DracoLord wrote:
> Can I substitute my current OS with this Linux distribution? because
> I'm hearing here a lot about dual-boot... my current OS is Windows ME;
> I got fed up with it, but my machine is OEM, that is, no Windows ME
> cd... can someone help me answer this?...

You can wipe out your WindowsME and install linux instead, but that is
an all-or-nothing approach.

Most people who migrate from windows use a dual boot system so that they
can revert to windows for any task that they can't do in linux while
they are looking for a way to do that task in an ongoing basis.

Microsoft's policy and contract of adhesion that prohibits an OEM from
supplying a full version of the installed system on disk (the former
OEM version) acts to inhibit repartitioning the main drive for linux,
which is probably why Microsoft switched to that policy.

WinME does not have the problem presented by XP where you have to call
for a code number to re-install a crashed system, so making an image as
someone suggested in that thread might work.

There is a thread started yesterday in alt.os.linux under reference
"Linux install" that touches on the issue.

My preference is to install linux on a second drive but worst case is
that a backup scheme of full backups periodically with incremental
backups frequently on cd-rw disks will let you re-install a crashed ME
from your restore disk then again repartition for linux and feed your
backup back in. This is much more easily done in linux than in
windows.

Remember that the problem will only arise in the event that you need to
do a recovery operation on your pre-installed windows. It is not a
problem if you have to do a recovery operation in linux (which is less
likely to happen anyway)