Disable IDE, Use only USB

[kneoh]

Hi there:

I would like to Install Linux (RH8) on a HD in a USB enclosure.



Then as and when I would like to have a Linux Box,
Completely disable the all IDE channels.

Then boot up my system as a Linux system. So that whatever Disk IOs will be to the USE ecnslsure HD. thus not touching the XP system on the IDE HD.

ie my linux box will be a IDE less system. everything is USB.
I will also use my external USB CD/DVD writer.

I know I can Boot from USB because I had disabled it in the BIOS to stop responding to request If I would like to. for a USB enclosure presently used as a storage device.

Presently XP Win home edition on the ide HD.




Is this possible?


TIA

kneoh

[bailey]

I belive you would be much better off to dual boot, with the two hard drives.
another method would be to use the tray method of changing the system, you just mount a tray in the 51/4 slot and have each hard drive mounted in a cartridge that will plug into the tray, and which ever system you want to run, just plug in the drive, we used that system at school cause it was much easier to just plug in the hard drive when we were learnning all of the differant O/S.

[RRS]

As long as you can set the USB drive as your first boot device in bios (as you've indicated) it shouldn't be a problem.

Dissabling your other drives seems unneeded though as Linux will not normally mount them unless you tell it to.

Since you already have the USB enclosure this seems the most convienent way if you don't don't to dual boot. You just have to unplug the USB cable before startup when you want to boot Windows.

[faulkner132]

It should work fine, but if you decide to stick with a Linux OS long term, I would recommend a dual boot. It would make it a lot easier for you if you just had to select which OS you wanted to use at boot time instead of having to modify the BIOS or unplug devices each time.