a quick dual boot question

pellicle · 05-22-2010, 05:50 PM

Hi

I have Redhat running on my box at the moment, but I am thinking of installing Win XP (a licenced and legal copy even) onto another hard disk which I would make as primary.

So my question is how to go about this?

How do I, after installing and configuring XP on the new primary make a boot loader (grub?) then boot of my second(ary) disk?

The reason I wish to do this is that presently I am very happy with my Redhat installation / configuration / state of install and I do not wish to disturb it. If there is an easier way to attack this problem then please don't hesitate to suggest that strategy.

Thanks to all in advance :-)

syg00 · 05-22-2010, 06:11 PM

Might be easiest to stick the new disk in and disconnect the current. Install XP as normal.
Check it out, then stick the other disk back in, and change the BIOS boot order to boot your Redhat disk first. Add the following to your /boot/grub/menu.lst (or /boot/grub/grub.conf depending on Redhat release)

Code:

title Windows
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1

(the maps are to make XP think it is on the BIOS boot disk).

RockDoctor · 05-22-2010, 06:13 PM

Here's how I'd attempt to do it:
1. Pull the drive with RH on it
2. Put in your second drive and install WinXP
3. Pull the second drive, reconnect the first drive as the primary and the second drive as the secondary
4. Edit /boot/grub/grub.conf on the primary drive, adding the following stanza:

Code:

title Windows XP
        map (hd0) (hd1)
        map (hd1)(hd0)
	rootnoverify (hd0,0)
	chainloader +1

5. Reboot and see that you can get into both RH and WinXP

I have actually done it before, but it's been several years, so no guarantee that I've got the syntax completely correct. The grub manual is your friend in this case

pellicle · 05-23-2010, 05:07 PM

Hi

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockDoctor

Here's how I'd attempt to do it:

that sounds seductively easy ... thanks!

I will be attempting this in the coming week, thanks for the reference to the manual for syntax too!

bewdy

RockDoctor · 05-24-2010, 11:42 AM

@syg00 - looks like I was two minutes too late with my post

syg00 · 05-24-2010, 05:13 PM

Usually happens to me ..

I start an answer, wander off, then post. Way too late most times.
BTW, I think you need to change that rootnoverify reference - the maps only change the logical reference to the disk.

pellicle · 05-25-2010, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

Usually happens to me ..

I start an answer, wander off, then post. Way too late most times.
BTW, I think you need to change that rootnoverify reference - the maps only change the logical reference to the disk.

but the thought is well appreciated ... :-)

pellicle · 06-21-2010, 06:38 PM

guys

sorry to take so long about this, but between posts I've moved country (back to Australia) and been doing much needed repairs to my house.

So, my problem is it didn't work. As I'm not familiar with grub syntax I've just monkey see monkey dooing the above code I'll report the error here and try to research it as well

I get the error of

Quote:

Error 13: Invalid or unsupported executable format

XP boots fine as long as its disk is plugged into SATA1 socket and the Linux part works fine (as its plugged into SATA1 now with the XP disk being plugged into SATA2 location)

thanks

PS:

problem solved. I discovered an older post here which discusses this with relationship to Fedora. I changed the above recommended code to now read:

Quote:

map (hd1) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
boot

disks are SATA

thanks to syg00 for posting in that thread:-)