Re: dual boot with 2 hard drives
>
> I'm interested in learning how to dual boot with 2 hard drives. Each
> hard drive will have a different OS. I plan to run debian linux 2.3r3
> and Windows 98 on them. Now, I would like it if the linux hard drive is
> the one that always boots normally. The hard drive with the Windows
> should boot only if I do something manually like using a floppy disk or
> something. Is this at all possible? If so, can someone please help me
> get started? I don't know where to begin. Thank you.
>
I think is easy. Install windows on your first disk.
Install linux on the second disk. Make sure you install LILO.
Customize /etc/lilo.conf something like that:
boot=/dev/hdc
root=/dev/hdc1
install=/boot/boot.b
map=/boot/map
delay=20
default=Linux
image=/vmlinuz
label=Linux
read-only
image=/vmlinuz.old
label=Linux.old
read-only
other=/dev/hda1
label=win98
Where /dev/hda will be the disk where you installed your windows
and /dev/hdc will be your disk where you installed your linux
(/dev/hdc1 the root partition and /dev/hdc2 the swap).
You will boot normally linux, but if you want windows at the
LILO prompt (which will stay 2 seconds because of the delay=20
in the /etc/lilo.conf) press Ctrl (or Alt or Shift) which will stop
the booting, then Tab will show you a list of choices. Type win98
to boot windows.
If you want to access the data from windows with your linux
you have to edit your /etc/fstab to have a line something like
that:
/dev/hda1 /dos vfat umask=002,noexec 0 0
Don't forget to "mkdir /dos".
To see how you install linux read the manual. There also some
HOWTOs which can cover some of the questions you have. Just have
a look at http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/howtos.html
(Linux+Windows-HOWTO for instance).
Good luck,
Ionel
Reply to: