Possible to dual boot without GRUB?

kbalona · 02-12-2007, 12:56 PM

I have a question. Lets say I have 2 hard drives, 1 for Linux and one for Windows. Would it be possible to NOT install a bootloader such as GRUB or Lilo, but instead, at boot press F12 or whatever, and select which HD you want to boot from?
ty

powadha · 02-12-2007, 01:10 PM

You need a bootloader, grub does this job very nicely. Place your win disk as slave and add this to grub:

quote very old post: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...highlight=grub

If you have Windows on the second disk (which seems to be the case) you have to fool it.
Use these lines in Grub and Win will believe it is using the first disk. Then that ego will boot

Code:

### Windows Boot

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

In the menu.lst place the windows booting lines below the ### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

That way your setting for loading windows won't be deleted if you upgrade to a newer kernel using apt (all lines below the mentioned ### are left alone).

kbalona · 02-12-2007, 01:15 PM

thanks, I know how to use GRUB, and I'm actually not doing this myself but I know someone who doesn't want to install grub, and wanted to do like I said in my first post.
So what you're saying is that it is not possible to use the BIOS select boot drive function? You have to have GRUB installed?

powadha · 02-12-2007, 01:17 PM

As far as I know you just have to use a bootloader indeed, sorry. Some bios offer a F12 or whatever to choose the disk to boot from. You could probably install both OS on its own disk (without bootloader, just plugin only one during install, then the other) and use that (you have to test this). Seems kinda useless pressing F12 if you can use Grub. He could install Win on one disk and Grub only on the Linux disk. Use the Grub lines and your set. Dislike linux? Unplug or format the linux disk and set the win as master and it will boot.