Re: dumb question about dual booting debian and Windows 7 on separate drives.....
Michael,
I've got a dual boot. Linux on one drive and WXP on another. Very easy
to set up. But as I remember, when I installed Windows, I disconnected
the Linux drive while doing the install, then put the WXP drive on
middle connector of ATA cable when I had that situation. But now I have
two drives on SATA setup and WXP is on second SATA w. Linux on first
SATA. I know everyone says Windows wants to be first but..... Hey it
works. When I boot up I have the Linux drive as first HD in boot up
sequence. Actually, in my boot up sequence the machine doesn't even
show the second drive but it still works.
In /boot/grub/menu.lst add:
### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST ,--this is last line in menu.lst
file and I added the next below it so it would not be in the update area....
title Windows XP <------- Type Windows 7 That is
only a title..
map (hd0)(hd1) <------ no spaces between items in par.
map (hd1)(hd0) <------ " " "
root (hd1,0)
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
-----Save your menu.lst file---
The above is the last item in menu.lst and it will allow your Windows 7
item to show up after Linux so that when your boot process hits the menu
list if nothing is done, it will start your linux setup first.
whit@greatstar:/boot/grub$ cat device.map
(hd0) /dev/sda
(hd1) /dev/sdb
Also in your /boot/grub directory is your device.map file. Insert the
above in it and save it too.
I have both drives attached to SATA connectors. If you have a setup
using ATA use hda and hdb instead of sda and sdb.
Anyway, as I said, Windows says it likes to be first on the hdw
hookups. I have my linux drive setup first and have the linux drive
being the first in the bootup process in the BIOS.
Make sure your drives are hooked up again and then boot. You should get
the menu and you can downspace to the Windows drive and see if it will
come up. Mine has been working just fine w. this setup and I'm using
AMD64 on an ASUS mtb w. no problem.....
HTH's
Whit
Michael Fothergill wrote:
Dear Debian folks,
I an running Lenny on an AMD64 box..... I have 8GB of RAM on the
machine in anticipation of putting Windows 7 on the machine. I know
many Debian folks don't bother with Windows but I need it for certain
things I do......
I bought an extra SATA drive and hooked it up so now I have two one
with Debian on it. My plan is to install Windows on the new
drive...... If you installed Windows on the new drive and then
installed Debian grub would see the Windows on the other drive and
create a boot option for you to fire it up if you wanted to when you
boot the PC up.....
But if you installed debian first as I have on one disk and then add
Windows on the other one then if you boot up the machine it will load
Windows and you won't get a choice to fire up Linux (at least I don't
expect it).
I had a piece of software for Windows called Partition Magic which I
seem to have lost. If I still had it I could install it on Windows
(after installed that OS) and it would see the Linux on the other
drive....... I could set up its bootloading program and then when the
machine rebooted it would give me choice to boot either Linux or the
Windows......
That would be a way to load Linux first and Windows second on two
separate drives and still be able to get a choice to load either OS on
boot up of the PC......
Except of course there would be other ways because I have sent you
this email and if you were kind you might point out some of them.
I could cheat and install the Windows and then reinstall Debian and
grub would see it but I don't want to do that. I want to keep the
old installation.
How would you modify grub to see a Windows OS that hasn't been
installed yet? Could I use the installer in Debian to make Windows
partition on the new drive and then install the Windows on it and then
grub would see it and boot up seeing both OSes?
It is possible I think to modify the bootloader in Windows (without
using e.g. Partition Magic) to sniff out the Linux and allow you to
choice of booting it when you boot up the PC......
Suggestions welcome.
Regards
Michael Fothergill
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