Linux without losing Windows: dual-boot system

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

The whole point of this is to run Linux without endangering Windows at all. Windows sits untouched on the first, original drive.

I am confused by Nvidia drivers would not work. As I understand it, you have modified the boot procedure (boot sector, NTLDR, Boot.ini etc) so that Windows boots from an active partition on the first drive or Linux boots (using the 512 byte file Linux.lnx) from the second drive. If correct, then Nvidia drivers should be intact and the Windows kernel unmodified.

Must you reboot to use each OS or does this boot one OS from the other?

Linux currently requires 256Mb memory minimum. Is any version still available for a 64Mb machine?