WinXP and Linux dual boot

[JakeWolf]

Hiya

I just installed linux and apparently lilo didn't make it on (I think the partition was to far away to be bootable) can anyone suggest any alternative OS booters? Or some otherway to install lilo? Thanks!

[carlywarly]

Have a look at xosl.org They do a great boot manager called....XOSL. It's very good.

[DMR]

Originally posted by JakeWolf Hiya

I just installed linux and apparently lilo didn't make it on (I think the partition was to far away to be bootable) can anyone suggest any alternative OS booters? Or some otherway to install lilo? Thanks!If you're talking about the 1024 cylinder limitation, that doesn't apply unless you've got a pretty old version of lilo.

It would really help if you tell us how your drive is partitioned and on which partition each OS is installed. Without that info we can't tell you exactly how to configure the bootloader. If you want to continue using lilo, post the contents of your current /etc/lilo.conf file.

[fembot]

Actually, if I'm not mistaken lilo should attach to the MBR when you install linux. If you edit /etc/lilo.conf (by adding XP to the end of the file and the hda location of XP) that should create a dual boot for you.

I had a difficult time installing linux to my machine with XP (partitioning alone was difficult) so I use a boot disk. I have also heard some good things about GRUB as well. GRUB is a newer loader that might give you more luck.

Hope this helps

[JohnT]

Here's a method that has worked excellent for me in the past. Works for 2K or XP. Not that hard to setup and pretty reliable.

http://linuxnewbie.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=75693&highlight=dual+boot

[JakeWolf]

Originally posted by DMR
If you're talking about the 1024 cylinder limitation, that doesn't apply unless you've got a pretty old version of lilo.

It would really help if you tell us how your drive is partitioned and on which partition each OS is installed. Without that info we can't tell you exactly how to configure the bootloader. If you want to continue using lilo, post the contents of your current /etc/lilo.conf file.

I have two hard drives set up, only one which matters is the first 40 gig one. Linux is set up on a small 7 gig partition at the end of the hard drive while the winxp partition takes up the first 33 gigs or so.

JW

[JakeWolf]

Originally posted by fembot
Actually, if I'm not mistaken lilo should attach to the MBR when you install linux. If you edit /etc/lilo.conf (by adding XP to the end of the file and the hda location of XP) that should create a dual boot for you.

I had a difficult time installing linux to my machine with XP (partitioning alone was difficult) so I use a boot disk. I have also heard some good things about GRUB as well. GRUB is a newer loader that might give you more luck.

Hope this helps

yeah I was looking into that, yet during the setup it tells me I don't have a C compiler for some reason, so... it's not really working for me =/

JW

[DMR]

The C/C++ compiler isn't installed by default; you need to specifically choose to install the development packages (RPMs) in order to get the programming goodies.

However, you shouldn't need to go that far yet-

Post your /etc/lilo.conf file and tell us exactly how your partitions are set up. For example, are they both Primary partitions, or is the Win partition a Primary and the Linux partition a Logical within an Extended partition. It makes a difference as to how you configure lilo.

:)

[JakeWolf]

Originally posted by DMR
The C/C++ compiler isn't installed by default; you need to specifically choose to install the development packages (RPMs) in order to get the programming goodies.

However, you shouldn't need to go that far yet-

Post your /etc/lilo.conf file and tell us exactly how your partitions are set up. For example, are they both Primary partitions, or is the Win partition a Primary and the Linux partition a Logical within an Extended partition. It makes a difference as to how you configure lilo.

:)


boot=/dev/hda5
map=/boot/map
default=linux
keytable=/boot/us.klt
nowarn
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
ignore-table
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=linux
root=/dev/hda5
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="devfs=mount hdd=ide-scsi quiet"
vga=788
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=linux-nonfb
root=/dev/hda5
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="devfs=mount hdd=ide-scsi"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=failsafe
root=/dev/hda5
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="devfs=nomount hdd=ide-scsi failsafe"
read-only
other=/dev/hda1
label=windows
table=/dev/hda

ummm I would assume the XP one is primary, not sure how the linux partition was made up =p

JW

[DMR]

The first line in your lilo.conf (boot=/dev/hda5) indicates that your Linux partition is the first Logical partition in the Extended partition. That line also indicates that lilo was installed on the Linux root partition, not on the drive's Master Boot Record (MBR). If you want to use lilo to boot both operating systems, install it on the MBR by doing the following (logged in as root):

1. Edit the "boot=/dev/hda5" line in lilo.conf so it reads "boot=/dev/hda" (in other words, remove the "5").

2. Add the following single word on its own line just after the "keytable" line:

prompt


3. To make your changes take effect, re-execute lilo by running the following from a teminal window/command prompt:

/sbin/lilo

4. Reboot. You should then be presented with a menu which will allow you to choose to boot either Linux or Win.

Remember that lilo.conf is a simple text file; you can edit it with any text editing program.