Win2k installed, Mandrake installed dual?

callisto35 · 08-27-2003, 06:28 AM

I have win2k on one harddrive. I have linux (mandrake 9.1) on another harddrive. To switch between the two I remove the ide cable from one and plug it into the other. Is there a way to have the system do a dual boot when it starts up without having to destroy either installation?

You may be wondering why I did this. I tried linux a few years ago and it was too hard to use (no drivers etc..) I wanted to try linux again, but not affect my win2000 installation, and I had an extra drive lying around...

Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

acid_kewpie · 08-27-2003, 06:36 AM

ok then, best way (although marginally not the easiest) is to put linux in as the primary master drive and then basically lie to windows to trick it into thinking that it is on the master channel after all when you tell it to boot it. I'd assume that you currently boot to linux via lilo? bluey / purpley screen allowing you to choose a few differnt versions of linux to boot to? if so, boot up and as root edit /etc/lilo.conf and to the end add:

Code:

other=/dev/hdb1
  label=Win2k
  table=/dev/hdb
  map-drive = 0x80              # Logically swap the drives so that when they
    to = 0x81                   #  are accessed via the BIOS, the second drive
  map-drive = 0x81              #  will appear as the first and the first as
    to = 0x80

and then run "lilo" as root. reboot and then that option should be available to you, and with the windows drive being connected as pri slave, should boot fine. the fundamental benefit of this little diversion means that you *never* *ever* touch the windows drive at all with anything linux related, so you have a full dual boot system you can remove simply by replacing win2k on the master channel, no risk whatsoever.

callisto35 · 08-27-2003, 08:07 AM

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I am using GRUB (not LILO). Is the process still the same?

Thanks.