[Techtalk] Installing XP without affectin Linux

[David Sumbler]

I suppose this isn't quite a Linux question, although it does relate to
the fact that the OS I use for almost everything I do is Ubuntu 8.04.

I got myself an iPhone a couple of weeks ago.  Great piece of kit, but
if I had realized that Apple are as scummy as Microsoft when it comes to
trying to make you do things *their* way I wouldn't have got it.

There doesn't seem to be a way of backing up or syncing the iPhone with
the computer except by using iTunes, which only exists for the Mac OS
and Windows.  There is some Linux software which will allow you to sync.
using wireless, but I use (and prefer) a wireless router, so it is no
good to me.

I eventually got iTunes working in Windows XP (service pack 2) in
VirtualBox, but iTunes won't recognize the iPhone.  After spending many
hours looking into this, I find that it is quite a common problem for
users of VB, and although I have applied a couple of supposed solutions,
they haven't worked for me.

Another solution would be for me to install XP in a real partition, and
boot it occasionally just for the purpose of running iTunes.  I have a
partition available which could be used for this purpose.

However, in the past, I found that Windows 95 and 98 would automatically
commandeer the whole hard drive, so it was always necessary to install
Windows first and Linux afterwards in order to have a dual boot set-up.

>From installing XP Pro in VirtualBox I get the impression that perhaps
it is not so greedy or arrogant as 95 and 98 were - but obviously I
don't want to find out by experiment if my impression is wrong!  So does
anyone know if I would be able to install WinXP Pro in the spare
partition without messing up my Ubuntu partitions or making Ubuntu
unbootable?

Thanks for any advice.

David

-- 
David Sumbler <david at aeolia.co.uk>