Dual-boot help

[compemikey]

I'm having trouble setting up my computer to dual boot into linux and windows 2000. I installed Windows 2000 first and Linux second, but i don't know how to configure Grub to read the Windows Partition (It only sees the Linux one). Someone please direct me in how i can fix this.

[The Analog Kid]

What distro are you running, since there are some distros that have things to configure Grub through a GUI.

[compemikey]

I'm running Red Hat 8.0 on an Athlon XP 2100+ with a A7V333 Asus motherboard.

[zarathustra674]

Hey, I dont know what the problem could be, but whenever, i install a linux distro, the distro will usually configure the bootloader automatically, after asking which loader to use and which drive to put the loader. I Personally use lilo, ive never used grub. If you want lilo to be the bootloader, then select hda to install the bootloader to your MBR on that partition. You can use the 2k loader. Just download, a tiny program called bootpart, and run it from terminal in 2k, it will list all partitions and tell you what partition linux is on. Oh yeah if you use this method, then you'll need to note the linux partition letter number combo when you set up partitions eg. hda7 or hda3 ect. that way the linux loader will be installed to the linux partition instead of the 2k partition. After you run bootpart and figure what number the linux partition is you just type : bootpart 7(#of partition) Linux(whatever u want to show up in the 2k loader) linux.bin this will create a file called linux.bin, and add the necessary info to boot.ini. for more detailed info do a search for bootpart, or go to www.tweak3d.net they have some excellent guides on dual and triple booting. Worked great for me with both Mandrake 9.0 and Redhat 8.0. Im still a newb myself, but ive never had any problems dual or triple booting.

[Qwaz]

I just posted on another thread this same solution.......


Go HERE & 2 get a removable drive bays & swap the drive out before boot & just run the 2 OS's alone so one doesnt ever see the other


Qwaz

[HateEternal]

Oi, lets see if i can remember how i did this. I did the same thing with xp and rh 8. installing linux after windows, otherwise windows will disable the other os when you are installed and you will have to re-enable it later on. Anyways, durring the rh 8 install i believe it asked you what os's you want to be in grub, you need to have the linux one selected and a DOS one which is the windows one.

You can edit grub i believe on start up when it appears, there should be some commands at the bottom for configuring, I cant remember exactly, i left my good computer at school so i dont have linux here infront of me to tell you how... by tomora i should have another computer here running rh8 and ill try and tell you.

[erwos]

I'm a big fan of LILO, too, although I've heard GRUB is technically better.

Here's a copy of my GRUB file, though - it was auto-generated at install.

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd0,0)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda3
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=0
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Red Hat Linux (2.4.18-14)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.18-14 ro root=LABEL=/ hdd=ide-scsi
initrd /initrd-2.4.18-14.img
title DOS
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader +1

The Linux drive is my primary master, the DOS drive is my primary slave. Do with this information as you please .

-Erwos

[SlaYMode]

to configure grub:
1. first look at where is your grub.conf (usually in /boot/grub)
2. Start your pc and, when grub is on, press "c" to enter the command line.
3. if you have winzozz and linux on the primary master, execute the following command:
geometry (hd0)
4. this will give you a list of the partition on the hdd.
then write down the nuber of the partition where resides winzozz.
5. now mount that partition with the command:
rootnoverify (hd0,n)
where "n" is the number of the partition.
6. use command:
makeactive
7. to load a win system grub chain loads the master boot sector of the partition (where winzozz puts his own boot loader), so use the command:
chainloader +1
8. now write
boot
and press enter (and pray if you are a beliver).

if the system loads, you can insert a section in the grub.conf file that will be shown in the grub menu.
to make this do the following operations:
1. insert a line like this somewhere in the grub.conf file (it must be AFTER "splashimage" or "timeout"):
title Windows
2. after this line write the commands we used before:
rootnoverify (hd0,n)
(another time, "n" is the partition)
makeactive
chainloader +1
do NOT write also a line with the "boot" command, grub does this operation automatically.
3. save