Instrall Debian into Windows partition report: loopback approach: stopped at mount :-( UMSDOS approach: I did not VFAT approach: copyied everything to disk. I stopped short of running lilo but may likely to work. :-) YMMV
See below for details: On Fri, Oct 26, 2001 at 08:48:36AM -0400, Alan Shutko wrote: > > Could somebody please advice me on a safe approach whereby , I can > > have Debian on a Windows partition , sans data loss . ie : I want > > both the OSes , for different reasons . > > There are a couple ways to do it (UMSDOS and a loopback filesystem in > a file on the Windows side) but I don't believe the Debian installer > supports either one. You'd have to set things up by hand, though > someone may have set up something to help. Just as reality check, I tried installing through "loop" device. Debian 3.0 woody boot disk i downloaded few weeks back had loop back devide node /dev/loop* and vfat support. After booting, I swiched to console ALT-F2, mounted /dev/hda1 as vfat, created large file by dd where Debian shall be installed. WOW it worked up to here. I failed at mounting this because mount command on boot disk works only on block device as error message reads. Maybe next time, I will try installing Debian into MSDOS partition using regular mount command unser dual-boot condition. If only I could mount, I see no reason not to be able to install Debian into DOS/Windows partition using loop device. As you mention, UMSDOS is another option but I am not familiar. Last option is use vfat. If I mounted /dev/hda1 as /target and proceeded to install linux, it did install system. I just did not feel like trashing my boot sector so I did not run lilo but maybe possible to boot system. Maybe next time. :-) It was a fun puzzle. But I can gurantee, it aint for faint hearted. Disclaimer: I stand by my words but not my spelling nor grammer :-) -- ~\^o^/~~~ ~\^.^/~~~ ~\^*^/~~~ ~\^_^/~~~ ~\^+^/~~~ ~\^:^/~~~ ~\^v^/~~~ + Osamu Aoki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, GnuPG-key: 1024D/D5DE453D + + My debian quick-reference, http://www.aokiconsulting.com/quick/ +
