ok i want to install suse 10.0 on my PC
i currently have 2 120GB drives
i would like #1 to be XP (it already is)
and #2 to be my linux
how do i get the PC to dual boot (xp as default)

i know that people ask this all the time but i have not found a thread with a 2 disk install...

Two disk install works the same as a one-disk, two-partition install.

Xp on disk one; SuSE on disk two. During installation of SuSE, write grub to the MBR (windows will be non-bootable except with a boot disk until you get /boot/grub/menu.lst edited to add Xp).

The menu.lst will point to two partitions on two seperate hard drives instead of on one drive.

So, do your homework before installing SuSE. Search these boards for the many, many posts in re dual boot xp and Linux. Make notes or print pages of what entries to make in menu.lst to add xp while you're still in SuSE. When done, reboot to check that it works.

Hint on default OS to boot: in menu.lst there is a default line that reads default=0. In grub terms that means boot the first os in the list. So, put the xp setup first in the list.

Or, put xp anywhere in the list, and change the value of default to equal xps place in the list: 0 equals first in list; 1 equals second in list, etc.

its very simple, just install your suse on your hard drive, then use yast to configure boot section, i think you should be able to understand where to click to change options...

just one suggestion i wanted to make: use your primary master for linux and primary slave (or secondary master/slave) for windows, the reason: linux will fix the MBR of the first drive (primary master) and if something goes wrong with that mbr you'll always be able take out that 1st hdd and windows will still be bootable, otherwise you might get two not working os. of course windows have fix mbr function, so its not a MUST. if you get problems post here i should be able to help

Thanks all. esp zilvis for the advice. I will post how it turns out...

In case that would be a problem as Windows is already on primary 1 with loads of stuff.... and ever decide to get rid of Linux, you are stuck with a problem in your mbr... it will be looking for the grub booter which would not exist anymore

well... then do this

go to the attick and find yourself your old software... w98 dos6 something like that

boot up and run "fdisk /mbr" from the dos prompt and WindowsXP will boot again.

why? i have my XP cd that boots, and thats enough: boot from cd, repair installation and then fix mbr option.... that already helped me

I REALLY don't remember if i booted from 98 boot up floppy and i had xp on my hdd, or vice versa, but it said to me that i had other os (other than in floppy), and it didnt boot up, just restarted pc

i got suse 10.0 on my primary hdd and xp on my 2nd hdd. but heres the new problem...
when the linux boot menu comes up it gives me the option of windows, but when i do it cannot find the loader for the NTFS (i forget what its called). but if i boot direclty from hdd2 then windows works just fine... any ideas?

Post the contents of /etc/fstab and /boot/grub/menu.lst. The problem could be as simple as a misstated option in the xp entry of menu.lst. The information in fstab will help to point out such an error, if that is where the problem lies.

well i am going to post what yor asking for but i can not get my i-net on that PC working. its making me quite mad... any sugestions???

/dev/hda6 / reiserfs acl,user_xattr 1 1
/dev/hda1 /windows/C ntfs ro,users,gid=users,umask=0002,nls=utf8 0 0
/dev/hda2 /windows/D ntfs ro,users,gid=users,umask=0002,nls=utf8 0 0
/dev/hdb1 /windows/E ntfs ro,users,gid=users,umask=0002,nls=utf8 0 0
/dev/hdb5 /windows/F ntfs ro,users,gid=users,umask=0002,nls=utf8 0 0
/dev/hda5 swap swap defaults 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs noauto 0 0
usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs noauto 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts mode=0620,gid=5 0 0
/dev/dvd /media/dvd subfs noauto,fs=cdfss,ro,procuid,nosuid,nodev,exec,iocharset=utf8 0 0
/dev/dvdrecorder /media/dvdrecorder subfs noauto,fs=cdfss,ro,procuid,nosuid,nodev,exec,iocharset=utf8 0 0
none /subdomain subdomainfs noauto 0 0

# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Sat Oct 22 12:58:38 UTC 2005

color white/blue black/light-gray
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,5)/boot/message

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title SUSE LINUX 10.0
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda6 vga=0x314 selinux=0 resume=/dev/hda5 splash=silent showopts
initrd /boot/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
chainloader (hd1,0)+1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- SUSE LINUX 10.0
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda6 vga=normal showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off noresume selinux=0 nosmp noapic maxcpus=0 edd=off 3
initrd /boot/initrd

Do a fdisk -l and list the content here

It is possible that you have a hidden partition for swap or doing backup and the XP root partition may not be the first one.

Your menu.lst will boot XP succesfully if it is the first partition in the second disk.

Grub counts from zero and

chainloader (hd1,0)+1

means Grub has been instructed to "cut and paste" itself at the +1 position (2nd sector) with XP at the first partition of the second hard disk.

OK. Since you have switched the drives, putting XP on the second, and SuSE on the first drive, you need to edit /boot/grub/menu.lst. Make the XP entry look like this:
title windows
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Windows is jealous, and wants to be on the first (master) drive. This tricks windows into thinking it's the master of the situation. This will also add windows to the grub menu.

PS: change the title to read whatever name you want to see on the grub menu. Everything below the title line, DO NOT CHANGE.

linux:~ # fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 122.9 GB, 122942324736 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14946 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 3407 27358664 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2 10200 14946 38130277+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda3 * 3407 10199 54564772 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 3407 3537 1052226 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda6 3538 10199 53512483+ 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/hdb: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 * 1 5737 46082421 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hdb2 5738 14592 71127787+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hdb5 5738 14592 71127756 7 HPFS/NTFS