About to install RH9...attempt #2

[georgie]

Hello, ( just found this forum...its great )

I'm about to install RH9 as a dual boot with Win XP. The computer is a Gateway 200s notebook, 2 ghz processor,
512m RAM, 30 gb HD and a 40 gb HD that swaps with a floppy
drive in one of the drive bays.

My first attempt failed trying to install to the 40 gb drive.
GRUB hung with the words "GRUB", so I tried LILO which hung
with the words "LI". (these were installed to the /boot NOT to
the MBR). I never really found the answer...I believe its
a hardware or BIOS thing related to the two drives and the
RH9 install of GRUB to the /boot partition making it an "active
partition".

Plan B is to use PartitionMagic to repartition drive 0 to make room for linux. So both will be on same physical drive.

I did this with success with my ( now puny) Gateway Solo 2500
with a single 4 gb drive 2 gb for win and 2 gb for linux. I copied the /boot sector with dd to the root of win c drive and made an entry in the boot.ini file pointing to that and got to GRUB and linux booted.

Assuming that Plan B works, how do you thing I should deal with the second drive?

If I make a linux partition on it..and mount it .could I install and run say a MySql database on it?

I know I'll need to have a FAT partition to transfer data from windows if necessary.

Any thoughts on this.

georgie.

[DMR]

Partitioning your 30G would work. How was Linux identifying the removable 40G drive (hdb, hdc, etc.)? It sounds like grub and lilo weren't identiying the drive correctly.

Had you installed the bootloaders on the MBR?

[georgie]

I installed the bootloader to the linux /boot partition on
the 40 gb drive.

The installation saw the 40 gb drive and I partitioned it with
Disk Druid.

[alski]

Hello, I am somewhat new to Linux. I am having a system currently built and 80 gig for XP and a removable 40 for RedHat 9.
I have been told by Redhat, for me anyhow, not to install GRUB or Lilo, but use a BOOT disk for linux. I beleive I am going to have Linux auomatically do my partition. They said they have seen cases were the loaders, even though on seperate drives, may cause a problem with the Windows Loader

[DMR]

Originally posted by georgie
The installation saw the 40 gb drive and I partitioned it with Disk Druid. OK, but what I was asking was: what was the actual drive designation with which Linux identified the drive (/dev/hda, /dev/hdb, etc.)?

[georgie]

this is a test

[georgie]

DMR,

I see where your are going with this, I think, but the boot hangs at the bootloader and then I got into the linux: rescue thing, and I really wasn't sure where I was at that point. That is, I was able to edit the GRUB config file but it had in it what all my google research said it should.

And like I say everything went smooth on the Solo 2500 with one physical drive. Curious.

I'm going ahead with plan B. I had been warned by a friend that the xp thing was not a good thing but I didn't listen. Now I have to run a firewall to stop it from communicating with go
d knows who about what cd I have in my drive!...enough!!!

I think it might be how the controllers are chained together.

georgie.

[georgie]

alski,

My floppy drive and 40gb drive are the same bay so I can't
boot from the floppy to that drive.

I'm gettin' linux on this big iron notebook...yes I am.

Let me know how you do with your removable HD.

thanks,

georgie.

[georgie]

alski,

I don't think this is a problem with the xp loader. I did this with my ( now puny ) Solo 2500. But that was on the same physical drive.

georgie.

[georgie]

Assuming that Plan B works, how do you think I should deal with the second drive?

If I make a linux partition on it..and mount it .could I install and run say a MySql database on it?

[alski]

Hi Georgie,
Well you are over my head with this one. I will be there some day.
I should be gettig my new box next week, can't wait to get started. By the way, are you using the 9.0 Pro or the basic?

[georgie]

I'm using the basic...it has everything that the pro has I'm pretty sure.

We'll I got linux to boot from the floppy drive and (plan B didn't work...just got a blank screen when choosing Linux from the XP OS choice list).

Now I find my internal pci modem is not detected :( I contacted Gateway to get the specs for it (GTW V 9.1 Voicemodem). Maybe theres a compatible driver out there for it.

I'ts always something!

[alski]

Hi,
Yes, it is always something. This is why I opt to go with a removeable HD. Since I am so new to Linux, I wanted to keep it totaly isolated from Windows. Good luck.
By the way, did the basic also come with a DVD that is labeled as-
Linux operating system? I bought the PRO, and this DVD was in the box along with the 3 cd's for installation. Any idea what the DVD is for, is it the same as the 3 CD's?

[DMR]

Originally posted by georgie
I contacted Gateway to get the specs for it (GTW V 9.1 Voicemodem). Maybe theres a compatible driver out there for it.You should find out what chipset the modem uses; that's what determines whether it will work in Linux or not, and if so, what driver you need.