Re: Re: etch + xp

["Gargi" <mailings.debian@gargi.org>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Douglas A. Tutty" <dtutty@porchlight.ca>
To: <debian-user@lists.debian.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2007 4:42 PM
Subject: [?? Probable Spam] Re: etch + xp


> On Sun, Sep 30, 2007 at 09:41:48AM -0300, Marcelo Chiapparini wrote:
> > I am running etch in a machine with two HDs. Etch is running in the
> > master HD (hdc), the second HD (hdd), the slave, is empty. In the second
> > hd (hdd) I need to install windows xp. I wonder how to do that in order
> > to get a dual boot system, managed by grub. The bios let me define the
> > HD from which the system boots. Now the bios is configured to boot from
> > hdc, where etch (and grub) resides: hdc-hdd. Due that during the install
> > of xp the system re-boots several times from the HD, I wonder if I can
> > install xp on hdd simply inverting the boot sequence: hdd-hdc, and,
> > after the installation of xp, inverting the sequence again: hdc-hdd, in
> > order to boot with grub.
> >
> > If it is possible, I guess I still need to tell grub that there is
> > another OS in the system. How can I do that?
>
> I thought that windows was a megalomaniac and would only work from the
> first hard drive of the first controller (hda).
>
> Don't know for sure since I haven't used Windows since 3.1.
>
> Doug.

Nope. XP will boot from another partition too. hda1 or sda1 is not a option 
for it. But it will install its own bootmanager into the mbr. So save your 
mbr first with dd (BEFORE you install XP!!!!). You can put the etch 
bootimage onto your hard disk and call it by the XP bootloader by setting a 
line to the XP boot.ini (save it on a usb-stick e.g. to transfer it after 
the XP is installed).

If you have a SATA disc:
dd if=/dev/sda of=/home/[your username]/etch.lin bs=512 count=1

Insert this line into your xp boot.ini (if XP uses the partition as C:\ ):

c:\etch.lin="Debian Etch"

That gives you a new bootoption in your XP bootloader. From there you can 
start Etch again and repair the grub bootloader if you want to stick to 
grub.

cu
Pierre