On Sat, 12 Jan 2002 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > On Mon, 17 Dec 2001, Adam Getchell wrote: > > > Originally to: All > > > > Similar question for an upcoming Dell Inspiron 8100 laptop. It comes with XP > > already installed. Will I be able to install RH 7.2 on another partition, > > write grub to the bootsector, and have Grub dual boot XP and 7.2? Or do I > > need to install Grub/RH 7.2 first? > > Yes, grub can boot both fine, while installed in the MBR. You are best off > installing windows, then linux. > > I can't help you with resising XP - i just wiped it clean and started > over.
i'd be interested in hearing just how smoothly the process of setting up that 8100 as a dual boot machine goes. i got an 8100 a few months ago and, yes, it came pre-installed with windows <whatever random choice i made>, since i had no intention of running windows whatever. the instant i got it, i blasted the windows install and installed red hat, but not before i noticed that, naturally, the pre-installed windows takes up the whole disk, and i suspect it will do the same with yours. this means you can't just add red hat, you have to downsize windows first. and before you think, hey, no problem, i'll just *re-install* windows on a smaller partition, think again. what you will likely get is not a windows install CD, it will be a windows *reinstall* CD -- that is, no original media but a CD that just lets you recover to your original layout. these days, dell (and others, i assume) not shipping original media. they're being totally sleazy and shipping only enough to let you recover if you trash your original install. just for the fun of it, i called dell, pretended to be a real idiot, and asked how, since i installed linux, how do i get back to windows, and feigned outrage as the tech support person tried to tell me that it couldn't be done. eventually, he fessed up and admitted that, yes, that *reinstall* CD could be used to do a fresh install, as long as there was a DOS partition waiting on the disk for it. i'm not at all convinced he knew what he was talking about, and i've never tried it, but if you want to provide some useful info, when you get your 8100, document everything you have to do to get a dual boot system, and let us know. i'm definitely curious. rday p.s. naturally, another option is to downsize the windows partition using something like FIPS or partition magic. in any case, i'd still like to hear how things go. _______________________________________________ Redhat-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list
