install

[ukntcme]

I want to install on my windows xp laptop. I do not want to lose any of my stuff on xp. I want to create a 10-15g partition for linux. I have worked with other distros but not sure how I should proceed.

wally

[Slocker]

It's a little tricky, since you need to resize your hard drive and create a new partition. Gparted, the partition program used during the installation process, I think it doesn't assure you to keep fine the Windows partition, specially if it is in NTFS file system. In the web says yes, but I would not assume so fast, because NTFS support in GNU/Linux it's been tricky. I recommend you to do it with Partition Magic or similar; or maybe another forum users can say to you if they've resized a NTFS partition with Gparted without problems.

When you've done the partition, or if Gparted it's a save method, put the LinuxMint CD in the tray and set your computer to boot up from the CD drive (search in the BIOS). From that moment the whole installation it's well self-explained, so you won't have any problem I guess. If you don't want complications just use the two mandatory partitions one for the system / and one for the swap. Later, when you'll become a more experiencied user, start to see how partition in an UNIX system works.

As a general advice, if you have an USB hard drive, save there all your important stuff from Windows wether the method you finally follow to partition.

[rustyman99]

If you don't have any partitions at present then defrag Windows, this isn't truly necessary but it may make things somewhat safer
Download the Gparted livecd,from here
You'll need to unmount the windows drive if you wish to shrink it, but it's all straightforward and well explained on Gparted's site see here
This'll give you an easy and safe method for creating a partition for Linux to install on.

Pop Linux Mint in your drive and off you go
Check out the wiki if you want to read up on anything before continuing

As Slocker said, if you can back up then do so, it never hurts.
I've never had any issues resizing NTFS but thats no guarantee by any stretch.