i think the right way to do the dual boot, is to install windows first (as suggested) then linux- w/ both oses within the first 8 gig of the hard drive (2 os partitions, then say 2 partitions @ 1 ea. windows and linux)- would be easier to add a second hard drive on for linux (slave drive same ide channel)
this is probably how i would do it- wipe the hard drive clean w/ linux fdisk (removing other format/ partition w/ win98 fdisk will not correctly remove the linux partition), then fdisk a 4.5 gig partition for win 98, a 3.5gig partition for linux, then depending on which will get more use (prob win98), i'd create out of the remainder say 2:1, or 3:1 ratio win98 to linux. (w/ the least used going to the last slowest partition). then format for drives larger than 512 meg, the first, and third partitions w/ fat32, and set the first partition active (load win98 at this point to first partition- prob c drive)- leave the second and fourth unformatted- when you go to install linux, then you'll set up the boot, root, and swap partition in the second win98 fdisked partitons (vfat) (and remainder formatted w/ ext2 or ext3 whatever is there), and format the last partition w either ext2 or ext3 as your version of linux has. one thing though- windows will not see your linux partitions when formatted, so you'll get a lower reading (in addition to the lower reading due to the 1024mbit/ gig, and 1000mbit/gig of os and hard dr resp- as well as binary for os, and decimal for hard drive).
multiboot:
http://www.tweak3d.net/articles/multibootlinux/
more code involved description:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/lelab/pc/multib ... oot_en.htm