coule linux questions

[mindless]

Im trying to get RedHat7.0 and Win2k to dual boot and am not having any success.
I Have win2k installed on a single part on my primary drive and my slave is partitioned for linux. I go through the install ok, but unlike my experience with 5.0 it never asks me if it wants to overwrite my boot sector and just wipes my win2k stuff right out. Great now I can boot into Linux but I have internet connection problems and no Win2k (which has my proxy on it) :|
So I overwrite it with Win2k's stuff and boot into it. And since my floppy drive was bad I didn't make a boot disk. Got some advice on how to make Lilo boot Win2k but that didn't work either. Either I didnt change enough settings to match my system in the lilo.conf file or it just doesnt like me (BTW that was my second reinstall of Linux). He had me switch my drives around and install Linux as the primary drive so now that I actually have a boot floppy I can't use it because it will be for the wrong partition info if I put my Win2k drive back as master so I could get back into Win2k.

Now Im thinking the only reasonable way for me to get this to work is to do yet another reinstall of Linux on the slave drive, make a boot disk and boot into Linux with it but we all know how reliable floppys are.

What is the easiest way to get either Lilo or Win2k's loader to boot each other without any formatting of my Win2k drive?

I know its OT and Im sorry but it just pisses me off to see some of those Linux groups say "its in the man file, go look at it" and I refuse to enter them because of that.

 

[mindless]

first and only bumb up if I don't get any replys

 

[nexus9]

I've used the NT boot loader to dual-boot a bunch O' machines. Basically:

1. Edit boot.ini:

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="NT V4 is here"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="NT V4 VGAMODE" /basevideo /sos
C:\="DOS is here"
C:\BOOTSECT.LIN="Now Linux is here"

2. use 'dd' to create the boot record image. Login as root and do the following:

# dd if=/dev/hda3 bs=512 count=1 of=/dosc/bootsect.lin

3. Make sure the linux boot image file from (#2) is in C:\BOOTSECT.LIN


I got this info from: http://www.medasys-digital-systems.fr/mirror/linux/LG/issue36/larriera.html , which has a lot more detail. This example is for NT4, but it'll work with win2k


-Nexus9

 

[Kilowatt]

Ok, OK don't get exited.

On your Linux CD, under the "dosutils" dir, there is a small program called "fips".

It will partition your HDD, giving you up to 4 Primary partitions.

Use it to create at least two Primary partitions, one for win, and one for Linux.

When that's finished, format all partitions as fat32.
Load Winblow$ first, setting up all your windows drivers and everything.

Boot off the Linux CD, and when it asks you where to load Linux, select the other partition.

Setup your Linux anyway you like.

The Linux installation should detect if it's loaded past the 1024 cylinder limit, and load the correct Linux loader for you.

<EDIT - I use Mandrake 7.1, so your RedHat CD may be different.

 

[mindless]

Ok I think I understand that, just have to make Linux not overwrite my NT MBR.

Thanks

 

[mindless]

Theres one problem with that Kilowatt, that requires a full blown reinstall of win2k, which right now is not an option. My plan is to eventually run nothing but Linux on this machine, but considering that this is also my only net connection and also my pproxy I have to be very careful how long it is down, or set my clients to fetch more blocks.

 

[Lord Demios]

If your going to learn a linux may I recommend Debian? It's a little harder to learn, (steeper learning curve), but it is worth it, and installing apps on it is very easy. That is the part that most people have trouble with. You will be able to update everything with the apt-get upgrade command.

Just a suggestions if your going to learn a Linux.

LD