Linux Trouble!

Hi

I have a p3 machine with dual boot win 98 and win xp. I wish to install linux in my machine.

Which version of linux is latest and which one one is the most appropriate?

How will i be able to make a dual or rather multiboot system so as to select the os with installation of linux without affecting the current operating systems?

I also know that i will have to make a seperate partition for linux but want to know when i uninstall it how can i merge the partition?

What is the minimum amount of partition space required for linux and what is the most appropriate one to form a partition?

Thanx

Since your knowledge of Linux is near zero (or zero), i dont recommend that you follow that path. Odds that you wil f.. up your windows is 10x1 :).

Get a diferent computer and learn how to install and admin linux on it. Also, you can use a tool such as VMWare or VirtualPC to create a virtual safe environment.

For Linux distro, i will follow Master Jedi Gore (:) ) : try Suse. Not easy, not hard.

Or try out one these live cd based distros first. Download the iso, and burn it to cd as an image, put it in your cdrom and re-boot. This way you can learn about linux and if you screw up, just re-boot and you are ready to go again.
This will also help you in finding the distro that will work best with your computer.

http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=cd

i wouldn't say that you have linux trouble. because you are forcing all these windows related requirements on your potential install, you have windows trouble.

Get Debian Net Install .... from the debian site.

Boot your machine and tell Win98 to piss off (or keep and add another 2 partitions)

GRUB (probably the one you will use) will allow you to boot Win98/XP/Debian as soon your computer is turned on, so you can choose any OS

Linux Live Distros dont really teach anybody anything, as a user can always just go back to windows if somehting doesnt work, which doesnt teach them the required skills.

Hacing another linux box can be useful, another bonus is the amount of methods you can use for remote admin, no need for that computer to have a Monitor/KB/Mouse/FancyCase etc etc

VMWare (maybe abit expensive) also offers a great solution, grab the VMWARE 5RC2 Release and beta test it with your favourite Linux Distro...

www.distro-watch.org <- pick a distro, any distro