installing windows xp and redhat 8
 

hi there, i'm a sort of newbie on linux so i have few questions,..

it won't be the first time to install linux with windows, but untill now, everytime i wanted to do that i failed :'(. so.. here is some explanation first:

i have 2 hard disks. 1st hard disk is 120gb large and has 5 partitions. c is the partition where windows xp is installed. all partitions are formated in NTFS mode. the 2nd hard drive (10gb) is planned to have linux redhat 8 on it (installing rh will auto create the partitions linux needs).

also i want to use nt boot.ini for booting into windows xp or linux. i spotted few articles that are writing about this, but i want to be 100% sure everything goes well. so, my steps will be something like this:

- install redhat 8 on 2nd hard drive, and move the lilo on the diskette if anything goes wrong
- go to linux and use the commands i spotted in articles on the internet:

# dd if=/dev/hda3 of=/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1
line above would copy boot info into file bootsect.lnx

# mcopy /bootsect.lnx a:
line above will copy that file on the diskette (will this also format my diskette or do i need to use any linux function on my diskette?)

OR
# mount /dev/fd0 /mnt
# cp /bootsect.lnx /mnt
# umount /mnt
above lines - if mcopy isn't available

then. i would login to windows xp and copy the file from diskette on c:, open boot.ini and add:

C:\BOOTSECT.LNX="Linux"


could you please check if my steps are right or do i need to change anything since i said lilo to be on diskette to access linux? as lilo on diskette "linked" in any ways with boot sector i copied to a file? and just one last thing..

do i need to change the line:
# dd if=/dev/hda3 of=/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1

to:
# dd if=/dev/hdb1 of=/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1
???


also, i read in the article somewhere, i cannot access linux from nt boot manager (boot.ini) if c: is formated in NTFS, is that true?


thank you very much for your answers to everyone. invite me to use the linux and totaly remove microsoft products from my computer :D. i really like this page. you rule ;)

I'm using a second HDD for Linux also but I'm running 3 distros. Here's my take on it. Your "boot=" should be hdb1 and don't forget to run /sbin/lilo afterwards or your 'bootsect" file will be null.


This is an example using the Windows "ntldr" to boot XP,Debian,Slackware and Minslack (CLI only). I created a softlink from the /boot/image (vmlinuz or bzimage) to "/" in order to forego the pleasure of having 2 bootscreens and
booting straight to the kernel. The examples are from Slackware but they're generic. Here's an example of lilo.conf with everything commented out except the essentials.

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
append="hdc=ide-scsi"
boot = /dev/hdb6
#message = /boot/boot_message.txt
#prompt
#timeout = 1
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# End LILO global section
# DOS bootable partition config begins

# DOS bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /vmlinuz-ide-2.4.18
root = /dev/hdb6
label = Slackware
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

Note that the image= is not in the /boot. Run "/sbin/lilo" If you get a "Warning" that this is not the first partition. You did good. Now create your bootsect file.

root@whatever#dd if=/dev/hdb6 of=/bootsect.slk bs=512 count=1

Copy the bootsect.slk to the drive where "ntldr" and "boot.ini" reside. (Normally C)by using a dos format floppy or e-mail it to yourself.(Not my idea but it was too cool) If your Windows drive is vfat just mount the drive and copy straight to it. Then add a line to "boot.ini" Here's mine.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
C:\bootsect.dbn ="Debian"
C:\bootsect.slk="Slackware"
C:\bootsect.slm="Minslack"

Reboot and pic your flavor.

excuse me if i didn't understood you right but...

could you properly wrote me what i need to do and what i need to change to the code i wrote because i didn't understood a thing..


thanks for reply ;)

Surely,we'll cut it up into sections to make things a bit simpler. Since I don't have a copy of RedHat maybe we can get a RH guru to help.
First install RH on your second Harddrive the normal configuration it should be hdb1. Before beginning your actual install you'll do your partitioning and formatting. Towards the end of your install it will ask if you want to install a bootloader. Say "yes". The default is Grub for RH I believe. It will ask where you want to install it. If you choose the MBR (/dev/hda1) it will show the Grub boot menu when you reboot and you're done. If you want to use the ntldr choose the root partition (/dev/hdb1) and continue with your installation. When it prompts you to make a Boot Floppy Do IT!!!!!! It's very important. Complete your install. Change the Boot Sequence in your Bios from CDROM to A. Your PC will boot straight to Windows unless you have the floppy in A:. When you get installed it'll be a lot clearer and we can go from there.

yes...

it works with the diskette. now i can go into windows as usual and into linux with the diskette.

what to do now in the linux?

Which bootloader (Grub or Lilo) did you use and where did you install it?

used lilo, installed on /hdb1, to access linux i use diskette :P

Excellent. In a root terminal run this exactly.

dd if=/dev/hdb1 of=/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1

This will create a file bootsect.lnx

Copy this to your C: drive and add this line to the bottom of boot.ini

C:\bootsect.lnx="Linux"

Reboot and you're done.

just one more question. i didn't tried it though, but,.. that won't work with copy command in linux since i have my c: partition formated in NTFS? do i need to copy the file on A and the from A to C?


yeah baby yeah...

i still didn't try that step because we had a beer party in the bar nearby but that doesn't matter. i'm drunk like a biach and will try that tomorow/today after i woke up umkay? :D

-n8n8 peeps...

Ummmmm Beer good.

um... one little bug... :s

i installed linux, did a boot diskette, now when i try to boot into linux with a diskette, it says:

"COULD NOT FIND KERNEL IMAGE" :s

-wtf? help please?!!!

Change the boot sequence back to CDROM and put your install CD in and reboot. They're should be a recovery key. Maybe F1. Hows your head and what was the brain cell body count. I only have one left and he's not feeling well at all.

recovery key is F5.. if i do that wizard in text mode opens, asks me for language, and then does something some syssomething. then, it puts me in the shell.

if i tried to use the dd command then to see if everything would work anyhow if i put bootsect.lnx into c:, but if i load linux then through NTLDR it doesn't work. blank screen is all what i get.

so... i just want to repair my boot loader from the diskette, and that doesn't work with REPAIR CONSOLE..

maybe i need to use some command in shell?

please help,

thanks :P

another thing...

when i want to copy bootsect.lnx to a: (diskette) it says:

- sector size (5120) not a small power of two OR
- sector size too big

what to do?

okay, here is something more:

- i tried to use mkbootdisk, after using recovery console but it says that command wasn't found

- i also tried to reinstall linux again and create a boot diskette and again, it returns me error when trying to boot into linux


---

please, please, help me...

do i need to format the diskette in any other way? i wasted two diskettes, both were formated...

-ideas?