如果要同时安装：
WinXP
Win98
Linux
FreeBSD

应该怎样分区40GB的磁盘？
怎样的安装顺序是合理的？
Linux和FreeBSD是否可以功用Swap分区？

可不可以将一些程序的文件安装在WinXP和Win98的公共可读的目录下，这样就可以节省磁盘空间？

谢谢

yes. linux and freebsd can share swap
http://www.linux.org/docs/ldp/howto/mini/Linux+FreeBSD-3.html
but it doesn't help you out(and no longer necessary).

you have at most 4 primary partitions on a disk.

1. you can have winxp and win98 in the same partition (if you choose vfat32);
2. and you need a small primary partition for /boot of linux;
3. a ext2/3 partition for linux.
4. a swap for linux
5. although freebsd can squeeze into one single partition, including swap, you don't have this last one.

But can't swap or / of linux freeBSD be installed in a logical partition?

Does that mean I can at the most have WinXp, Win98 and (Linux xor FreeBSD) installed?

And what is the recommended installation sequence?

WinXP first or Linux first?

many thanks

swap definitely can be in extented partition/logical drive, but don't think that helps.

coz, freebsd does need a primary, and probably so does linux. I would be too happy to have my linux "/" in a extended partition.

install the 4 OS?

But which one should I install first?

does the following work:

98->winXP->Linux or
Linux->98->winXP then I use the Linux boot to recover the MBR?

many thanks.

1、不懂你为什么要安装这么多类似的操作系统，为了测试目的吗？否则只要windows和linux系统各选择一个版本就可以了。

2、安装顺序，win98->winxp->linux，不能颠倒，否则手工配置启动程序很麻烦。

3、win98和winxp可以在一个盘符上，也可以不同，同时建议你再分一个用户盘，存放自己的文件，这样在linux里面也可以访问这个盘文件，比如说听听音乐。同时建议用户盘用fat分区，除非你懂得编译linux内核。

4、Linux系统可以分一个swap和一个ex3/?文件系统，可以将/和/boot放在一个分区。

5、分区的时候，先分好windows下面的几个区（包括用户区），安装好windows系统，再用linux光盘启动，分linux的分区（一定要用高级模式，手动分区，不能自动分区），然后安装linux。

6、引导管理可以用winxp，也可以用linux的lilo/grub，建议使用grub，同时安装在linux的/分区上，不要放到c:\，也不要放到MBR，同时将/所在区设为启动区，这样当你不需要linux的时候，可以将winxp所在区设为启动区，同时在winxp里面删掉linux分区就可以了。

7、建议硬盘前10-15G安装windows系统，接下来的15-25G分为用户区，最后5-10G安装linux系统，将来不需要linux的时候，可以在winxp里将linux去掉，设为另外一个用户盘。

if you have an old bios like I do, you have to have a /boot partition.

simple test: boot with a dos disk, if you can see the full 40GB in "Fdisk", u r lucky. if not, you can try update ur bios. but for antique BX board, hopeless...

Linux on extended logical partition is okay.

sometime linux kernel does.