double boot win98 and linux
 

trying to break free of the microsoft chains...

using cfdisk instead of fdisk, (i wimped out because i didn't know how many mb per cylinder at the time) anyways,

i created two new partitions, and shrunk down an old one with MS-DOS (Win 98)

The two new ones are:

a bootable new one for native Linux

a new swap one for Linux (not designated as boot, which i hope is right)

here's the prob:

at the time of writing the new partitions, the error message


"not precisely one primary partition is bootable. DOS MBR cannot boot file"


my partition table doesn't have any overlapping cylinders, the table lists the first partition, hda1, as Win95/NT bootable
second , hda2, as Linux swap (non bootable)
third, hda3, as Linux native (bootable)

i'm wondering if i missed a step in the fdisk/cfdisk procedures, or do i need to do something else, like in regard to mount points, or lilo? i admit, i don't know much about lilo, it's late, i want to finish installing, and i haven't found any real definitions for lilo..


sigh... when will the microsoft nightmare end?





:eek:

i found the easiest way to dual boot and install win98 and linux would be as follows.. or this is how i did mine.

first create two partitions using fdisk with your win98 boot floppy, i created my fat32 for my windows 98 and then the rest for its own partition, using about 2 gig for it... installed win98 and tested.. booted fine with a 2 gig partition.

then i rebooted and started the linux installation, it detected the rest of my free space and i then created my /boot, swap.. and so on from there....

its always easiest to install windows first then linux, then configure lilo for you dual boot, and most distro's now, especially if your using redhat will detect your dos/windows os and auto configure lilo for you.....

hope this helps any.... let us know.

ah, i see. i hadn't thought about that.

so in essence trick windows into creating a second partition without telling it is going to be for Linux, then sneak Linux before it can change it's mind about the open partition? hahah ok i will try that, thanks thanks thanks

..im trying to install Slackware 8.0, i wonder if that has anything to do with it

shouldn't be any problems.. when booting into the install of slackware, when you enter fdisk or cfdisk, just create your partitions... code 83 for linux swap and code 82 to format it as a linux native....

yep, did that..

i thought it would work that way, creating the partitions as i was installing slackware... but maybe i should just get used to creating partitions ahead of time.. ?

well, im not sure why, but fdisk did the job of allowing me to have designate two boot partitions when cfdisk couldn't.

sidenote: im not sure of what consequence it is, but for some reason, fdisk altered the space of the first partition by 1 cylinder different than what cfdisk listed it as..

well, off to bed, the skies are looking red to me now...

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red skies at night, sailors delight, red skies in morning, sailors take warning.