[CLUE-Tech] Newbie dual-booting XP and Linux problems

[Dave Anselmi]

Kenneth Courville wrote:

[...]


> I was able to install and run Linux with no
> problem...with the Linux boot disk, which is fine for
> now, but I'd like to get the NT Boot loader to load
> Linux from the HDD when needed, just to speed things
> up.

> I've tried using the method of copying the Linux boot
> program from the first sector of the Linux partition
> to a file on the first HDD, then having the Boot
> Loader load that file, based on the boot.ini config.

Did you install the correct boot sector before you copied it?  It can be
a little tricky to tell, since you aren't booting off hdc directly.
Your /etc/lilo.conf should have a boot=/dev/hdc line in it (that's the
secondary master IDE drive).  If you have that line, run lilo (make sure
it uses that conf file, you can use -C to tell it).  If that doesn't
work, then seeing your lilo.conf would help.

There may also be an issue with your bios not allowing booting off hdc.
That may be the difference between a blank screen from ntldr and LI from
bootpart.

As suggested, I think it's easier to dual boot your system using lilo
rather than ntldr.  If you don't want to mess with the MBR on hda (your
XP drive), you can put boot=/dev/fd0 in your lilo.conf.  That will write
the lilo boot sector to a floppy.

Easiest would be to use the floppy just for Linux - take the floppy out
and you can boot XP normally.  This isn't slow because the kernel is
still on your hard drive - only one sector is read off the floppy.  You
can also set it up to boot both Linux and XP.  Look at the multi-boot
howtos.  Since they aren't especially well written, I can send you a
lilo.conf that will work.  Let me know since I don't have it handy.

Dave