I have a blank hard drive and would like to install DOS or Windows 95/98/ME and Red Hat Linux onto it. What is the best method of doing this?

It is recommended to install the other operating system first, before installing Red Hat Linux. This allows DOS or Windows95/98/ME to configure itself to work correctly with your system's hardware and possibly write values to the Master Boot Record (MBR) to allow it to boot properly. If Red Hat Linux were installed first, the other operating system may elect to overwrite existing entries in the MBR, leaving you unable to boot into Red Hat Linux. By installing the other OS first, Red Hat Linux will allow you to boot into either operating system when your computer starts up.

You will probably need to do the entire process of installing DOS or Windows95/98/ME using several different steps. First, start the installation, but if the operating system partitions the entire drive for itself, see if you can exit the installation program and use the native fdisk to create a primary partition of the size you want to have available for that particular OS. Then, reboot and go through the installation process again. Normally, DOS or Windows95/98/ME will only use the space that you just set aside for it. Once the installation is finished, you can then begin to install Red Hat Linux.

If you need to install to install Red Hat Linux and Windows NT/2000 on the same machine, please see the section called Installing Linux and Windows NT on the Same Machine.

install  MC then redhat 

Definatly install Windows first , As GRUB can read windows boot file but windows cant read linux boot file.

before installling operating system always install windows first because .windows willl not support some file system of linux and linux will support NTFS and FAT file system.so before that make two partion before installing windows and install windows on1 drive and linux on other drive.u need to BIOS to select boot option and change it to first boot device as cd rom and install using bootable cd of windows first after the completeion install linux on different partion after it complete you can see dual operating system on your pc .you can select which one you want

thanks

Rinil

Install Windows first, while partitioning the drive leave unpartitioned space for Linux, once you finish widows installation , then go for Linux