hi guys, i want to dual boot to slacx and win, i know how to do it from two partitions on one master disk, but the thing is, i got a new disk and i dont want to have to reinstall winxp and partition the disk, instead i just want to install linux on my slave disk and boot to both of them.

can it be done? or do i have to necesarily install both on different partitions (winxp, swap,slack) in one master disk?

im willing to use lilo or grub, whichever works best..

thanks in advance!

When you get to the part where you have to partition the drive. Do a fdisk /dev/hda and remove the old install. Then do fdisk /dev/hdb and partition the slave drive the way you want it.

the thing is i dont want to modify the master disk, i have winxp installed on it.

does that fdisk /dev/hdb work for partitioning the slave disk?

and if so, if i proceed to install slack, will i get lilo to boot from any of them?

The name system for the IDE devices are.
/dev/hda - primary master
/dev/hdb - primary slave
/dev/hdc - secondary master
/dev/hdd - secondary slave

So when you do fdisk /dev/hdb, you are partitioning the primary slave drive.

When I said to partition /dev/hda, I ment to remove the Linux partitions. You can leave them there if you want. I am not sure about the lilo setup and if the installer will map the previous install. It should, but I am not sure about it.

i see, thanks. but what i was looking for is the lilo and slack setup, the partitioning i dont think is the problem.

and i dont want to experiment cause i cant afford to mess up my winxp installation. so if someone knows this in detail please let me know..

thanks tangle.

The installer will install and setup lilo for the new install.

really

ok then, ill try it

thanks man

it worked just like that, thanks man

alright. i have the same exact problem as mojarron, and im at the point now where i really dont wanna repartition my hdb. im able to run slack now becuase of the bootdisk i made during the installation. and ive tried to edit the lilo.conf file everyway possible and still no results.

"Warning: The boot sector and map file are on different disks.
Added windows *
Added slackware
The boot sector and the map file have *NOT* been altered." is what i get when i run lilo.

further information: hda1 = winxp (ntfs), hdb3 = slack root, hdb5 = FAT32 partition (i have alot of stuff stored there already), hdb2 = linux swap,

and please observe the lilo.conf file...

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 50
# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
label = windows
table = /dev/hda
# Windows bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hdb3
label = slackware
read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends

for 4 days now ive been stuck in slack (not a bad thing at all ) but i need to be able to boot to windows. please help

I think that if you do a lilo -b /dev/hda , it will take care of your problem.

that just stops the hda from being bootable no?
but ill give it a whirl. i hope it works, im dying to play cod!

I had a brain fart. Try lilo -M /dev/hda.

*sigh*, thats a bit negative captain. ive seriously tried everything that everyone has had to offer me in the past few days. except for formatting the mbr, i have no idea how to do that. there has got to be a way to get this done. but my friend says he has his fedora/winxp setup the same way as far as drives go. and it works for him. check his lilo.conf ...

LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section

boot = /dev/hda
map = /boot/map

#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 20

# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting

default = slack

# Windows
other = /dev/hda1
label = windows
table = /dev/hda

# Linux
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hdb3
label = slack
read-only

then peep mine...

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 50
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 773
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
label = windows
table = /dev/hda
# Windows bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hdb3
label = slack
read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends

the only difference i see is his "map = /boot/map", but ive never heard anyone even referring to that when it comes to slack.
"Warning: The boot sector and map file are on different disks." is the error i get when i run lilo. however, when i put in that "map = /boot/map line, i dont receive any errors, but it still wont boot correctly.

there has got to be something im doing wrong.

Hello anyone interested in doing the following , because i usually do it this way

install lilo to root partition ,
dd the first 512 bytes to a windows partition

edit boot.ini so that winxp/winnt/win2k's loader to loads this , and u load lilo and boot linux.
that way u leave ur win install's bootloader unharmed.
[
PS: i am a noob and i learned this way because i still wanna keep my win install intact if ever i mess up my linux installation


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