Re: Linux/NT Dual Boot
Hi,
There is an HOWTO about this topic, which I used to set up my
system. I seem to remember I had captaliztion problems editing the
boot.ini file, but I don't remember the details. You should find
this and related HOWTO's on http://www.sunsite.unc.edu/, or
something.
manoj
--
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have their hands so deeply inserted in each other's pocket that they
cannot separately plunder a third. Ambrose Bierce
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@acm.org> <http://www.datasync.com/%7Esrivasta/>
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======================================================================
NT OS Loader + Linux mini-HOWTO
Bernd Reichert, <reichert@dial.eunet.ch>
v1.11, 2 September 1997
1. Abstract
This document describes the use of the Windows NT boot loader to start
Linux. This procedures have been tested with Windows NT 4.0 WS and
Linux 2.0.
2. How does the NT OS Loader work
The NT OS loader likes to have the boot sector from the other
operating systems available as a file. It reads this file and starts
the operating system selected, i.e. either Windows NT in different
Modes or any other OS.
3. Tips on how to install Windows NT and Linux on the same System
3.1. Windows NT installation
Try to install Windows NT first. If you want to use NTFS for your
Windows NT-partition, keep in mind, that the todays production version
of Linux cannot access NTFS partitions. An alpha driver that can read
NTFS-Partitions is available at http://www.informatik.hu-
berlin.de/~loewis/ntfs. You may create a separate FAT-Partition for
data exchange or you have to use DOS-formatted floppies.
3.2. Partitioning
Another Mini-howto recommends not to use NTs "Disk Administartor" to
create the Linux swap- and root-partitions. It is sufficient to see
the free space there. I also recommend to use linux's fdisk later.
3.3. Linux installation
Now boot linux from diskettes, create the swap and root-partition.
Fdisk assumes the ntfs-partition to be a HPFS-partition. This is
normal. Boot again from diskettes and install Linux as you like.
Just in case the installation procedure suggests that you could mount
the HPFS partition which it has found: Ignore it.
3.4. Lilo
When you come to the Lilo-Section, specify your Linux-root-partition
as your boot device because the Master Boot Record (MBR) of your
harddisk is owned by Windows NT. This means that the root-entry and
the boot-entry in your /etc/lilo.conf have the same value. If you
have a IDE-harddisk and your Linux-partition is is the second
partition, your boot-entry in /etc/lilo.conf looks like:
boot=/dev/hda2
If you have two disks and your Linux resides on the first partition of
your second disk, your boot-entry in /etc/lilo.conf looks like:
boot=/dev/hdb1
Run lilo with a kernel that matches your system. Check the kernel by
booting from diskette first if you are not sure.
If you cannot boot Windows NT now, you have a problem. I hope you
have created a repair-disk recently.
4. Bootpart
There is a NT-programm called bootpart written by G. Vollant that can
do the jobs from the next two points for you. Bootpart is available at
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/gvollant/bootpart.htm.
If you want to know how things are working together, use the
procedures described in point 5 and 6.
5. The Linux part of the work
You have to boot from diskettes until the NT-part is fixed.
Now you have to peel the bootsector from your Linux-root-Partition.
With /dev/hda2 as your linux-partition, the dd-command is:
# dd if=/dev/hda2 of=/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1
There is something wrong if your bootsect.lnx has more than 512 bytes.
Now copy the file bootsect.lnx to a DOS-formated floppy if this is
your way to transfer files to the NTFS-Windows-partition.
You can copy it with
# mcopy /bootsect.lnx a:
or with
# mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /mnt
# copy /bootsect.lnx /mnt
# umount /mnt
6. The Windows NT part of the work
Copy the file from the diskette to C:\bootsect.lnx. I don't tell you
how to do that.
What lilo.conf is for linux is c:\boot.ini for Windows NT. Remove
the, system- and the read-only-attribute before you can modify it
with:
C:\attrib -s -r c:\boot.ini
Now change the file boot.ini with an editor, notepad for example, as
follows:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation ...
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation ...
C:\BOOTSECT.LNX="Linux"
Only the last line has been added in this example. Restore the
attributes after you have saved boot.ini with:
C:\attrib +s +r c:\boot.ini
After a shutdown of your Windows NT and a restart your should see the
following:
OS Loader V4.00
Please select the operating system to start:
Windows NT Workstation Version 4.0
Windows NT Workstation Version 4.0 [VGA mode]
Linux
Select Linux and see
LILO loading zImage ....
7. Play it again Sam
A new copy of bootsect.lnx must be transfererd to C:\BOOTSECT.LNX evry
time the bootsector of your linux-partition has been modified. This
happens for example when you install a new kernel with lilo. As you
can see such a system in not ideal for testing experimental kernels.
8. Troubleshooting
If things do not work as expected, check bootability with a floppy
disk. With /dev/hdb1 as your Linux-partition, your /etc/lilo.conf has
the following entries:
root=/dev/hdb1
boot=/dev/fd0
Run lilo with a diskette inserted. Now try to boot from the diskette.
If your Linux on /dev/hdb1 can't be started, the NT OS loader will
also fail to start it. If you see a lot of 01 01 01 01, your root-
disk is not accessible. Check whether all your disks are known by the
bios.
If the floppy boots your Linux partition, you can peel of your boot-
sector for the NT OS loader with:
# dd if=/dev/fd0 of=/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1
You can keep this diskette as your rescue-diskette just in case your
Windows NT installation breaks.
9. References
· The Linux+WindowsNT mini-HOWTO
· The FAQ for FreeBSD 2.X
10. Acknowledgements
· Thanks to Xiaoming Yi <z3c20@ttacs.ttu.edu> for the tip that the
procedures work also with other disks than the first one.
· Thanks to Frank Dennler <Frank.Dennler@zkb.ch> for the diskette-
trick.
11. Feedback
Any comments are welcome.
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