Newbie, First Time Linux Installer

[Newbie, First Time Linux Installer]

Hello I'm new to Linux & after trying a few live Cd's have decided to go with Mandriva.

I was looking to install on a separate hard drive however I have 3 in total & am unsure of how to do it.

 

My machine is a Compaq presario 2.8 processor, 1 gig ram.

A Radeon 9200 128mb graphics card.

Soundblaster Audigy 2 & Live Drive.

 

WinXP is currently installed on the biggest drive 120gig. as c:/

The recovery console is 3.42gb as d:/

 

I also have a 80gig drive for music/downloads etc partitioned as g:/ & h:/

 

For the purpose of installing Linux I also included a new 6 gig drive which shows up as e:/

 

What I hoped to do was install just the Mandriva O/S on the small e:/ drive

whilst keeping my windows c:/ and my music/downloads d:/

 

I have already installed a version of Mandriva 2005 on this little e:/ drive but somehow managed to mess up the boot sequence.

I think this is because I installed everything to this drive & no boot loader to select which O/S to use. Wrongly presuming it would show up alongside my windows & Recovery console when I switch on. It is installed but not accessable.

 

So getting down to it, I am currently downloading the 2006 RC2 version. & try the install again in the correct way.

Trouble is with so many drives I'm really unsure where to install everything.

Would i be right in saying C: windows will be hda

the 80 gig g: & h: music/downloads will be hdb1 and hdb2

with the Mandriva install going on e: now called hdc

 

Does that sound right?

Will I need to install a boot loader onto the c:windows (or hda)

 

This bit is worrying me as I have wiped all my drives & XP trying to install a version of Linspire a while ago.

 

Sorry to waffle on so much, I just want to make sure I don't mess things up again!