Dual Booting Linux and Win2k

Lemming

Hey guys,

I had a fresh install of win2k pro on a machine with space set aside for a linux install.

I've got linux (rh7.3) installed, but I have win2k on boot up, with no option to go to Linux.

Does anyone know how to amend this, or how to config the windows boot loader thingy ??
ANd before anyone says GRUB or LILO ... since I can't get near my linux partition . ... those two abbreviations are shag all use to me at present

PiE

Use the Linux Boot Disk that you should have made during the install :]

Ronan|Raven

Use Boot Magic to find Linux Partition. It should solve your problem for the moment especially if you didnt create a boot disk during the install. If ya need a dl for it pm me.

quozl

if you're on the end of a phat connect this is the easiest solution technically .
Download freebsd iso image. burn it.
boot it. select custom install. select partition with fdisk.
select w for write. (this will change nothing), then exist fdisk, you will then be allowed to install the freebsd bootloader. Stick it in your master boot record.

thats it.
the freebsd bootloader will autodetect all the os's on your first hd, not sure about 2nd/3rd/etc and will give you a menu on boot. no configuring/thinking required.
quozl

Gavin

jeesus.
download a freebsd iso to fix his boot problem ?

Use your redhat 7.3 cd1 to boot from. Choose the linux rescue option. It will find your linux partition for you and drop you into a shell with the root partition mounted in /mnt/sysimage or someting like that. do chroot /mnt/sysimage to set your installed system as the root of the current shell (for want of a better explanation)

I'm not sure how to reinstall grub into the mbr, so when I had this problem I just used lilo. Edit the /etc/lilo.conf file to add in your win2k partition and then run /sbin/lilo
on reboot it should be ok. If you are unsure are to configuring the lilo.conf file, redhat has a nice Xwindows tool that will do it all for you. not sure what it's called, but it's in the kde menu somewhere, if you use kde.

Gav

zAbbo

Could you not also edit the boot.ini file in windows to read in the Linux partition as well.

Lemming

Originally posted by Verb
jeesus.
download a freebsd iso to fix his boot problem ?

That was my reaction too, although replace "his" with "my"

Use your redhat 7.3 cd1 to boot from. Choose the linux rescue option. It will find your linux partition for you and drop you into a shell with the root partition mounted in /mnt/sysimage or someting like that. do chroot /mnt/sysimage to set your installed system as the root of the current shell (for want of a better explanation)

Here's were things get "interesting". The machine in question doesn't seem to want to boot from the CD-ROM. I had to create a boot disk to get the install kick-started

quozl

Originally posted by Verb
jeesus.
download a freebsd iso to fix his boot problem ?

Gav

well the guy is obviously a total newbie, and messing around lilo etc is not hard, but can be confusing when you start out. Oh and that freebsd cd is a ****ing great tool, bootable access to a great bootloader, fdisk, etc.
I always have a copy of it around, even though i dont use freebsd. If you have a good connect I'd suggest getting it. Like I said in my post, 'if you're on the end of a phat connect'.
quozl

Gavin

fair enough alright. I haven't used freebsd myself, so no comment. Was ken talking to you about nerd lan ?


oh and to the question. There are a few bootimages on the cdrom, I don't have it close to hand, but one of them will work as a resue image.

Gav

Lemming

Originally posted by quozl

well the guy is obviously a total newbie, and messing around lilo etc is not hard, but can be confusing when you start out.

I am not a N00bi3 sunshine

I've just never done much installing of Linux or dicked about with LILO/GRUB

so /dev/null on that

quozl

Originally posted by Lemming

I am not a N00bi3 sunshine
I've just never done much installing of Linux or dicked about with LILO/GRUB

lol sorry. I just meant new to linux, which the dual booting question suggested you were. No offence, subtlety was never my strong point

Hmm ken did mention nerd lan, but I as well as being unsubtle, have the memory of a goldfish I'll pm him about it, thanks,
quozl

dahamsta

Of course quozl didn't mean to call you a n00b Lemming. He meant to call you a dumba55.

heh

adam

Lemming

Originally posted by dahamsta
Of course quozl didn't mean to call you a n00b Lemming. He meant to call you a dumba55.

heh

adam

Don't make me hurt you Adam

I'll inflict .Net on you for sh*ts n'giggles

/me is cruel to kittens

dahamsta

I'll inflict .Net on you for sh*ts n'giggles

How can you inflict something that Doesn't Exist?

heh

adam

netman

erm, easiest way to do this, and without any third party software etc. as the man said - edit the boot.ini file.

when installing linux, choose to save the boot record to the linux root partition instead of the master boot record. it will probably be something like /dev/hda2.

make sure you make the boot floppy so you can enter linux even if something goes wrong.

once you finish installing linux run:
dd if=/dev/hda2 of=bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1
which will save the boot record to a file called bootsect.lnx

just copy that file over to the floppy and reboot.

you should expect to see only the windows 2000 boot menu and only be able to boot into win2k. after it's started up, copy the bootsect.lnx file over to c:\ and edit c:\boot.ini file.
Add a line similar to the following:
c:\bootsect.lnx="Red Hat Linux 7.2"

Just note that boot.ini might be flagged as read-only, so you might need to change the file's properties before you can save it.

