Re: Linux, XP, Win2003 Server multi-boot

Do a Google search on "Linux partitioning tools". Start reading the results and you'll learn quite a bit about how to do this.

Go to PC magazine's web site (www.pcmag.com) and do a search on "partitioning for linux" to see articles and reviews about partitioning philosophy and tools.

My preference for Linux is Fedora (free) or RHEL (commercial, fee based) because the installation makes it easy to control where linux is installed on the system and how it is booted.

Tools are now available in many bootable CD based Linux distributions to resize the C: partition of your disk drive to make room for Linux. Most Linux installers have the ability to resize disk partitions too.

You need to check your local area for a Linux user group which should have some people who can help you get started. Check if your local library for some books about Linux. If you have a large computer store near you, browse their book selections for a book on Linux. If your local library doesn't have it, they may be able to get it for you through an ILL (Inter Library Loan) program.


Phil Sherman



Cinnamon wrote:
Thanks Phil,

I finally got the new machine - it came with one of those 'recovery' disks (XP MCE) - and a 5 gig recovery partition that isn't supposed to be deleted. Anyone know how to see the contents of this? I couldn't. I considered formatting the first partition and using fdisk to break it up into 2 partitions, then using the recovery disk to reinstall MCE on one of the partitions. I couldn't boot into DOS and ended up using the command prompt window but never could find fdisk, so decided to keep the MCE.

I then installed the hard disk from my old computer - right now I'm just using it to transfer files and programs to the new system (even though I did have a backup). Once I feel I have everything in order - always lose something when I get a new computer - I'll format that disk and install Linux & Win2003 on it I guess.

I really don't know much about installing Linux (not a system administrator - just a web designer), so this ought to be an adventure. So many of the instructions for installing Linux seem to assume that you know what everything is and and where it should go. I end up getting flustered.

Christina

"Phil Sherman" <psherman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:mqFPh.1130$Q23.670@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I like to use a variant of this on my Thinkpad laptops. The TP boot code occupies more sectors than a "standard" boot and if improperly modified, loses access to the HDD recovery partition.

I construct two appropriately sized primary partitions and then install XP on the first one. The second contains the Linux /boot directory. Grub is installed on the /boot partition just as you do. I've also done this on a new machine by shrinking the C: partition using Partition Magic then constructing the second primary out of the free space. I then use Partition Magic to set the second partition as the active, bootable partition. Once Linux has booted up, I modify the grub configuration file to allow booting to the XP partition.

I also noticed on a recently purchased desktop system that the XP boot was split between two primary partitions. This would further complicate this process but is still doable because you can have four primary partitions, one of which is usually reserved for the extended partition.

If you want to do it the other way, booting XP first, you can modify the boot.ini file (read only, hidden, system attributes)in XP's root directory to give you the option of booting linux's grub from the second primary partition.

Phil Sherman


dold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Christina <designer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
There are so many conflicting instructions I'm not sure what to do. Can someone guide me to a definitive answer?
I installed WinXP first, specifying a FAT32 file system so that I could
mount it under Linux later. I made a nominal sized partition and left the
rest of the disk unused.

Then I installed RedHat Fedora 6 and used the "empty" space on the drive
for the linux installation. I chose manual editing, and used an advanced
option on the "Grub" page to install the Linux boot in /dev/hda2, not on
the MBR. Windows doesn't know that Linux exists. The MBR is untouched.

I booted "rescue" mode, and did a dd of the first 512 bytes of /dev/hda2,
where the linux loader lives, to a file on the mounted windows volume, and
then call that file from boot.ini as a dual boot.

Not definitive, to be sure, and no details.

This same method did not work for a machine with WinXP on the first drive,
and Linux on the second drive. I used a windows tool called bootpart to
help with that install.

It did not work for a system with Linux on a bootable external drive.
There were more steps needed for that.

I found linuxforums.org to be helpful in my quest, but I don't find
definitive pages that seem to be current.



.

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