Thinkpad T61 dualboot: Gentoo/Windows hibernate

[GreenPenInc]

I just ordered a new T61, and it looks like it's getting here way faster than they said, i.e. today instead of two weeks from now! I need Windows for certain required programs for my research (and also because it's easier for games ), and I need Gentoo so I can actually get stuff done.

For my first laptop 3 years ago (which is on life support now) I disdained the idea of software suspend, because it sounded buggy for Linux and I didn't feel like I needed it. I've been using my wife's computer though, and it's really quite nice to be able to hit the power button and just come right back whenever I want! So here's what I want to do:

I want to have it so that, no matter which OS I'm running, I hit the power button and it saves the RAM to the appropriate place on the hard drive, i.e. it hibernates. Then when I hit the power button again, it goes into the bootloader, and if I pick an OS which is already running, it will load up my session for me. If the OS I pick isn't running, then of course I just want it to boot it up fresh.

I still have a few other details to work out, like whether I want to keep the Vista it comes with or 'downgrade' to XP, what order to install the OS's in, etc. I think I've seen that kind of stuff on the Gentoo wiki.

Has anybody done something like this on their dual boot laptop? Can I get it to work basically the way I've described it? Any hints or advice before I begin the setup process?
_________________
_-(GPI)-_

[d2_racing]

I have a Thinpad T60P, and it comes with Vista, there a hidden partition that contains the thinkvantage rescue system.

So, if you downgrade to XP, make sure that you delete this partition, because you will end-up with a Vista

[djdunn]

it works well except for a fundamental problem with dual booting between 2 OS's and hibernation. There is a problem that lies when you mount a partition then hibernate, boot another OS, then attempt to mount the partition again. Because simply its already mounted. so its really suggested not to keep one OS hibernated and boot another one if you plan on sharing a partition between the two partitions. which really is quite an awesome thing. I myself actually install everything i use on windows, aka Everquest 2 and Legends of Norrath games on my ext3 partition using this driver http://www.fs-driver.org/ it mounts the ext3 and everything can access it just like any other drive. and i can always test this stuff to see if wine is any closer at being able to run those two programs.
_________________
“Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the Universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order, and leads to all that is good and just and beautiful.”

― Plato