Dual Boot Questions

ZhiYi · 07-07-2003, 05:11 AM

Hi!
I plan to install winxp,98,RH Linux8 and FreeBSD 5 on a hard disk. Firstly,is it possible to install and dual boot 4 OS in a hard disk?

My plan is to install winxp first. THen install software like system commander or boot magic. Then followed by 98,Linux and freebsd. For linux and freebsd, their bootloaders will be installed in the first sector of the root partition.
Hopefully, the software in winxp will be able to detect the other OS installed.

Does this method work? Or are there other methods also?

acid_kewpie · 07-07-2003, 05:42 AM

should be fine, but i wouldn't bother with a seperate bootloader. BSD shouldn't overwrite the bootloader, and install xp and 98 first wont do it either, so i'd let linux use grub or lilo as you wish. much easier.

Darkseid · 07-07-2003, 05:59 AM

From my experience, install Windows first, then BSD, the RH with Grub as the boot-loader. Grub will recognize the rest and you can select one from the list at boot.

ZhiYi · 07-07-2003, 06:09 AM

hi Darkseid,
thanks for the help....so install win xp or 98 first? and should system commander be installed in win or 98?
For linux,should grub overwrite system commander?

JZL240I-U · 07-07-2003, 07:23 AM

With Win, I would reason first 98 then XP, since XP should recognize 98 and ask you, whether you want to keep it. Then BSD then RH; Grub / lilo don't overwrite any program of your windows partitions, they just change the master boot record (MBR) of your first disk. If for some reason something with Linux goes wrong, just insert a rescue disk of windows and use fdisk /mbr to restore it.