Best Way to Install Dual-Booting Clients

gmjs · 02-05-2012, 03:46 PM

Hello,

Does anyone have any advice on how best to install Windows 7 and a GNU/Linux distribution over a network?

Currently, we have a very easy Windows 7 network installation (provided by Windows Deployment Services), which we use for installation of approximately 1000 machines.

It'd be great to hear how you are installing GNU/Linux alongside Windows, in particular the software you use and how you customize the bootloader.

Many thanks for any advice.

travisdh1 · 02-06-2012, 11:02 AM

Red-Hat based systems have a file called kickstart that passes any configuration information you want to the installation routine. Assuming you already have a working tftp boot server it should just be a matter of making a kickstart file and having everything in the proper place in the tftp server. Can't really comment on other methods as I haven't used them.

gmjs · 02-07-2012, 12:37 PM

Many thanks travisdh1.

Yes, a full installation with kickstart does seem to be the 'correct' way to do it. I was wondering if anyone had successfully cloned a working GNU/Linux partition, but after installing Windows. This would be excellent (much faster and much easier to configure the installation).

catkin · 02-07-2012, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmjs

Yes, a full installation with kickstart does seem to be the 'correct' way to do it. I was wondering if anyone had successfully cloned a working GNU/Linux partition, but after installing Windows.

It can be done and often works but sometimes fails as posted in this LQ thread (not specifically after installing Windows). You could try it -- if it works for you ...