Dear Tom,
There's no need to buy a separate product to dual boot your system - you
can use the OS Loader that comes with NT. All you need to do is to install
your Linux system with lilo in the boot record of the partition on which
the Linux root file system resides (rather than the master boot record of
the drive) and then use the shareware utility bootpart (available from most
download sites) to construct a Linux boot sector for the OS Loader to use.
The reason you can do this with OS Loader is that NT needs to be able to
boot DOS, and this is the mechanism it uses (C:\Bootsec.dos is created from
the DOS boot record when you install NT on a DOS machine).
Here's an excerpt from the boot.ini file from my system:
[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WinNT
[operating systems]
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WinNT="Windows NT on Main Drive"
..... other entries ......
C:\Linux.bin="Linux on Main Drive"
C:\ADrive.bin="Any System on Floppy Drive"
As you can see, OS Loader loads C:\Linux.bin to boot Linux. The Linux.bin
file created by bootpart will boot Linux on other disks (rather than other
partitions on the same disk) if they accessible via INT8xH calls to the
BIOS. Most modern BIOS support at least two disks (80H, 81H), so you could
put Linux on a separate disk, which would save messing with your existing
file system (which could cause problems).
As you can see from the last line above, you can also use bootpart to
create a floppy boot sector (useful if you set your BIOS not to boot from
floppy, which guards against accidental virus intrusion if you re-boot with
an infected floppy in the drive).
I hope this helps. Al.
-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas Hubbell [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 1998 8:19 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Dual boot NT and linux?
Will something like System Commander make the dual-boot Linux/NT ordeal any
easier?
We are ordering a new system that comes with NT. I would like to install
Linux on the system when it arrives. I know that I will need to repartition
the drive (one big 8.4 GB drive) and I thought that something like System
Commander Deluxe might be a good idea since it has the ability to do a
"nondestructive repartioning". Does anyone have any input on this?
Also, if you use System Commander, don't you still need to install LILO on
one of the Linux partitions (not the MBR)?
Tom
________________________________________
Thomas Hubbell
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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