What's the best way to dual boot linux/win2k?

[konichiwa]

I'm about to do a fresh format and I plan on dual booting Windows2000 and Linux (most likely Mandrake8). I know Linux uses a different filesystem than windows, so how should I go about formatting my disk?

Thanks for any input.

 

[wyvrn]

See this thread which may help.

 

[konichiwa]

Bump...that thread didn't help too much...somebody please help me.

 

[smp]

Okay.. if you're starting from a fresh drive, just run fdisk and make a bootable partition (fat32) for win2k (you can change it in win2k setup to ntfs if you want to). Make sure that you stay within the bootable boundary. I made my win2k partition 5 gigs, and then I use like 3 for linux. Leave the rest of your drive alone. Install win2k. Once you've got that done successfully, throw in your Mandrake boot CD and off you go. Mandrake uses.. diskdrake I think to partition (someone correct me if I'm wrong) the drive. Whatever it's called that the Mandrake setup uses, it's really really good. I have experience with 7.2, not eight, but I imagine that they wouldn't have changed the partitioning software. Anyways, this little app is easy to use and you'll be fine. Just make a linux native (ext2) partition of about 3 gig (or whatever you want) after the windows partition, and then make a swap partition (roughly twice the size of your ram, although not always the case). I have a 30 gig drive, so after this eight gigs of OS, I have room to play with. If you are in a similar situation you can now make fat partitions for windows (after the boot boundary, or after linux) or whatever you want.. the mandrake disk partitioning software lets you make windows partitions and stuff too. Finish the install after you're done doing that and make lilo your boot manager. That's it! Now you're ready. When you boot, you'll see lilo and it'll ask you if you want to boot off of floppy, linux or windows (there are some other options, but I forget em).. then you can pick windows.. or linux.. have fun.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Make a DOS partition of about 5GB (give or take depending on available space), install windows 2k, install a small /boot partition for linuxin the next 100MB or so. You can either install linux at this point or make a second win2k partition. The early /boot partition is necessary.

The smaller you make that initial Win2k parition the better. The /boot partition needs to be near the disk (due to *word rhymes with hit and begins wit an s* x86 architecture planning). Plus if you have a separate partition for win2k and win2k apps you have the benefit of one of them possibly staying alive if the other fails. Good luck.

 

[konichiwa]

What is the bootable boundry? How many GB?

And...another question...is there any way to make a data partition (for mp3s, downloads, etc) that can be accessed from both Linux and Win2k? Or is that a pipe dream?

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< What is the bootable boundry? How many GB?

And...another question...is there any way to make a data partition (for mp3s, downloads, etc) that can be accessed from both Linux and Win2k? Or is that a pipe dream? >>



1024 cylinders.

 

[smp]

which is somewhere around eight gigs. And yes, you can make a media partition. That's what I meant (although not in detail before) about making more fat32 partitions after the bootable boundary and your OS partitions. Linux can mount a fat32 partition, so you'll be fine. Linux ain't no windows though. What size hardrive are you putting this on?

 

[konichiwa]

<< Linux ain't no windows though. >>

I know, and that's what I'm looking foward to (and, somewhat, dreading :Q)

<< What size hardrive are you putting this on? >>

I have 3 hard drives in my system, the main one is 30GB, I use a 20GB for mp3s and a 40GB for misc. storage. I have a lot of space.

<EDIT>

Another question...before I dive in head first, I feel like I should at least go get something, a book or something, so I have something to look in if I get stuck. Good idea? If so, what should I get? A book? Something else?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Books are good. Check out ldp. There will be quite a bit of help there. Also the Mandrake page has some decent help (if you can find it). And you seem new to linux so go get whatever calms you down easily (ie alcohol, cigarettes, whatever). You will need it

 

[pac1085]

Yea, Id definetly get a book. Im using &quot;Linux Unleashed fourth edition&quot; by Sams, its an older one though. Im sure they have newer ones out. On my mandrake/2k system all I did was Install 2k first then install mandrake and it worked great.

