Problem on RH Linux and Win98SE Dual Booting
 

I am currently using Windows 98SE as my Operating System and I bought a SAM Book and with it comes a full RH Linux 7.2 Edition.
I installed the RH Linux 7.2 on other Hard Disk so that means my Windows 98SE is installed on the other Physical Hard Drive.

The problem comes when I tried to Dual Boot my machine using the Linux as my Default OS.
I tried manipulating the Boot Manager (LILO) at the root but when I select the Windows (I named it as Windows) in the Graphical Log-in, It cant load the Windows Operating System so its only the RH Linux that can load correctly.

The first drive contains my Default OS which is RH Linux 7.2 and I placed the LILO on the MBR.
While the other drive contains the Windows 98SE (Partitioned into 3 drives).

Here is my LILO configuration file:

prompt
timeout="50"
default=linux
boot="/dev/hda"
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message linear

image="/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.7-10"
label="linux"
initrd="/boot/initrd-2.4.7-10.img"
read-only
root="/dev/hda2"

other=/dev/hda
label="Windows"
image="/dev/hda"
root="/dev/hda2"
initrd="/boot/initrd-2.4.7-10.img"
password="Filter"

Could you please check the errors in this LILO.conf because I can't boot on the Windows. It's only in the RH Linux that works properly.
Thank You.

Sincerely;
Ian Ace

Well, to start off, Windows doesn't like to be the second hard drive if you have it setup that way. And you shouldn't need to specify a:

image="/dev/hda"
root="/dev/hda2"
initrd="/boot/initrd-2.4.7-10.img"
password="Filter"

Usually looks more like this:

other=/dev/hda1
label=Windows
read-only

And is this two physical hard drives or two partitions ?
Try searching the forums here, this is asked all the time.

I'l try to change my settings...
That would be 2 physical Hard drives.

Thanks

Ok, two physical hard drives means that one setting should be /dev/hda and the other /dev/hdb followed by the partition number if applicable of the image or root partition.

As follows, depending on how you have your hard drives connected goes like this:

1st IDE Primary = /dev/hda
1st IDE Slave = /dev/hdb
2nd IDE Primary = /dev/hdc
2nd IDE Slave = /dev/hdd

Maybe that points you in the right direction on what settings you should have your lilo.conf file set to to get your dual boot working.
Also after making changes, always remember to run lilo to make the changes...

/sbin/lilo

I remember I messed up my lilo.conf in the learning process back then. Those were the days. :D

# Windows98
other=/dev/hda1
label=Windows98

Is all you need.

My second IDE drive w/c contains the Windows 98SE is configured using the 2nd IDE Primary.
So, ill only be changing my lilo.conf to contain:

other=/dev/hdc
label=Windows
read-only

Could I do this in the Boot manager and not in the konsole? If it would be on Boot Manager would I still run /sbin/lilo?
Thanks Again.

Sincerely;
Ian Ace

Change this line:

other=/dev/hdc

To this:

other=/dev/hdc1

You need to specify the partition windows is installed on and /dev/hdc1 is probably where windows was installed.

Dual Boot cant still work
 

Im just wondering why my dual boot cant still work. I configured my LILO.conf and that my other option of OS which is Windows could not load when selected in the Graphical Option at boot-up. I tried using hda,hda1,hdc,hdc1 (For Windows to load) on my LILO.conf, it works, but it stucks whenever I choose to load using windows. I tried executing /sbin/lilo and yes, it registered windows but my system stucks/hangs whenever I choose windows. Its only the Linux which can load properly.
What could be the error in here......

Re: Problem on RH Linux and Win98SE Dual Booting
 

The problem you're probably having now is that windows likes to be on the primary master drive. You have it on the secondary master. Try adding map-drive= and to= lines to the windows section. I noticed that you have some lines in your lilo.conf file that you don't need. Make your lilo.conf look like the one below:

prompt
timeout="50"
default=linux
boot="/dev/hda"
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
linear

image="/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.7-10"
label="linux"
initrd="/boot/initrd-2.4.7-10.img"
read-only
root="/dev/hda2"

other=/dev/hdc1
label="Windows"
table=/dev/hdc
map-drive=0x80
to=0x81
map-drive=0x81
to=0x80

Run /sbin/lilo and reboot.

I now have a dual booting system, Linux and Windows98SE, Thanks to the LinuxQuestions.org forum. I could not have been succesful without you people out there.
Another problem is that how could I access my other files located at the other IDE drive in which my Windows98 is installed when I am under the Linux environment?
Thanks......

Sincerely;
Ian Ace

You're welcome. :)

To access your win98 partition, you can use the mount command. Like this:

mount -t vfat /dev/hdc1 /mnt/win98

This will mount your windows partition at /mnt/win98. If this directory doesn't exist, use mkdir /mnt/win98 to create it. Then you can ' ls /mnt/win98 ' to see the partitions contents.

To make it easier on yourself, you can make an entry in your /etc/fstab file. Like this:

/dev/hdc1 /mnt/win98 vfat noauto,user,ro 0 0

Then to mount it just run mount /mnt/win98. ' noauto ' means to not mount it at start up. ' user ' means that any user can mount the partition and ' ro ' is read-only.