windows install after linux
 

hello,

I have set up a dual-boot system with lilo; mandrake 9.2/windows 2k. I just installed everything, and both systems are working fine. Now, I would like to wipe off 2K and install XP. I know that if I do this, the MBR will simply boot up windows and ignore linux. I would like to keep lilo as the boot-loader and simply add XP (and erase 2K) as an option after install. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks.

It ought to be as simple as modifying your /etc/lilo.conf and re-running LILO after you get XP installed. As long as you have a Linux boot CD, you should be able to mount your Linux drives to get access to everything you need (namely, /etc, /boot, and /sbin/lilo). You could also use a Linux rescue disk to boot your Linux install normally (I think by passing 'root=/dev/hdaX', with hdaX being the root partition of your Linux install), and then run LILO from there.

I think that a slightly simpler way would be to just install the XP over the top of 2K, the XP install will overwrite your bootloader, but to get round that, you then just boot with the mandrake disc's (well the first one) and then when the option window opens to "enter for install, F1 (I think) for more options", then hit F1 and at the prompt type rescue, and follow the options to re-install LILO.

You can always modify the lilo.conf in the boot section of the mandrake control centre later i.e. make windows default if you want, change the label, etc etc

regards

John

well I hope it is that simple, but my understanding is that lilo is currently on the MBR (at least that is what I set when I installed linux), and XP will wipe it off MBR. In that case, editing (if it is even possible at that point) lilo.conf is like washing your car to make it run better.

post 4 is for post 2

thanks big john, I didn't know about the rescue/install lilo option. I'll give it a shot and then post an update.

Well, lilo.conf is only used when you actually run 'lilo'; it tells lilo where to find the boot images it needs, so it can properly situate itself in the MBR. After installing XP, the MBR will be overwritten as you know, but you will still have your Linux partition with lilo.conf and everything; all you have to do is get into it (using a boot or rescue disk) to run lilo again. The procedure that bigjohn suggests should work also; it just automates the procedure I suggested :)

ok, I think I get it. Anyway, the automated install procedure, while newbie-ish, works. Now to install a driver for the video card... thanks folks.