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Thread ID: 33287 2003-05-12 15:04:00 Multi Boot tanzpete (3093) Press F1
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143542 2003-05-12 15:04:00 I have 2 partitions on the disk and need to create a multi boot machine with linux and XP.
Do you just need to install both ops and then a option will appear at start up for choosing what operating system to load or is there other things that need to be configured under registry, cmos
any help is cool
tanzpete (3093)
143543 2003-05-12 20:31:00 Yep, its dead easy!

As long as there is some Un-Partitioned space on the drive, have XP Installed first, then Linux will use what's left over!

From there on in - Its smooth sailing :-)
Chilling_Silently (228)
143544 2003-05-12 21:09:00 Thanks a Heap tanzpete (3093)
143545 2003-05-12 22:04:00 I forgot to mention - You'll wanna make that boot disk, just in case WinXP decides to take over the MBR again at some stage if you have to run a rescue or something :-)

Otherwise, Lilo and Grub should both pick up that you have WinXP installed and add it to the BL list.

Ive never done Linux and then Windows though.. always had Windows on first :-)
Chilling_Silently (228)
143546 2003-05-13 03:13:00 Sounds easy - so BOTH Windows AND Linux live in the same C drive ?

And does that mean that AFTER such installation when we start the PC it will ask/prompt us to choose WHICH OS with which to proceed ?
Woof (2402)
143547 2003-05-13 04:18:00 Well, Sorta.

RedHat 7.x supports installation to a FAT32 File System, it just makes a File on the HDD and emulates Linux's FS.

However, for more recent releases, you wont be quite so lucky.

You'll need some Un-Partitioned space on your HDD, or some Linux Distro's can resize your Windows Partition for you to make it smaller. From there, Linux makes its own partitions, mainly being a SWAP partition and a "/" partition.

They are not visible in Windows.

Upon boot, you get (With RedHat) a nice looking Graphical Boot Loader asking you if you want DOS (Just what it calls windows, you can rename it) or RedHat Linux. You can specify which is the default, so it will go to it automatically after 10 seconds (Or less if you specify it).

Hope this helps

Cheers


Chill.
Chilling_Silently (228)
143548 2003-05-13 05:18:00 Interesting

Sounds like best if I reformat the HDD and then allocate only PART of it with partitions (eg: C= Windows ME, D= Data/Downloads) and leave UNpartitioned 'the recomended amount' of disk space for the Linux distro ..

I must Admit I am becoming more and more a fan of the "all HDD in removeable trayS ONLY" scenario ...
Woof (2402)
143549 2003-05-13 06:20:00 That's the way. Always install the MS ones first. Linux is civilised, and recognises other OSs. MS isn't. And doesn't. The best way to partition for Linux is just to leave the space unallocated, after making the MS space. Linux will do the rest.

ALWAYS make recovery floppies. For MS and Linux.
Graham L (2)
143550 2003-05-13 09:14:00 Great, thanks - both Chill and Graham L :-) :)

Sometimes it's just the pedantic little details that can give us relative newbies all the encouragement we need :8}

Thanks too Godfather for the recommendation to go the way of removeable trays for BOTH HDD B-)
Woof (2402)
143551 2003-05-13 09:32:00 Removable Hard drives are the way to go.

Install your version of Windows on one and your version of Linux on the other.

Partition both drives as you want!! :-)
Elephant (599)
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