Hybrid use of Linux and Windows

On a personal computer, the ipvs and Linux systems can be used to complement each other. In this article, we will introduce you to how to use these two systems on a computer, including the best way to get started, which files can be used, and other content.

In the past few years, as one of the server and workstation operating systems, Linux has been very good at determining its position.

Many professional users have found that Linux is a safe web surfing platform. Maybe Linux has fewer security vulnerabilities than Microsoft's operating systems, but SuSE, Knoppix, Red Hat and other systems are rarely attacked by viruses, because these systems are not the main targets of hacker attacks.

On the other hand, Windows is an essential operating system when it comes to multimedia, especially video editing and DVD preparation software. Windows is still in the leading position in terms of office software and image editing. Therefore, many professional users use dual systems.

In this article, we will introduce you to the best way to use two systems on one machine. If you are preparing for this conversion, there is really no need to worry that the system may cause various problems due to incompatibility. You can also read files in Windows in Linux.

These operating systems derived from Unix can now be identified and can work with a large number of Windows files. If necessary, you can even run mature applications in Windows, such as Microsoft Office in Linux.

　Combine Linux and Windows

Currently, at least half a dozen of Linux and Windows are used together on a PC. However, the most common method of these methods is to install two operating systems on one hard disk at the same time.

In addition to configuring the multi-start manager, this method is easy to implement, but this method requires a large amount of hard disk space. If you have decided to use Windows partition and find that you still need 3-4 GB space to save Microsoft files so that you can regularly view some files, you will feel very troublesome.

In this method, each operating system is stored in its own partition. The current Linux version, such as Red Hat 9 or SuSE 8, takes into account the existing Microsoft operating system and integrates the system into the boot option. However, this requires sufficient free disk space. To implement standard installation, it requires about 3-5 GB of disk space that is not used or has no partitions.

If you have enough space, the Installation Tool automatically calculates a reasonable partition solution for Linux. If necessary, an expert user can directly input the expected partition size without considering the suggestions of the Installation tool.

After the system is successfully installed, you only need to select the system you want to access through a boot menu during system boot so that you can access different systems. The Linux boot program also allows you to specify startup options and transmit these parameters to the kernel.

Best Partitioning Method

If you want to use both Windows and Linux systems as conveniently and securely as possible, make sure that the best partition is implemented. It is very important to consider how many partitions are used and how much space each partition occupies (partition solution ). These parameters are determined based on your security requirements, programs used, and the number of registered users.

It is wise to place the Linux system directory (root directory) on its own partition using the mount point. In this way, the system can be easily restored when a fault occurs. User Programs are usually stored in the/usr directory and/opt directory, but personal files are generally stored in the/home directory, while temporary files are stored in the/var directory.

In general, there is no need to place these folders on different partitions, of course. Swap partition is an exception.

If you want to prevent email viruses or spam, you can add the/var directory to the partition. A good Linux product's automatic partition should contain the following partitions: root,/home,/var, and swap partition. For beginners and those who convert from Windows, it is enough to have a system partition (/) and a swap partition.

No matter which provider you choose to release the Linux system, it will contain free partitioning tools, such as fdisk and cfdisk. These tools are powerful, but for beginners, it is not that easy to use because these tools do not have a graphical interface.

Most new users prefer to use a graphical partitioning tool, which is usually included in the installer for each release. For example, The SuSE installation and configuration tool Yast contains a very easy-to-use partition program.

If you want to Partition on the Windows interface before installing Linux, you need to use commercial tools such as Partition Magic of Powerquest to Partition.

　　Use cfdisk for partitioning

Cfdisk is a partition tool for traditional Linux systems. It can also be used when Knoppix is used for hard disk installation. You can run the cfdisk command from the command line. This program will list all the hard disks it finds and the partition information of each hard disk. You can use the keyboard to fully control the cfdisk tool.

With the help of the mouse and the Enter key, you can select different function buttons. You can easily create a new partition on an unpartitioned hard disk or delete an existing partition. To delete an existing partition, simply use the mouse to select the partition, select the DELETE command, and then press the Enter key to confirm the deletion.

You can use a similar method to create a new partition. Instead of deleting a partition, you can choose to create a new partition. For Linux systems with minimal installation, it requires a root partition and swap partition. To create a new swap partition, select basic partition to create a new basic partition. The swap partition size depends on the available memory size. However, in any case, the swap partition size does not need to exceed 512 MB.

You can specify the partition size by entering the start sector or the end sector or the corresponding size (in MB. We recommend that you set the start sector to the start sector of the first partition. Select Type 82 as the type of the SWAp partition.

This method can also be used to create Linux root partitions. Here, you can still use the options to create and create basic partitions. The size required for this partition depends on the number of packages you want to install. If you are switching from a Windows user to a Linux User and only use a single Linux root partition, the default installation requires only 2-3 GB space.

However, with the emergence of many multimedia files and a large number of applications, the partition size is usually at least 10 Gb. Of course, you can choose to use the entire unpartitioned disk space as the size of the current partition. Select partition type 83 as the root partition.

Once the partition is completed, use the write function to save and apply the current changes. The created partition can be easily used for subsequent new Linux installation.

To reduce the size of existing partitions, you need to use another tool such as the free tool Parted (you can find this tool through the Linux search engine www.rpmseek.com) or use other commercial Windows programs.

Use Linux Files in Windows

Linux users often need to access Windows partitions and their files installed in parallel.

With the help of the Free Windows-based tool javase2fs, Windows users can use partitions in the Linux ex2fs file system at will. Explore2Fs can display all available hard disks and display all Linux partitions in different Windows browsers.
　　
To access data on Linux partitions, you can use the drag-and-drop function. Currently, javase2fs is free of charge and can be used on all systems between Windows 95 and Xp.

　　Use Windows Data in Linux　

In Linux, you can read Windows partitions without any obstacles. During Linux installation, the operating system can automatically identify any existing Windows partitions and merge them into the Linux directory structure.

You can access data and programs in these partitions through the File Manager or command line. Currently, all Linux versions can automatically mount Fat16 and Fat32 partitions to the system, and these partitions may even be available by creating an icon on the desktop, there is basically no real obstacle in file exchange between Linux and Windows systems (including earlier Windows versions and even ME systems.

However, when data is exchanged with NTFS partitions (which are often used in Windows NT/2000 or Windows XP), the problem persists. Linux provides support for such a file system in a way that matches the driver, but these drivers still have some disadvantages, because these drivers may damage the file system in some cases.

Because of this, if you use the bound Linux kernel-based NTFS Driver, it is best to use the read-only mode. Fortunately, the driver does not have the write permission to the NTFS partition by default.

Windows in Linux

Any user who wants to use Windows applications in a Linux environment will inevitably encounter WINE. Although people think it is not mature enough and complicated to use, we will introduce what Wine can do in this section.

Many Linux enthusiasts keep Windows on their hard disks in the hope that they can continue to use certain applications, but some do not want a large operating system. Today, with the help of the widely distributed Windows simulator Wine, you can directly run many Windows programs in Linux. It can simulate application programming interfaces in Windows.

In addition, Wine provides almost all important operating system functions, just as Windows itself calls these functions. Theoretically, Windows applications do not feel like they are running in Linux. The system runs on a virtual system partition. As an option, you can place the real Windows library program (DLLs) next to the Library Program provided by Wine as a backup. In case of any errors in the library program of Wine, you can use these backup programs.

When using Wine, you will find that many common applications can be installed, and you may directly install a simple Windows program on the virtual system partition. Some experts are familiar with this, so you can install more complex applications such as Word 2000.