Re: Win2000 , Debian Dual Boot
I've had great success using the Windows NT/2000 boot mechanism. Windows
seems to like it and Linux doesn't complain.
1. Configure LILO to install the boot block to the beginning of the root
partition instead of the master boot record. For example, if root is
/dev/hda5, you'd use:
root=/dev/hda5
instead of 'root=/dev/hda' in your lilo.conf file.
2. After installing LILO, create a boot floppy (mkboot, etc.) and boot
from it.
3. Mount the Windows C: drive and copy the boot record to a file on it:
dd if=/dev/hda5 of=/windows/c/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1
4. Reinstall the Windows boot mechanism, repairing the NT Loader or
whatever they call it.
5. Boot Windows NT/2000 and add the following line to your C:\boot.ini
file:
c:\bootsect.lnx="Debian Linux"
6. Repeat step 3. anytime you run LILO.
This is easiest to do when setting up a new system: I start by
installing Windows, using the Windows utilities to partition the boot
drive and format all Windows partitions. When I install Linux, I create
& format my Linux partitions in the blank space on the drive but don't
touch the Windows partitions. Every Linux system I've ever installed
(Red Hat, Debian, Slackware, SuSE) gave me the option to specify that
the boot record be installed to the root partition instead of the MBR
and offered to let me create a boot floppy.
I know this is a kludge, step 6. is especially lame, but I've never had
Windows or Linux fail to boot except when I forgot step 6. and had to
dredge out my Linux boot floppy.
HTH, Paul
--
Paul Mackinney | Who profited from Sept 11?
paul@mackinney.net | http://www.copvcia.com
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