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The Ennead IX
12-03-2002, 10:24 PM
Problem #1 - I've given Debian a try and I much prefer it to my previous install of MDK9 but, unfortunately, for the most part my hardware isn't supported. Attempts to get everything working have so far met with little success but i'm not quite ready to give up. At the same time I need/want to be able to use my computer for something other than suffering whiplash from watching text flying up and down a terminal screen for days on end as I try to put things right.

The solution? Dual boot MDK and Debian. That way I can use mdk for ut2k3 etc and Debian for cabbaging my head.

Question is, how?

Searching for the answer has brought no success as the only answer to a search engine query brings up lots of info on dual booting with W$ndows but nothing on Linux + Linux. I've so far tried:

Install mdk with lilo followed by Debian with lilo +
Install Debian with lilo followed by MDK with lilo.
Lilo refuses to find either distro and pointing it in the right direction after install completes has had no success.

As above but installing with Grub, and Debian spits its dummy out and goes for a kernel panic.

Debian on hda, mdk on hdb = as above. Likewise in reverse.
Both Debian and MDK on hda and still no-go.

MDK first followed by Debian with lilo and boot floppy
... I gave up after waiting 5 minutes for the floppy to boot.


Trying the boot floppy was pretty much a last desperate attempt as booting from floppy seems an almost prehistoric solution these days and I would rather boot from mbr. That said, I really don't fancy going back to MDK after experiencing the joys of Debian but it's no use running a system that doesn't support my hardware. In time i'll hopefully get around that but I do need something that is usable whilst I iron things out. The only other option is to put xp back on and that's a fate worse than death so any ideas on how to get these two to play nicely with each other would be greatly appreciated.

tia



Asus V8440
Asus A7V8X
XP2200@2400
Soundblaster Audigy
Netgear DG814 Router/Modem
Linksys BEFSR41 Router
Broadcom NIC
D-Link NIC
Maxtor D740X 60GB - Mandrake 9
Maxtor D740X 40GB - Debian 3.0

fancypiper
12-03-2002, 10:45 PM
I have no problems using grub with Gentoo and Redhat.

# fancypiper /boot/grub/grub.conf
#
default=0
timeout=15
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Red Hat Linux (2.4.18-3)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.18-3 ro root=/dev/hda3 hdc=ide-scsi
initrd /initrd-2.4.18-3.img

title Gentoo Linux
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/bzImage root=/dev/hdb3 hdc=ide-scsiI partitioned Redhat:
/dev/hda1 for /boot
/dev/hda2 for swap
/dev/hda3 for /

Gentoo
/dev/hdb1 for /boot
/dev/hdb2 for swap
/dev/hdb3 for /

Search this page (http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-x86-install.xml) (gentoo install) for Final steps: Configure GRUB for what numbers refer to what partitions as it can be confusing if you don't count carefully (as I have been guilty of several times).

The Ennead IX
12-04-2002, 07:49 AM
Cheers m8 :) I'm currently d/loading the gentoo live cd .iso to try that if all else fails but, i'll give it another try now before work using your examples as a basis and mdk9 with grub.

The Ennead IX
12-04-2002, 09:19 AM
Woohoo!!! <happy dance mode>http://www.i.furniss.clara.co.uk/anismash.gif </happy dance mode>

It finally worked!! I've spent every night for the past 5 until 0300 trying to get this thing right and it wouldn't have it at all. Many thanks for the assistance!! :)

Using the examples as a basis i'm guessing that one problem which could have been stopping things was an entry in the boot file for grub which i've now commented out but seemed to trying to load the mandrake initrd img on Debian. I only noticed it when manually editing and comparing it with the examples you gave as previously I had used the mdk gui tool to setup lilo and grub. All is now working well, cheers :cool: :)

title Debian
kernel (hd0,8)/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-bf2.4 root=/dev/hdb1 vga=791 hdd=ide-scsi
root (hd1,0)
#initrd (hd0,8)/boot/initrd-2.4.19-16mdk.img

fancypiper
12-04-2002, 11:42 AM
The command line works, the gui tools may work. :D