file system volume that can
either be primary or logical and can be located on any hard disk. This operating system needs
another volume for its virtual memory (Linux Swap).
The Linux core is located in a file, which must be loaded into memory. Instead of supporting multiple
file systems, LILO developers took a simpler, more universal route: a loader just keeps the core file
location in its data structure created by the special activator program, “lilo”. Because this program
runs under Linux, it can locate any file on a disk by means of the operating system.
A disadvantage of such a mechanism is evident when moving or reducing the size of a Linux bootable
volume. In such cases, Linux stops booting, so you need to have a Linux bootable media ready for
loader reactivation — see Acronis Bootable Media Builder (p. 48).
8.7.3.2 Preparing volumes for Linux installation
Before you start installing Linux, you have to prepare volumes for it. Different Linux distributions may
require a different volume structure, so you will have to follow the installation instructions of your
specific distribution.
Acronis Disk Director provides the easiest mechanism for preparing volumes for further use,
containing everything necessary for Linux file systems and volumes — see Creating a volume (p. 26).
If there is no unallocated space, you can free it by resizing respective volumes — see Resizing a
volume (p. 28).
Experienced Linux users can create volumes manually by means of their specific operating system
installers.
8.7.3.3 Installing Linux
Having created volumes, you can start Linux installation from a bootable CD/DVD with Linux
distribution created from images that are usually located on the first installation CD/DVD.
Because Linux is installed only into volumes prepared for it, there is no need to create any special
properties for the new operating system to hide or change status of any volumes.
After selecting the loader location, you will have to remember that once placed into the MBR, the
loader will overwrite the Acronis OS Selector boot record, making Acronis OS Selector inoperable
