Hi,
I know this is a newb question but im new to linux. After I install Mandrake 10.1 and reboot how do i load to the linux os instead of my standard xp home?

boot from the CD.

before installation, there will be an option to boot a rescue mode - a command prompt of a real linux system, loaded into RAM from the CD. Either there will be an option, or if you type linux rescue at the boot: prompt and hit return

put a floppy disk in your drive, and mount it with this command

mount /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy

if you get an error, try mkdir /mnt/floppy - the directory might not be there

then

dd if=/dev/hda3 of=/mnt/floppy/bootsect.lin bs=512 count=1 ; umount /mnt/floppy

where hda3 was your / directory

then reboot (type exit should do that.)

go back into windows, edit c:\boot.ini to have the following at the end:

c:\bootsect.lin="Mandrake"

copy the bootsect.lin file from the floppy to c:\

reboot, and choose Mandrake from the menu

....all of this is, of course, if you installed grub or lilo (linux boot loaders) to /

if not, you will have to install the bootloader yourself.

/sbin/grub-install /dev/hda3

would do that, again where hda3 was your /

thanks but im kinda new at this hmm i'll try to do all that but hmm seems hard
thanks though i'll try