dual boot hangs

timoioi · 10-09-2005, 12:50 AM

Hello! Hopefully I didn't miss a solution to this that is already posted. If so I apologize.

I have a slackware 10.2 install (2.6.13) on hda. I at first installed winxp on hdb (with hda unplugged) then slack (with both plugged in). When lilo gets to the boot srceen and I select windows, I get 'loading windows' and it hangs. Now I can unplug the power to the hda and xp will boot just fine. I even booted xp setup and tried fixboot and fixmbr for good measure but it still deosen't like me. Interestingly, though, I have my windows drive in fstab and I don't have a problem getting into in when booted in slack. The winxp portion of lilo.conf is just like a million other examples I've found online. I'm.... out of ideas :/

Within 'fdisk /dev/hdb' shows my windows partition as bootable
and
'fdisk /dev/hda' shows my linux portion as bootable.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all!

lilo.conf is as follows:
boot = /dev/hda
prompt
timeout = 120
change-rules
reset
vga = 790

# 2.6.13 starts
image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-2.6.13
initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
root = /dev/hda2
label =2.6.13
read-only
# end 2.6.13

# windows below
other=/dev/hdb1
label=WinXP
# win bootable ends.

bertlef · 10-09-2005, 06:07 PM

For what I know windows needs to be first, so maybe the problem is that you have it as a slave on /dev/hdb1.
I have problems my self doing this same think.
My solution is to install windows in the begining of the first hard drive (the way it likes it to be) then install linux and lilo on the mbr.
Another option might be to tell the bios to boot from your second hdd if the option is there.

Check this out if you haven't it might help:
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Linux+WinNT-2.html

timoioi · 10-09-2005, 06:21 PM

I guess that if I was to simply change the order of the drives around it would be hell to reconfigure everything needed to make hda==hdb and hdb==hda... Is there any such thing as a convenient method to do this??

I will check the bios to see if this gets me anywhere too. Results to come!

syg00 · 10-09-2005, 06:45 PM

XP can be convinced to believe it is on the primary drive even when it isn't.
Do a search of LQ using the keywords "grub and map" - this has been covered *many* times.

bertlef · 10-09-2005, 08:59 PM

MAP that was the keyword thanks a lot syg00 for the useful information.

Indeed I found this in the lilo howto:

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/LILO

Quote:

Lilo allows to map the kernel image from one disk and instruct the
BIOS to retrieve it from another disk. For example, it's common for me
to install Linux on a disk I connect to hdc (master disk of secondary
controller) and boot it as a standalong system on the primary IDE
controller of another computer. I copied the installation floppy to a
tiny partition, so I can run [4mchroot[24m in a virtual console to install
hdc while I use the system to do something else.

The [4mlilo.conf[24m file I use to install Lilo looks like:

# This file must be used from a system running off /dev/hdc
boot = /dev/hdc # overwrite MBR of hdc
disk = /dev/hdc # tell how hdc will look like:
bios = 0x80 # the bios will see it as first drive
delay = 0
vga = 0

image = /boot/vmlinux # this is on /dev/hdc1
root = /dev/hda1 # but at boot it will be hda1
label = Linux
read-only

I'm sure that this will get you in the right path, if you read any further you will be able to boot xp right were it is.

timoioi · 10-09-2005, 10:18 PM

I just made these changes in the ms portion of lilo.conf and in works like a champ!!

Thanks for the help everyone!!

# start booting windows section
other=/dev/hdb1
label=WinXP
map-drive=0x81 # hdb to...
to=0x80 # hda. And...
map-drive=0x80 # hda to...
to=0x81 # hdb.
# end booting windows section

hooray!