Fedora With Windows

bogoda · 01-24-2006, 08:21 AM

Hello Everyone,

I hope to buy hard disk and install Fedora 4.

But my existing hard disk have both Windows and RedHat 9.

Is it possible to run Fedora (grub or some thig like that )in new hard and link Windows to it.

Any one know answer please.

homey · 01-24-2006, 09:03 AM

Hi,
Yes it's done all the time, called dual boot.
The FC4 install will have a section on setting up the bootloader.
If you miss it, you can make changes by editing the /boot/grub/grub.conf .

PTrenholme · 01-24-2006, 10:12 AM

Actually, if your current HD has both XP and RH9 on it, you're probably already using GRUB in dual boot mode.

So, when you install Fedora on you new HD, you'll probably only need to update the grub.conf file (probably in /boot/grub/grub.conf in the RH9 system, if RH9 is set up like Fedora) to have an additional section pointing to your new Fedora.

You might also want to let your Fedora (and RH9) system share file systems, which is easily done by adding the correct links in /etc/fstab on both systems. Fedora can also read NTFS file systems if you install the NTFS drivers from, for example, the livna repository.

If you need details on the above, let us know.

Edit: Just wondering: If you already run RH9, why move to Fedora? Do you need the latest updates without the (additional) testing and support from Red Hat? I think that RH intends that most of what's in Fedora will, eventually, be in RH releases, and be "better" tested when added there.

bogoda · 01-24-2006, 11:19 AM

Hi PTrenholme,

Currently we are working on Moodle Open Source Learning Management System.

So it run Under Fedora 4.

So I like to have Fedora installation.

Is it possiable to hv RH9 ,Fedora and Xp in one Boot loader.

Thank u.

PTrenholme · 01-24-2006, 03:11 PM

Sure. Here's a copy of my grub.conf file, where I have it set so I can boot to:

1) The latest released Fedora kernel on the second partition of my second HD, that is (hd1,1) to GRUB
2) The kernel released prior to that one, also from (hd1,1)
3) A backup FC3 system from (hd5,0), the first partition of the sixth HD
4) A Windows XP system (Actually, a choice of an XP Pro system or a W2K Server.) from (hd0,0), the first partition of the first HD.

Code:

$ sudo cat /boot/grub/grub.conf
# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE:  You have a /boot partition.  This means that
#          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
#          root (hd1,1)
#          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
#          initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=0
timeout=7
#splashimage=(hd1,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
#hiddenmenu
title Fedora Core 4 (2.6.14-1.1656)
        root (hd1,1)
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.14-1.1656_FC4smp ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet
        initrd /initrd-2.6.14-1.1656_FC4smp.img
title Fedora Core 4 (2.6.14-1.1653)
        root (hd1,1)
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.14-1.1653_FC4smp ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet
        initrd /initrd-2.6.14-1.1653_FC4smp.img
title Fedora Core 3 (2.6.12-1.1381)
        root (hd5,0)
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.12-1.1381_FC3smp ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
        initrd /initrd-2.6.12-1.1381_FC3smp.img
title Windows
        rootnoverify (hd0,0)
        chainloader +1

Here's my hard drive setup:

Code:

$ sudo /sbin/fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1        4864    39070048+   7  HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/hdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdb1               1        9091    73023426    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hdb2   *        9092        9104      104422+  83  Linux
/dev/hdb3            9105       19456    83152440   8e  Linux LVM

Disk /dev/hdc: 251.0 GB, 251000193024 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30515 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdc1   *           1       30515   245111706   42  SFS

Disk /dev/hdd: 13.6 GB, 13676544000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1662 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdd1   *           1         255     2048256    b  W95 FAT32
/dev/hdd2             256        1662    11301727+   c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)

Disk /dev/hdg: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12161 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdg1   *           1       12161    97683201    b  W95 FAT32

Disk /dev/hdh: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12161 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdh1   *           1          13      104391   83  Linux
/dev/hdh2              14       12161    97578810   83  Linux

/dev/hda is for the XP Pro system
/dev/hdb1 is the Windows 2000 Server
/dev/hdb2 is /swap for the Fedora 4 system
/dev/hdb3 is a logical volume for the Fedora 4 system.
/dev/hdc is a Windows Active Directory volume (not readable from Linux)
/dev/hdd1 is an old Windows 98SE system (r/w from Linux, but only bootable from BIOS)
/dev/hdd2 is a copy of the W98SE disk
/dev/hdg is a FAT disk shared by the Windows and Linux systems
/dev/hdh1 is /swap for the Fedora 3 system
/dev/hdh2 contains the rest of the FC3 system

Hopefully this will give you some idea of what you can do with GRUB.