Ooph - The Anandtech Linux/W2K Dual Boot FAQ

[DeepSparklePupa]

Could someone take a moment to explain step 2 of the How to use Windows 2000 Boot Loader to Dual Boot with Linux and Windows 2000 FAQ in more detail? I've attempted to follow the FAQ to the letter, but I am not certain what the "superblock of the root partition of the Linux drive" is. The FAQ says:

2. Install Linux (any distribution).

You have to follow the following two steps exactly:

a. When asked where to install LILO, DO NOT install LILO in the MBR (Master Boot Record), since this will overwrite Windows OS Loader and you may have to reinstall Windows 2000. Instead, install LILO in other partition (superblock of the root partition of Linux drive).
b. Create a Linux boot disk. For now, this will be your only way of booting up to Linux.

I have Win2K on hda1, /boot on hda5, swap on hda6 and / on hda7. hda5 is below the 1024th sector. I am attempted to install RH7.0 and do not see an option to install Lilo on any "superblock", but only on the MBR or hda5.

When I attempt to boot linux from the boot disk I create during install, I get a 0x10 error.

Any help is appreciated.

-DSP

 

[SUOrangeman]

Installing LILO to the MBR is often the quicker way to dual boot. I think RedHat is smart enough to give you the option to boot Windows when you turn the computer on.

With a little more work and a copy of bootpart from www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm, you can continue to use Microsoft's NT Loader (its there, even if you don't see it). You would install LILO on /dev/hda5 in this case, but you will later have to run bootpart to add RedHat to the NT Loader menu.

I perfer to let NT Loader have the MBR. After all, MS will never ask you about the MBR ... unless you are installing another MS OS. At least most/all Linux distros give you some options. One of these days, a Linux distro will recognize the NT Loader on the MBR and will give you the option to add Linux to that boot menu (we're talk 3 or so Linux commands, no that hard).

-SUO

 

[n0cmonkey]

Put it on hda5 I think.

 

[DeepSparklePupa]

Drat. Maybe I am just SOL. I install LILO to hda5, the /boot partition, and create a boot disk as well. I am then supposed to boot the machine with the boot disk, but it is during this boot that I get the 0X10 error. Boot no-go.

I seems this error is not related to where LILO is installed, but rather to a problem with the boot disk. Anyhow, I forge on, undaunted, and still seeking assistance.

-DSP

 

[DeepSparklePupa]

Hang on, gents (and ladies). I went ahead and installed LILO on the MBR and the system boots both W2K and Linux just fine. Oddly, the boot floppy still gets the 0X10 error. Perhaps I've got a bad sector. Thanks for the help!

-DSP

 

[Tiger]

Perhaps I've got a bad sector

Probably a bad disk. Don't go very far without making a good bootdisk.
There should be a rawrite utility on the RH CD that walks you through the process.
Toss that old floppy.

I'm dual booting Linux and 2K using the 2K NTLDR. The dual boot FAQ works perfectly.