Re: Installing windows without screwing up Linux?

Douglas Mayne wrote:
On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 13:33:55 +0000, Ignoramus28229 wrote:


This is not a troll post.

I need to install windows on my laptop, which currently runs linux
only. That's so that I can run one particular program called Cubloc
Studio (microcontroller programming IDE).

The laptop has a free partition /dev/hda5 (15 gigs).


You won't be installing Windows successfully to an extended partition,
IME.

He wants to install the NT variety, read below, as such no problemas whatsoever.


I have not installed windows in many years, as I am a linux user.

My question is, I heard that windows is particularly nasty about wiping
out other operating system. Is that true? How can I preserve my linux
installation (boot record and all) when installing windows?

I am thinking of installing Windows 2000 Professional.

thanks

i

I think you need to mover partitions around on your disk because Windows
likes to be installed on partition 1.

False accusation, mine Win98SE can and is installed on any primary (1-4) partition on any hard drive. The NT's behave like Unix/Linux in this respect and can be installed anyplace (hdX, partition 1->n (primary or logical)

You are asking for aggravation
attempting to install to partition 5. This part of the problem is
non-trivial all by itself, especially if your system is using multiple
partitions and advanced filesystems. Tools like PartitionMagic can only
resize ext2. Disks are so cheap is may be worthwhile to leave your
existing setup as intact as possible. Perhaps you should
reconsider VMWare, or buy another disc dedicated to Windows. The fact
this is a laptop doesn't make this any easier. In a desktop, you
could add another disc, and make this existing disc an ide slave. That
way, you would only have to fixup the loader, and /etc/fstab.

Assuming you can get past the above problem(s), then you can deal with the
install and post-install fixup. You need to learn about the boot loader
that you are using. I use grub. Once you understand what you need to have
available to boot your system, then you can go ahead and install Windows.
Windows will install its loader at the MBR. From here, boot your
GNU/Linux system using your fallback media: a floppy, a CD, or something
else. From here, restore the original disk loader, and fixup the boot
menu. Here is a stanza which could be appropriate for Windows:

title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1


HTH

Stanislaw
Slack user from Ulladulla.

.

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