Backup of files from Windows to a Linux HD

Digdis

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(Sorry for the somewhat cumbersome title)
Got Windows XP running on my primary HD, and I use my older HD for file backup (both NTFS). My backups run automatically at nights (basically using file copying). Now I want to turn the older HD to be Linux based (entirely), and boot from it. Yet, I still want to be able to run the backups - assuming that Windows will be running most of the time, and particularly run the backup. So:
1. What's the easiest way to make Windows recognize the directories on the Linux HD?
2. I can afford to spend 10GB for the Linux installation. I guess I will not install Linux fully, but reduce some features. Is there an optimal distribution for this limitation? BTW, I have Fedora at work, but I see that many here like Ubuntu (and I know it's popular).

D.
 
Ubuntu should do, and just set aside 10 GB to make a partition for Ubuntu. Windows can't read or write to most Linux file systems, and even if it could it would be through a 3rd party app making it harder for the backups to run.

Your other choice is to maybe buy another hard drive, and use that for backup, then use the older drive for Linux, and switch them out by disconnecting the other two drives and just putting the Linux drive in the IDE.
 
Thanks X-Istence. Some questions here:
Ubuntu should do, and just set aside 10 GB to make a partition for Ubuntu. Windows can't read or write to most Linux file systems, and even if it could it would be through a 3rd party app making it harder for the backups to run.
1. Suppose I make a 10GB partition for Ubuntu, and keep the rest of the HD as NTFS. Will I be able to access the NTFS partitions easily from Ubuntu (Read/Write)? This worked for me in the past with Mandriva I think.
2. Suppose this doesn't work, what types of 3rd party apps do you know that support this kind of access?

Your other choice is to maybe buy another hard drive, and use that for backup, then use the older drive for Linux, and switch them out by disconnecting the other two drives and just putting the Linux drive in the IDE.
Won't work, as both my IDE busses are full.

Thanx.
D.
 
Would work, since you would be unplugging all the HD's, then just plugging in the Linux HD.

As for the 3rd party apps, it depends on your file system, I believe there is an application for ext2, but besides that you are out of luck.

Read/Write to NTFS partitions is a dangerous thing to do from Linux, and is not fully support, especially since it could cause all your files to be lost, irrecoverably.
 
Would work, since you would be unplugging all the HD's, then just plugging in the Linux HD.
Well that's what I wanted to avoid. I don't want to mess with the HW each time I want to boot Linux...

Seems like I'm out of luck. The reason I wanted this was to share the space in my secondary HD between Linux and backups. Guess I will need to separate it to the 10GB partition for Linux, and the rest for Backup. How much space is required for a standard Ubuntu installation?
D.
 
option C. - get a $20 external usb 2 hd enclosure and put a $50 160 gig hd in it. it is what i use for weekly data backup.

you definitely need to have a fat32 file area for transfering from windos ntfs to linux. you could put that on the usb drive or your main drive.
 
you definitely need to have a fat32 file area for transfering from windos ntfs to linux. you could put that on the usb drive or your main drive.

Please elaborate. I have no problem formatting my secondary HD to have fat32. Can Linux access it without problems?
 
yes, linux supports fat32 very well. FAT32 common data areas is the hassle free recommended approach for linux to windows shared data areas.
 
yes, linux supports fat32 very well. FAT32 common data areas is the hassle free recommended approach for linux to windows shared data areas.
Thanx - Looks like we have a winner...
 
Installing Linux on FAT32 is a no go though. It has to be one of the other file systems that supports the special flags like execute and whatnot, something FAT32 does not support. Also Linux needs a swap space. Swap space is normally an empty partition.
 

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