System:
EPOX MVP3G2 w/ K62-500mhz
128mb RAM
15 GIG Western Digital HardDrive

Ok, I have tried to dual boot windows 98 and linux mandrake for quite some time now. I will tell you what I do and then the error message I "always" get when I try to install it.

1. I run fdisk and make a 5 gig fat 32 partion for window install. I keep the rest of the 15 gig drive without partions for where i want to install linux.

2. I install windows 98 on the partion.

3. I boot from the linux cd and run the installation. I select the option to where I can make the linux partions myself.

4. I create all of the partions that are need. /home / and the swap. This fills up the rest of the hard drive. When I hit ok, an error message comes up sayin that: "swap area needs to be "". Then it erases all of my partions from my drive even my windows 98, and now im at square one.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Daniel

Try creating two separate partitions for Windows not using Fat32. Then try to install Mandrake 7.2
That is how I setup my dual boot with 98 and I have never had any problems. It always seems to have problems when I use Fat32 for the windows partitions.

Are you trying to install Linux first? I have only ever run a system where Windows was installed first, and it works fine. I'm running Windows 98 SE and Mandreak 7.2 quite happily, side by side.

Mine is as follows:

6.1GB HDD
1st partition: Windows FAT32, 2GB = 'C drive'
2nd partition: Windows FAT32, 2GB = 'D drive'
3rd partition: Linux ext2fs, 1.9GB = Linux Stuff
4th partition: Linux SWAP, 100Mb = Linux Swap
5th partition: Windows FAT32, 100Mb = 'E drive'

I know that this is a silly number of Windows partitions to have when I've only got 1x6Gb HDD, but I regularly 'play' with Windows (and hence my love of Norton Ghost, as mentioned in most of my previous posts). D drive for stuff that I need, and E is for temp stuff (downloads, etc).

Oh, yeah. I hear that LiLo doesn't like being in a partition above 8Gb, and Windows really doesn't like booting from anything other than the 1st partition.

'Fraid I can't be of much more help as I've never come up against a problem like this. Try putting Windows in 1st. Try searching for other posts of a similar nature, I've posted details of how I got my system to work OK.

Good luck.