triple boot win98/2k/linux what boot manager to use? and how?

[rnimz]

ok here's my problem, I only have one machine and I can't afford another one... yet, but I want to run linux along with my normal win98/win2k combo. I am wondering what bootmanager I should use and how it should be set-up to be the easiest to use and most elegant. I don't want to have to put a boot disk in to use linux I just want to be able to select my OS at startup, I know that LILO is capable of doing this, but I really don't know how or if it works well, my linux experience is limited but I can at least follow directions, any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Quaggoth]

First, Install Win98.
Second, Install Win2k.

This should give you a dual boot 98/2k machine. You are probably familiar with how to get to this point.

Last, Install Linux. LILO should detect that you have by now 3 boot partitions, and will just take care of everything for you. It will boot to the point where it would normaly say "Starting Windows 98", but instead you will get a prompt like this "LILO :"

Here is where you will type, Win98, Win2k, or Lin. Or whatever you decide to have it recognize. These strings would be set in the Linuxconf utility, under LILO.

I guess the main thing is just to make sure that Linux is loaded last and Lilo will work it's Magic.

Hope this helps.

 

[rnimz]

thanks alot,
so lilo will just take care of it, should I set up partitions right away, and do I have to make them bootable?

 

[Noriaki]

I prefer the Win2k boot loader because it's a menu, you just pick one and don't have to type 😛

I've just been trying to get the same thing working, i've been using Win98SE and Linux for a long time, I'm trying to get some Win2k in the mix, check out SUO's thread on how to set it up. Partitions and Multi-booting. It's a great little read.

http://forums.anandtech.com/arcmessageview.cfm?catid=34&threadid=150039

If you already have Win98SE and Win2k booting using Win2k's boot manager it's extremely easy to add Linux to the menu, look for the part in SUO's text about the first 512 bytes of the drive.

 

[rnimz]

thanks alot, that says almost the exact same thing that my friend was just telling me to do.

 

[SUOrangeman]

There's a better way to add Linux/other OSes to NT Loader.

It's called BootPart from the folks who make WinImage (www.winimage.com, I think).

Yeah, I really need to update my original post. Trying to decide on hard or soft cover. 🙂

-SUO