Hello World,

As the title of this post implies, I plan to create a dual boot machine with Windows XP2 and Solaris. Windows is currently my primary OS, and I have installed a second hard disk for Solaris. Here's the setup:

1. 80GB WD: (Currently installed)
~ Partition 1: 30GB: Windows XP2
~ Partition 2: 9GB: Slackware
~ Partition 3: 1GB: Slack Swap
~ Partition 4: 40GB: FAT32

2. 40GB WD: (Planned)
~ Partition 1: 35GB: Solaris
~ Partition 2: 5GB: FAT32

OK.. so.. the instructions that I'm following are located here:
http://multiboot.solaris-x86.org/v/7.html

MY BIG QUESTION: THE BOOT LOADER MAZE
Currently the Windows boot loader resides in my MBR and is in control. LILO is in the MBR of the Slackware partition. If I want to boot Windows, no problem--the Windows boot loader is happily in control. If I want to boot Slackware, the Windows boot loader hands off to LILO, and it boots Slack. I'm greeted every morning by these two choices:

MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP2
SLACKWARE V12.0

Enter Solaris. From what I've read, the Solaris install will overwrite my MBR with a modified version of GRUB. Furthermore the instructions recommend using the Ranish Partition Manager Boot Loader. So, if you've been counting, you will realize that we now have no less than FOUR boot loaders involved: Windows, LILO, GRUB, and Ranish.

0.o

Which boot loader is best to have on the MBR? What boot loader should be used to start Solaris? What's the optimal configuration? What's the meaning of life?

Ty in advance for any help you can provide.

I prefer to use the boot loader grub of ubuntu to start all my operating systems.

openbsd and opensolaris are chainloader.

I don't know if it's the best solution but it's very functional and i have no problem.

Solaris enhanced grub is the most flexible boot loader as it can directly boot Solaris 10, Solaris Express and other OpenSolaris based distributions, Linuxes and *BSDs. Latest Solaris grub can also directly boot on ZFS.
Grub can chainload the OSes that require a proprietary boot loader like Microsoft OSes.

Beware that the page you linked to is almost 5 years old and some of the information is obsolete, in particular the whole description of Solaris boot manager.

I never used Ranish partition manager so I can't comment on its qualities but anyway, it isn't required to boot Solaris and other OSes installed on different disks.

From what I have read, it is recommended to use GRUB that comes with Solaris and boot up Windows or Linux from there. The reason for this is because GRUB/LILO from Windows or Linux can't find Solaris partition. Is this still true?

Unfortunately it is still true despite Solaris modifications being open sourced.