FAQ: SUSE 9.1/Windows XP Dual Boot

What I have:

SATA HD, first drive (according to bios.) /dev/sda1 = swap, /dev/sda2 = root.
IDE HD, second drive. /dev/hda1 = winxp pro.

Linux bootloader installed on MBR of /dev/sda2.

Now, this is where it makes no sense.

According to GRUB, it's on the Master Boot Record of /dev/hda.

This makes absolutely no sense at all. If I set hda as the first drive and try to boot off its bootloader, the machine won't boot. I want the bootloader on sda, the first drive, where it appears to be, what Grub says to the contrary. Unfortunately, however, when I set the bootloader as /dev/sda, Grub appears to save it so but when I re-open the bootloader settings in YAST after changing them it hasn't actually been changed. Also, Windows XP won't boot if I select it from the bootloader menu.

What I want: Bootloader on MBR of /dev/sda.
Windows XP to boot when I choose it off the bootloader instead of hanging with a message about the chainloader.

Also, it appears that for the purposes of grub itself (outside of the yast2 GUI), the sata drive is seen as /dev/hd0 and the pata as /dev/hd1.

And I have no idea how to get through this whole mess x_X

For: Dmalic
Ref Your: # 151 SuSE 10 / XP dual boot

You really need to start at the beginning of this series and scan to find something that may help you out. Unfortunately, SuSE and booting has had a long series of problems and I believe your type has been mentioned several times.
I just tried dual boot again, last week, this time with Win 98SE on Fat32 using SuSE 9.3 to replace Suse 8.0. NO luck at all. W98 w/SuSE 8.0 was working OK. That system is now down also with boot problems.
Note that the partioning program "parted", according to the Linux/NTFS developement team, mentioned about two months ago (elsewhere) that parted had some bugs and no one has been working on the parted program for a while. Several posts mention that partitioning Win XP with non native programs including commercial ones do not always suceed and will cause hidden problems.
Also, there are some Hard Disk (HD) issues about LVM, CHS and overwriting the MBR with GRUB not to mention the BIOS issues for individual motherboards.
May I suggest that you buy a used system and set it up to run Linux only with ethernet between the two systems without dual boot. Make sure the BIOS supports CD booting and it has a Floppy Drive.
That (above) is what I am going to do shortly myself. I have been contemplation the fact that if a commercial company owns a large block of the Linux movement, it is not in their (commercial folks) best interest to allow new computer users, neubees, and less experienced hands, to be able to solve problems and boot up Linux error free. Just think of the consulting fees, management systems suppport, commercial web sites, and other sources of revenu lost if such a linux block did not need them because Linux worked error free. I then suspect that some errors are being injected into Linux by large holders for that revenue creating purpose. I believe I am going to try PClinux next to see what it does and if I don't like it I'll go to Debian stripped down and build up.

I'm considering installing Suse on my new Dell Inspiron with Windows XP (until Vista comes out) i'm not looking forward to dealing with all of these issues though, hopefully i'll be able to get the bugs worked out in time ;9

Originally Posted by ITintuition I'm considering installing Suse on my new Dell Inspiron with Windows XP (until Vista comes out) i'm not looking forward to dealing with all of these issues though, hopefully i'll be able to get the bugs worked out in time ;9

I've completed multiple machines with dual boots (mostly with Ubuntu, but including SuSe). I've currently got XP Home, XP Pro, and SuSe running on the laptop I'm composing this reply on. There really aren't any issues to be reckoned with provided the release is relatively bug free. I've stirred clear of the releases that especially have installation bugs listed. In fact I've got version 10 RC1.0 up and running without any issues at all. Granted this is a Compaq with an nVidea video card. On my Inspiron I have XP Home running with Ubuntu (no issues ... and it saw my D-Link wireless card, something I haven't quite figured out with SuSe using D-Link, Motorola, or Netgear cards).

While some disagree on the way to manage an install, I don't use LiLo, but rather Grub, and I allow it to be written to the boot partition. The process is pretty much automated, and the config file can be easily altered to meet your boot up requirements (I let SuSe boot default because most folks are in timidated by it and don't fool with my laptop because of it).

I really don't think you'll have any issues using a current release. Best of luck to you - let us hear back with your progress.

oprogue.

Dmalic

first your bios boot order can be changed.

2) lets assume you have an old bios that detects IDE drives b4 SATA....then its in grub speak hd0 = XP drive
hd1 = linux drive

but each has its own mbr and there is nothing wrong with having bootloader files linked to different drive mbrs.

if you can understand my tutorial your etc/fstab file I would suggest has /boot as a folder to / so in grub speak
root is (hd1,1)

3) so using a live cd or linux in rescue mode (I prefer knoppix or kanotix or a small download is RIP

open a terminal and commands are
root (hd1,1)
setup (hd0)
quit

Hopefully you will see some messages and the words succeeded?

this says grub booting files are on partiton /dev/sda2
link the mbr of drive 0 to that other drive.



4) I do not use Suse so have no idea why yast conflicts with grub that you may have loaded internally ie live.

@SEM : The first thing to do is to defrag your windows drive, then back up your data.

Disconnect the SATA drive, and instal linux aloowing Suse to make room for itself on the IDE Drive, then reconnect your Sata Drive, use the Sata for storage.