FreeBSD on a PC with Windows

[Konrad Heuer]

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007, David Morton wrote:

> I have been out of work so long (since being diagnosed as autistic and
> scared) that even as an IT professional, I now get very anxious about
> messing with my PC.
>
> However, I got a magazine that included FreeBSD/i386 6.2 on the DVD and I
> have always wanted to play with BSD.  My past experience included UNIX
> System V, some Solaris 7 or 8, and other variants, so you know a bit of
> history.
>
> Anyway, I have a laptop preinstalled with Vista Home Premium and I would
> like to also run BSD on it.  In reading your installation documentation, I
> do not see anything that suggests I can install FreeBSD onto my PC without
> wiping Windows.
>
> I also have restricted web access so cannot access you web site, so I would
> like to know if FreeBSD will install in a way that will not kill Windows on
> my PC?
>
> I have to ask this, because I once had an old PC and put Solaris on it, and
> that required a dedicated drive.  The PC is now dead, so I have to make it
> all work on one machine.

Hello, David,

I think the most simple chance you have if you do not want to destroy your 
windows installation but want to play with BSD is to get FreeSBIE from 
http://www.freesbie.org/ or so and burn it to CD. Than you will be able 
run FreeBSD from CD only without touching your hard disk.

If you find FreeBSD useful after playing with FreeSBIE for some time you 
may possibly pluck up the courage to repartition your hard disk and to 
install both system, Vista and FreeBSD.

Best regards

Konrad Heuer
GWDG, Am Fassberg, 37077 Goettingen, Germany, kheuer2 at gwdg.de