Dual Boot/Dual HDD setup

[[r]edtin]

You guys, I'm very, VERY new to Unix/Linux, but I absolutely HATE MS with a passion. I'm ready to throw Windows in the trash. BUT, where I've used Windows based systems all my computer-using life, I've become very used to how things work with it (and unfortunately nothing else).

So, what I've decided to do is install Linux on a dedicated hard drive, whilst keeping Windows on the other hard drive. That way, when I begin pulling my hair out trying to get Linux to do anything, I can just boot up Windows from the other hard drive, and smoke a cigarette.

But, my question is this [oh, and I'm going to be using Debian GNU/Linux 3.0]:
Is there a way for me to get a sort-of 'dual boot' system going, but with the 2 operating systems residing on their OWN hard drive [so that my 'Windows drive' isn't touched at all by Linux (in case I mess it up somehow with it, and I probably will)]?
I would HATE to have to open my box, and change the jumpers on my disks to make one or the other the 'master' drive. (but I would LOVE for the separation of the two animals to be so complete).

[Saptech]

If you do a search on this board for dual booting, i'm sure you will get plenty of hits!

Most distros will setup a dual boot system as long as Windows is installed on the first HD/Partition without any problems. Although I dual boot with Lilo.

[[r]edtin]

Hey, you were right!
Debian 3.0r0 set up LILO for me on the MBR of hda1, and it lets me choose whichever OS I want to boot from (either Windows on hda1, or Linux on hdb1).
Besides LILO, Linux doesn't touch Windows, and it boots as though nothing had happened. And Linux boots just fine, too, from the second hard drive.
I'm terribly new to Linux, but I already LOVE LILO.

Does anybody know if there's a way for me to change which Operating System will boot as default? (It automatically sets that to Linux, and has a 15 second timer that counts down to that choice, given I don't touch anything).

[michaelk]

You will need to edit /etc/lilo.conf file. And you will need to be root to accomplish this.

Change the line that has
default=linux
to
default=windows (or whatever the label is for your setup)


Save and run lilo.