multi-boot questions
 

Some Fedora books(bible, unleash,..) stated that dual-boot linux(2.6) with windows xp causes xp inaccessible problem. They indicated that it was a bug in the kernel 2.6 or Fedora's installer problem. Is it true? Is there anyone trying to install linux dual-boot with windows xp which causes this kind of problem? If it is true, how to fix it?

By the way, is it possible to install several different distros (like Fedora, Debian, etc.) multi-boot with windows xp on one machine at the same time? If it is possible, how the partition works during installation? (such as how "/", "/swap", and "/boot" distinguish between different linux distros? Do I need more than one "/boot" for different distros?)


Any suggestion will be very much appreciated!

Hello

I've been using windows xp and different linux distro's on one machine for some time.

Your first question. I've never experienced windows becoming unaccessible. Though I hoped it would ;-)

Second question. Every distro has its own partition, yes. I've never tried to use the same /boot partition for two distro's. Using the same partition as swap partition works fine though. Be very careful when it comes to partitioning. Use the first distro to create partitions, and leave some empty for the installation of the second, third...

Have a lot of fun

Koen Plessers

Thanks for your reply, Koen.

One thing I forgot to mention is that my windows xp is sp2. Will it be the probem for inaccessibility of the xp?

For /boot and /swap partition, do you suggest using different /boot 's for different distros? Like the following example:

/ for Fedora root
/boot for Fedora boot
/ for Debian root
/boot for Debian boot
/swap

If I first install Fedora, I'd create partiton for Fedora(/, /boot, /swap) and leave some space for others. Then, later I'd like to install Debian. I can use Debian Installer to create partition for Debian(/ and /boot).

Only once did I make my Windows XP SP2 on my dual boot system inaccessible. It happened after I deleted my Fedora partitions in Windows Disk Management Console (starting fresh for an FC2->FC3 upgrade). My entire hard disk became "corrupted" after that, and Windows would not boot (even after issuing the proper commands through GRUB). BART PE told me it didnt exist, Norton SystemWorks 2k4 told me it didnt exist, Windows Recovery Console told me it didnt exist, as well as a bunch of other tools. The only thing that restored it was installing FC3, which said that something in the disk was screwed up (cant remember, dont think it was MBR), and it fixed it for me. Go Anaconda + Disk Druid :). Since then, I havent had any problems whatsoever (for the FC3->FC4 upgrade I learned my lesson and used Disk Druid to remove previous FC3 partitions).

In short, no FC4/XP dual boot problems whatsoever

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