assuming your using something like Ubuntu, the installer will have a menu that can do this for you

(same assumptions) it will install the grub2 boot loader for you.

I would just add: always install windows operating systems first, then linux if you are dual booting. If you do it the other way around, windows will destory the grub loader (this can be corrected, but its a headache a beginner probably does not want to deal with).

here is a guide:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

This post was edited by Azrad on Feb 20 2013 06:36pm

Ok. Any idea If Fedora has the grub loader or if that is just an Ubuntu thing? I am leaning toward Fedora because it is what my Ex's dad has used for years and years so i would have a support structure to help me a long. I do not know much as far as the differences between Fedora and Ubuntu.

Also I see that STEAM now works on Linux but it says on the STEAM page that they suggest Ubuntu but do not say anything about any other version. Will STEAM work on Fedora?

Ubuntu is made for noobs and has a huge support system, and this is probably why it is recommended (and I recommend it as well). But feel free to use any of the other flavors. There is nothing wrong with Fedora and it should work with STEAM, if that is what you want to go with.

Yes Fedora will also install a bootloader, although I haven't used it in a while and i don't remember which boot loader it actually uses, not that this really matters to this conversation; it will have an adequate bootloader. As a sidenote you can change which bootloader you want to use, but since you are just starting out, I would use whichever one comes with the distribution you deiced to go with for now.

This post was edited by Azrad on Feb 20 2013 06:45pm

Ok so from what you are saying, it sounds like this will be easier than I thought. I already have win 7 set up on my laptop so now all I need to do is break a few hundred gb off with the built in tool and set it up for Linux and allow the built in loader to let me chose what os to boot from.

Ok so on to the last unanswered question.

Getting drivers and setting them up. I have never set up drivers on a linux based system. I know they do not use exe files to set up and run the installers like Windows. Instead it is some sort of command line that is navigated to the package contents and runs it that way correct?

I don't think this will be too hard to figure out but if you have a link to a guide or a site that breaks it down, I will not force you to sit here and type out the entire process.

This is a rather complicated question. Here is what I would do. I would install linux, and during the install process it will identify your hardware and install the drivers it has for your devices (if it has them). Once the install is complete then see what devices are not working and tackle them one by one (basically the same way you do on windows with a full install of windows).

Now getting and installing the missing drivers can sometimes be difficult with Linux, but I would cross that bridge when you get there.

/e and as usual, I would concern myself with the network drivers first (wireless or wired, whichever you plan on using). Because if these don't work, it makes everything else a pain in the ass (can't get drivers if you can't connect to the internet). I would check under windows to see what network device you have and then look for a linux driver now, just in case.

This post was edited by Azrad on Feb 20 2013 06:58pm

fair enough. I know AMD is boasting stable Linux driver packages these days (some sort of Catalyst for linux) that will cover the system chipset, cpu, and the video card. The rest of the drivers are simple and Realtek should have working Linux drivers for the sound and network devices. I will post for help if I need it when i get to that point.

i would like to add these last 2 things:

most distributions have a IRC chat room (or more than one) that will provide realtime support if you get stuck. Just go in there and tell them your a noob and post your question (or post it here).

Moving files between windows and linux. Let's say you download a picture of a dog and save the file to your desktop in linux. But then later after you have booted into windows you want to use that picture to make a poster. Windows does not know how to properly read or write to the standard partitions linux creates, so you will not be able to just go browse up that file. You will have to boot into linux and then copy the file to the windows drive (linux can read the standard windows partitions, but windows can't read the standard linux partitions).

This post was edited by Azrad on Feb 20 2013 07:07pm

ok so if i need to see something thats saved on the windows side, Linux can read it
But if I need to see something saved on the linux side while I have booted to windows, No good.

That is good to know
thank you

yeah there are ways around this, like you could make a separate ntfs/fat32 partition and mount it as your home folder in linux, then any documents you save can be read by windows, but I wouldn't mess with this now.

This post was edited by Azrad on Feb 20 2013 07:09pm