 

[smp]

www.linuxdoc.org

Go there.. print out the linux administrators guide. One of the great things about linux is that it's free.. now why would you go out and do something stupid like pay for a boo?
No seriously, there is way too much info online to bother with a book. Not only that, but buying a book, kind of limits you to that one book and the views of the people who wrote it. Otherwise there are huge online resources for linuxing.

 

[konichiwa]

Should I look for a book that's Mandrake specific? (It seems that there are no Mandrake 8 specific, most of them are 7.0 or 7.1) or just a Linux book?

 

[smp]

You don't need a mandrake specific book. Oh yeah... those 30 and 40 gig secondary drives are fat32 right? In any case, you should be able to mount them under linux, and for sure with win2k.

<edit>
of course, a lot of the information online is command line oriented. I would suggest you learn the command line though, because that's what linux is. X is just a front for that, and you'll understand the whole thing better if you learn the command line.
</edit>

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< www.linuxdoc.org

Go there.. print out the linux administrators guide. One of the great things about linux is that it's free.. now why would you go out and do something stupid like pay for a boo?
No seriously, there is way too much info online to bother with a book. Not only that, but buying a book, kind of limits you to that one book and the views of the people who wrote it. Otherwise there are huge online resources for linuxing. >>



Because setting up a printer under linux (if you have a printer) is a bitch, and I can't carry my 19&quot; monitor into the bathroom
There are plenty of reasons for getting a book, including portability. A good admin ALWAYS uses all of the resources. I personally use OpenBSD and FreeBSD (or will again as soon as I get some more machines..) but I buy linux magazines, own SEVERAL linux books (slack, redhat, general linux), and purchase many books on computer subjects not relating to either OpenBSD or FreeBSD. Books are good, reading is fundaMENTAL

 

[DeeK]

<< 1024 cylinders. >>



As far as I'm aware, the GRUB bootloader that Mandrake uses does not have this limitation. LILO version 21.6 or higher doesn't either if you use lilo -L on the command line.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<<

<< 1024 cylinders. >>



As far as I'm aware, the GRUB bootloader that Mandrake uses does not have this limitation. LILO version 21.6 or higher doesn't either if you use lilo -L on the command line. >>



Ok. Redhat 5.2 had this problem, mandrake 7.0 complained about it, slack 7.0 complained about it, slack 3.4 complained about it, etc, etc, etc. The solution I provided would help with both linux (keeping all this crap straight even if it is not a problem anymore)and win2k (keeping as much data safe as possible in the event of a crash). Why not do it for the other benefits too? Plus when I read about the problem it was always considered a BIOS problem and therefore a limitation in the x86 architecture, not just bootloaders. Oh well I don't use linux anymore and I realized dualboot is useless for the most part.

 

[DeeK]

<< Should I look for a book that's Mandrake specific? (It seems that there are no Mandrake 8 specific, most of them are 7.0 or 7.1) or just a Linux book? >>


There's not much special about the Mandrake-specific books. I learned from Running Linux, 3rd edition from O'Reilly, though it was published two years ago and some of the info (particularly on XFree86 and KDE) is pretty outdated. Still, it's probably the best book for general Linux and Unix concepts, such as directory structure, mounting, cron/at jobs, etc. It's generally known as the bible of Linux books.

 

[lilnnjaboy]

I recommend getting a removeable rack..and use 2 seperate harddrives....dual booting is a horrible idea. I run 2 seperate servers for linux and win2k

 

[smp]

Dual booting isn't good if you are running a server yes.. I think that konichiwa just wants to get his/her (er.. sorry) feet wet with some linux to see what it's like. I agree however with the O'Reilly sentiment. I'm a newbie myself, but the general information that I needed up till now, I found on the net. Maybe when I get into more specific concepts of administrating a network (I have the NAG, it's pretty.. specific) or whatever, then I might find I need a 'real' book. For now, I just get the whole PDF, print it, bind it, and it's cheaper than paying some publisher to do the same thing. Of course, that's just me. Dual booting is good for experimenting, and yeah, I heard the same thing about lilo too, but I play it safe and keep it in that boundary, because I dont' trust myself.