Hi,
I'm a total noob at this whole Linux thing. I got tired of persistent problems with Windows, so I wanted to try out Linux for a while before I breakdown and buy a Mac.

Anyway, I downloaded Knoppix and it seems to be running fine from the CD, I don't want to do a HD install until I am sure that I want to stick with Linux. I have a lot of expensive engineering software that I would like to still be able to boot up in Windows and run so I don't want to make a permanent switch just yet, but I'd like to really get a feel for Linux.

I want to download and try a few Linux Apps that aren't on the Knoppix Live CD that I am using. If I download and install those, presumably they will go on one of my harddrives somewhere right? Can I specify which drive - like can I make 1 of my hard drives (I have one that I can reformat now, it is empty) my Linux drive and make the other off limits to any Linux apps? Can I setup all my programs to use that drive as a default - so like Mozilla will automatically dump things (like my history folder) there? Should I do anything to that drive before designating it for that purpose (if I can)?

I searched but searching "download" or "harddrive" or "applications" turned up a whole lot of stuff that didn't apply.

Thanks!