thanks jtd for your prompt response. now I will tell you the real reason which is certainly not at all off topic. every one reading my threads will recall that I had proposed to have suggestions for marketing gnu/linux to common man. retaillers and other small shops are my first target. and jtd was kind enough to suggest me the idea of dosemu and running foxpro softwares. thanks jtd for your offer of even coming over to my side and helping me. what I plan is to have a external hard disk on which I can try different foxpro based softwares. so I can have a portable linux setup and I can take it along with me. jtd, you suggested using an adapter to power the hard disk, can you suggest one? I have a samsun hard disk 40 gb. actually it is a problematic hard disk and I am getting it corrected. seams it has some bad sectores, and I have heard that it can be corrected if the sectors are patched for ever. again correct me if I am wrong. after doing that, I need to have that adapter as you suggested. probably I will make a good shock proof case. one questions arises, will it be a right thing to carry this hard disk in travel? thanks again. Krishnakant