Re: Dual boot default and Compatibility

[Fabian Dortu <Fabian.Dortu@student.kuleuven.ac.be>]

>Hello all,
>
>Well, I've partitioned my harddrive with Partition Magic.
>And I am currently downloading Mandrake GNU/Linux, because of
>everyone's advice.
>
>NOW I know this is for DEBIAN GNU/Linux BUT I have to ask in here
>(because I don't want to be added to yet another mailing list) and I
>figure someone might know seeings how everyone kept telling me to get
>Mandrake GNU/Linux.
>
>
>Does anyone know how to create a dual boot system with Mandrake
>GNU/Linux and Windows XP, with Windows XP being the system that boots
>up as the default OS making it so the computer will AUTOMATICALLY run
>Windows XP unless I tell it to run Mandrake?
>
>ALSO
>
>Is Debian software (such as abbiword) compatible with Mandrake
>GNU/Linux and vice versa?
>
>in fact is ALL Linux software compatible with the different OS's of
>Linux?
>
>Thanks once again for helping me with my questions.
>
>John


I have a solution that is a bit tricky, but it should work with any
distribution.

I installed windows XP on hda1 and the linux root partition on hda6
(I have no special /boot partition).

my /etc/lilo.conf has these lines :

boot=/dev/hda6
root=/dev/hda6


boot must be /dev/hda6 and NOT /dev/hda (MBR), because XP booting code
is already installed on /dev/hda.

then update your lilo booting code in /dev/hda6  (just type lilo at the
command prompt).

Then, put a floppy on your floppy drive, mount it (assume /floppy) and
execute

dd if=/dev/hda6 bs=512 count=1 of=/floppy/linux.lnx

this will create a small file on you floppy.
Unmout the floppy and reboot under XP.
Copy the file a:\linux.lnx on c:\

Edit the file c:\boot.ini (this is a hidden file) and add at the end of
the file 

..... fastdetect
C:\Linux.lnx="Mandrake or what you want"

then reboot and that's it.

I found also this information here :
http://www.mandrakeuser.org/docs/install/i3boot.html



Fabian