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Thread ID: 24044	2002-09-02 06:41:00	Booting to Linux	Mike (15)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
75724	2002-09-02 06:41:00	I have Linux on my second Hard drive (seperate physical drive, not a partition), and want to know some stuff about booting to Linux. Can I: a) Set Linux up so that there's no bootloader or whatever on the Windows Disk - just change the boot order in the BIOS to boot from the Linux disk when I want it to, or put the bootloader (LILO) on the second drive so that it'll boot Linux when I set the BIOS to boot from that drive first, yet if I set the Windows disk to boot first there'll be no bootloader screen? if not... b) Can I put LILO on a floppy disk and remove it from my windows boot disk so that when I want to boot Linux (at this stage not very often, until I can get the modem to work) I just stick in a bootable floppy which will load LILO from which I can load Linux? Thanks Mike.	Mike (15)
75725	2002-09-02 06:46:00	a) I don't like the idea of messing with BIOS settings, but if it's possible to select which HD to boot from, it should work. b) It's easy to put LILO on a floppy. That might need the "Custom" installation -- I don't know Mandrake. Have a look at the HOWTOs. They should have been loaded, but they will certainly be on your CDs.	Graham L (2)
75726	2002-09-02 06:51:00	> a) I don't like the idea of messing with BIOS > settings, but if it's possible to select which HD to > boot from, it should work. does it need LILO to boot? If so I'll need to put LILO onto the second disk... :) > b) It's easy to put LILO on a floppy. That might > need the "Custom" installation -- I don't know > Mandrake. ah of course - good thinking, I know how to do that (I think!) > Have a look at the HOWTOs. They should have been > loaded, but they will certainly be on your CDs. Yeah I'll search through them... thanks Mike.	Mike (15)
75727	2002-09-02 07:11:00	I think you need LILO on a HD ... it gives the opportunity to make non-standard boots of Linux. E.g. if you compile a new kernel, you should always keep the previous working one as an option. Sometimes you want to do a "single-user" boot (if you forget the root password), or need to enter parameters to let you use odd hardware.. It might not compulsory, but I have never tried to do a HD installation without LILO. I often make an emergency floppy by copying the kernel to a floppy. It is a compressed bootable disk image. This does not need LILO.	Graham L (2)
75728	2002-09-02 08:36:00	Okay, thanks Graham. I'll go and have a fiddle and see what happens :) Mike.	Mike (15)
75729	2002-09-04 12:56:00	I have Windows ME, XP Home & Mandrake Linux 8.2 on the same drive, with 2 primary partitions for the windows,a logical for the Linux and 2 logical for data etc. I have "Boot Magic" which hides the non active primary partitions. Lilo is placed on the Linux partition & is activated by Boot Magic when required. Boot Magic is produced by the makers of "Partition Magic" which is a must for anyone messing about with dual booting. There are NO problems with Boot Magic.	Mzee (158)
75730	2002-09-04 21:27:00	My problem is that when I try booting to the second HDD (with LILO installed on it) it starts loading LILO and freezes - all I get is "LI" and a flashing cursor. However I'm booting to LILO on a floppy now, so that'll do until I can figure out something better. I just don't want a boot loader to get in the way of a normal Windows boot. Mike.	Mike (15)
75731	2002-09-04 21:43:00	Once you get a boot loader set up and running it will not get in the way of loading your OS. Who wants to boot from a floppy disk? You could try a well tested graphical freeware boot loader (we use it in the classroom with Windows 2000 Professional, Win98 and RedHat 7.0) - called XOSL - www.xosl.org	JohnD (509)
75732	2002-09-05 06:14:00	So you're telling me that if I have a boot loader in place, I don't see it? how then do I select what OS to run? My understanding (and experience) is that with a bootloader it appears for like 5 seconds for you to choose which OS to load, right? I DON'T WANT THIS! That's why I'm booting off a floppy to load Linux, as booting direct to the second HDD, even with LILO installed, seems to cause problems. Mike.	Mike (15)
75733	2002-09-05 06:44:00	It's not a huge problem, is it? You could boot to Windows as usual, and make a linux directory, containing loadlin and your Linux kernel . The dos programme would then do the rest . Have a look at this HOWTO ( . lug . net . nz/docs/ldp/HOWTO/mini/Loadlin+Win95-98-ME/" target="_blank">dunedin . lug . net . nz) about how to do it . There is something wrong with your lilo . . . it prints a letter as it gets to each stage L . . . I . . . L . . . O, so if you get LI, it is crapping out .	Graham L (2)
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