Can I install Free BSD latest version on my laptop with dual boot?

[Jerry McAllister]

> Hi,
> 
> Can I install Free BSD latest version on my laptop with dual boot (Windows 
> Vista + Free BSD), my system configuration details are as follows

Probably.   You will have to divide your hard disk.
I have successfully been doing that will Partition Magic (7.0) but recently 
got V 8.0 and found it to be completely inadequate - the CD wouldn't boot 
correctly it seems to have errors in the scripts and it would not talk to 
my USB drive which I wanted to divide up - the reason for going to 8.0.
So, I am not sure which utility to recommend for dividing the disk.
If it is FAT, then a couple of free utilities come with FreeBSD that might
work (I haven't tried them), but if it is NTFS, then they will not work and
you will need to get something else.   Partition Magic 7.0 will work
fine, but I don't know where you would get a copy nowdays.
There is another utility out there called 'Partition Commander'  I haven't
used it, but might, after I get my PM 8.0 mess cleared up.

So, anyway, I am sure you can make a dual boot, if you can get the
disk divided.    The handbook instructions work find.   You will need
to squeeze the current MS-V Primary Partition down to make room and
then create another Promary Partition above it to install FreeBSD.
Note that what FreeBSD callt "slices"  MS called Primary Partitions.

There might already be two.  HP (and Dell and some others) puts its own
small slice (Primary Partition) with diagnostic and maintenance stuff
on first and the MS slice (Primary Partition) on second, so FreeBSD
might well need to go in to the third slice.   No problem.  Just remember
it is  then slice 3, instead of slice 2 - slices are counted 1,2,3,4.

Once you get the disk divided, just do a regular install in the
new slice you created.   It works the same as a single-boot install.

////jerry

> 
> HP Compaq Presario V3000z
> RAM - 1.5 GB DDR II 533MHz
> NVIDIA Graphics Card 6150
> NVIDIA Chipset motherboard
> 80GB Fujitsu HDD
> 
> Thanks in advance
> 
> Cheers
> B.Manikandan
> UK
> 
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