Dual Boot

[Krashoveride]

Ive been running Gentoo Amd64 for the past year and its my first long term experience with linux. I love it, but theres some things i cant get to work due to the amd64 environment, so i want to re install everything on my computer so i can have a dual boot system. I have the idea of how my partition table is gonna be but i want to keep all my files on my computer, and i dont feel like making about 40 cds. Right now i have 3 partitions, boot, swap, and root, in that order. The root partition is 55% full. Is there a non destructive program i can use to split that into 2 partitions , so i can move my files from one to another?

Next question. After i have my partition table set up, can i install windows to the partition i want or is it going to attempt to overwrite the whole disc with C:\?

[cybertron]

You probably want to look into QTParted, which can be found on a Knoppix CD. It should let you split your partition so you can back everything up. You can install Windows after your partitions are set up, but be aware that it is going to overwrite your MBR so you'll have to reinstall Grub or LILO afterwards.

Just a note: Repartitioning is never a "safe" operation on drives with data on them. If you have anything irreplaceable on that drive I'd back it up.

[saikee]

Should be OK. Since you have only 3 partitions any free space out of the last one can still be used to create the last 4th primary partition even the first three are primaries too. Windows have no problem to get into any of the primary partitions.

Windows would not overwrite your disk. The safest way is to use Linux to create the squeezed empty space into a NTFS partition in your hda4. It will recognised as a "c" drive and Windows installer will format that partition only.

If you don't create a NTFS partition then Windows installer could not find a partition to reside in and may suggest to you to use the whole disk. In such a case you may buy it if not careful.

[je_fro]

I wouldn't recommend repartitioning if you want to be 100% sure of having an OS when you try to boot gentoo..
I'm running the same on amd64 with no headaches, which apps are you missing?

[Krashoveride]

Im not missing anything, i just screwed up a couple things when i emerged everything and changed settings, like java and some other things. I just want to start fresh. If something goes wrong i can use my gentoo disc (or phlak) to fix it.
2 other questions:

do i have to install windows on the last partition to get it to work? If i have a NTFS partition on hda2 would it still work?
My plan is to have 1st partition boot, 2nd windows, 3rd extended with linux and swap,and 4th storage.

and what would be the best filesystem to use for a storage partition between the windows and Gentoo OS's? I want it to have linux compatible partitions if possible, but both windows/linux have to be able to read and write to it without kernel patches, if possible. journaling like in ext3 would be good too.

[cybertron]

You should be fine installing Windows on whatever partition you choose. For storage between both Linux and Windows, generally FAT32 is recommended. There are ways to get Windows to recognize some Linux partitions, but FAT32 is the easiest way.

[mrrangerman43]

do i have to install windows on the last partition to get it to work? If i have a NTFS partition on hda2 would it still work?

Most times windows needs to be installed first.

and what would be the best filesystem to use for a storage partition between the windows and Gentoo OS's? I want it to have linux compatible partitions if possible, but both windows/linux have to be able to read and write to it without kernel patches, if possible. journaling like in ext3 would be good too.

From what I understand the best way to share files between window and linux is to have one partition setup as a FAT32 and both can see and write to it.

[je_fro]

Windows is going to want to be on hda1.

[saikee]

I have installed Windows in hda4 and hda3 before. Just make sure the partitions before Windows are non-MS partitions. As Windows does not support Linux and so all its partitions if in front are treated as foreign, Therefore if the first NTFS partition is hda4 it is still the first partition to Windows.

Standard Windows only boots from a primary partition. Hacking is needed to put it in a logical partition.

[Krashoveride]

im not gonna have windows in a logical partition its gonna be

hda1 boot ext2 (grub, will load windows and linux)
hda2 logical
- linux ext3
- swap swap
hda3 Windows NTFS
hda4 Storage Fat32


So i should install windows first so when i install gentoo grub will overwrite the MBR and then i can set up grub to load windows right?

[Parcival]

So i should install windows first so when i install gentoo grub will overwrite the MBR and then i can set up grub to load windows right?

Yes, give it a try. I have installed myself Windows only as the first partition so far, but when saikee says it's possible it is. :) GRUB usually is no problem, it's usually Windows that gives a hard time. Give us feedback how it went.

[saikee]

You can preserve the existing Grub setting by while in Gentoo doing a
grub-install /dev/fd0
and put Grub into a floppy.

The installation of Windows will automatically overwrite the MBR with MS's version. Thereafter you can boot Gentoo only with the floppy. When you are in Gentoo you can restore Grub back into the MBR, thereby overwriting the Windows MBR, by
grub-install /dev/hda
To make Gentoo's Grub to boot the new Windows just edit its /boot/grub/menu.lst with these lines
title My Windows in hda3 but known to Grub as (hd0,2)
root (hd0,2)
chainloader +1

Parcival


when saikee says it's possible it is. :o

[Krashoveride]

Well, it might be a little while, im having problems with cdrecord. Also im installing on a laptop and i have no floppy drive so im gonna just do it thru my gentoo disc. Will gparted work instead of QTparted because gparted has a 30mb livecd.

[saikee]

You can hoop into any installed Linux by booting up a Live CD, mount the Linux partition you want to access and chroot to it.

The "grub-install /dev/hda" command can be executed thereafter.

[Krashoveride]

one last question. i originally installed linux because i screwed up windows on this computer and couldnt reinstall it ( i didnt really want windows though, i just wanted to dual boot it so i could ease into linux). the disc didnt work, im not sure why. it worked on my sisters computer, which is x86 but it came with my computer which is amd64. do windows cds that come with x86 computers have the 64bit version on them too? would i be able to use a windows xp disc that was from an x86 computer to install windows on my computer?

[je_fro]

not unless you shell out the cash for another license...

[saikee]

Legally you cannot install a XP into two different PCs. XP has an activation system that is done with MS web site to authorise the OS. Certain licenses, say OEM version, are not meant to be transferable between PCs.

Technically XP can go into a PC with either a 32 or 64 bits AMD CPU.

[Krashoveride]

I repartitioned everying, i havent installed windows yet. but now when gnome starts it says "no volume or mixer devices found" or something to that effect and i cant control volume. alsa still works. I tried restarting but that didnt help. do you think something in /dev got copied wrong?

[Krashoveride]

One more thing. Im having problems getting my sharing partition to let my non root user to access the files. I want anyone in the users group to be able to edit it all freely and be able to mount and unmount it. think you can help me there?

[Krashoveride]

Nevermind on the second question, i had the wrong octel permissions

[je_fro]

/dev/hda5 /home/je_fro/example auto noauto,users,rw,umask=000 0 0add the umask=000 bit to /etc/fstab

[saikee]

I think Windows is late in delivery the 64-bit version. It is called Vista and handing out free for Windows users to find bugs for MS. Standard version XP goes into any AMD 64 bit cpu and runs happily in 32-bit mode.

Legally you cannot install a XP into more than one computer. If you install it the installer will want to hook to the internet so that MS can activate your license. If activation isn't done your XP can drop dead any time or dies within a set period.

Original XP without services packs has so many security holes in it that without doing regular patches and updates with MS it is a liability just to run it because the attacks come faster than you can cope with them.