dual booting from a 2nd hard disk

tired_of_microshaft · 04-28-2010, 12:44 AM

I have 2 IDE drives, Windows XP is on the Master drive & Fedora 12 is on a partition the other drive.
I purposely installed the Linux boot loader on the same drive as Fedora because want to use NTLDR as the primary boot loader.

According to a guide I found (http://www.linux.com/archive/feature/113945), I should be able to copy the Linux boot sector to a file & put that copy on the Windows drive & then modify boot.ini, so I’m prompted to with an OS choice a startup. The problem is the command the guide gives to copy the Linux boot sector (dd if=/dev/hdb1 of=bootsect.lnx size=512 count=1) has outdated syntax and does not work.

What syntax would make this command work in Fedora 12?

Another guide I found (http://fedorasolved.org/Members/rask...-vista-already) suggested using: Grub4Dos & modifying boot.ini
This method almost worked until grub gave an error that there was no kernel loaded.

What would I type into the grub prompt to load the kernel?

How would I automate the loading of the kernel, so I don’t have to specify the kernel each time?

John VV · 04-28-2010, 03:05 AM

this is what i do
( well it was fedora and xp -- now it is xp arch and Cent)

boot using the install dvd - in rescue mode -
and after you " chroot /mnt/sysimage"

use the dd command

BUT if you also mount the xp disk you can bypass the need for copping the Fedora.bin file to a 3.5 flop

and just copy it to your windows c drive

a part of a back up copy of my instructions

Code:

 -----------------------------
chroot /mnt/sysimage 
/* root login */
root
( my password)
mkdir /mnt/windows
mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/sda1 /mnt/windows
dd if=/dev/sd?? of=/fedora.bin bs=512 count=1
/* ?? is where the boot is */
cp /fedora.bin /mnt/windows
/* or run */
dd if=/dev/sd?? of=/mnt/windows/fedora.bin bs=512 count=1
nano /mnt/windows/boot.ini
/* and add    C:\fedora.bin= " Fedora "  
(ctrl+o ) and <enter> to save*/

syg00 · 04-28-2010, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tired_of_microshaft

I purposely installed the Linux boot loader on the same drive as Fedora because want to use NTLDR as the primary boot loader.

Same drive as Fedora ??? - or same partition ?.
If the former try "if=/dev/sdb" - if the latter try "if=/dev/sdb1"

Otherwise should work. Can't do any damage.

tired_of_microshaft · 04-28-2010, 04:54 AM

There doesn't seem to be a rescue mode for the installation disk I have, apparently it's only a Live CD.
Entering: chroot /mnt/sysimage
gave me a Permission Denied error. It didn't prompt me to enter the root password.
The other commands should work if I didn't get Permission Denied errors, any ideas?

John VV · 04-28-2010, 04:04 PM

a qusetion then ??
how are you booting into fedora ???? or are you not .
ALL of the above post must be done before the "first boot" or there will not be a first boot.

unless there is a very good reasion do not use my method
use GRUB to boot windows xp
and NOT xp to boot fedora

tired_of_microshaft · 04-28-2010, 06:07 PM

I'm not booting Fedora from the local drive, I'm using the live CD to access the Linux partitions that it made on the local drive.
I think the Permission Denied errors are because the live CD doesn't log on as root.

John VV · 04-28-2010, 07:19 PM

well you will need a disk that has dd on it
download the fedora 12 install dvd ( 3.7 gig's of it)
but "SystemRescue-cd " should do it
http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page

or reinstall xp and fedora and use grub to start xp