After you reboot, you'll see the option for Red Hat Linux 7.2 show up, and you can select that to boot into linux.

If you ever make changes to the linux boot record you'll need to take a copy of the boot record and move it to the NT partition, as described above.

If you have any questions, let us know

Lemming

Erm .. I have no boot.ini file

I'm running win2k pro

Snaga

Im running win2k pro too and ive a boot.ini

It is hidden however and doesnt show up in a dir listing of c:\

Set your explorer options to 'Show hidden files and folders' and it will magically appear, but only in windows explorer(not the command prompt).

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Lemming

Originally posted by Snaga
It is hidden however and doesnt show up in a dir listing of c:\

Set your explorer options to 'Show hidden files and folders' and it will magically appear, but only in windows explorer(not the command prompt).

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

N00b ?? Give me some credit Snaga
I already tried that before I posted the reply .. and I STILL have no "boot.ini" file

quozl

Have you tried following the advice previously given?
For example, Verb's to use the first RH cd as a boot disk, was good.
You can then 'chroot /mnt/sysimage'
i believe is the correct command to access your system as if you had booted straight into it, and then install lilo.

Or you can pay me 15 euros and collect me, get me to fix it for you, and then return me home (offer only open in dublin area).

Theres a dozen ways to fix this, and you've had some decent suggestions above.
As for no boot.ini file, you can just create it I believe.
quozl

Lemming

Originally posted by quozl
For example, Verb's to use the first RH cd as a boot disk, was good.
You can then 'chroot /mnt/sysimage'
i believe is the correct command to access your system as if you had booted straight into it, and then install lilo.

As previously mentioned .. this machine wont boot off the CD for some obscure reason, despite the boot order being set so.

Or you can pay me 15 euros and collect me, get me to fix it for you, and then return me home (offer only open in dublin area).

No car

As for no boot.ini file, you can just create it I believe.

Are you sure about that ?? :-/

netman

I've never heard of a windows 2000 installation without a boot.ini file. Don't think it would boot at all, since the boot.ini contains the location of the partition where your windows are installed.

So the file has to be there, if you boot drive isn't mounted as C:\ then try another, or so a simple search for boot.ini (Win+F or Start>Search>For files of folders)

The boot.ini file has archive, hidden and system attibute flags set by default, so you might not be able to see it depending on which program you're using and what your settings are.

A default boot.ini would look like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

If you have Windows 2000 installed in C:\WINNT you can try running the command prompt (cmd) and doing this:

c:
cd \
attrib -A -S -H boot.ini
notepad boot.ini
<edit the file>
attrib +A +S +H boot.ini

Hope this helps.

Gavin

Boot up using the redhat install floppy and do linux rescue and work from there.

Gav

Lemming

I was talking to one of the lads here in the office about the boot.ini file (or lack thereof). He was saying that windows doesn't create it as defacto standard. It's only created when you have more than one installed windoze operating system.

He suggested that perhaps I alter the "timeout" setting in the "Startup & Recovery" section which would force windows to create the file for me.

Cheers for the all the help though lads!

This is what you get when everyone else does the linux installs instead of you and you've never tried a dualboot before

netman

Erm, I've installed plenty of NT4 and Windows 2000 boxes, never saw one without boot.ini. It was always created by default. The documentation available from Microsoft suggests that deleting boot.ini would render the machine unbootable, but I was never stupid or brave enough to do it and see what happens

Under system properties>advanced>startup and recovery, the default operating system and timeout values are stored in boot.ini, so if you're sure that you don't have the file changing these values should create it for you.

Anyway, good luck. Let us know how you get on.

netman

btw, just found this:

For Operating System to boot properly, system files are required to be safe.

In case of Windows 95 / 98 / ME, these files are msdos.sys, config.sys, autoexec.bat, system.ini, system.dat, user.dat, etc.

In case of Windows NT / 2000 / XP these files are: NTLDR, ntdetect.com, boot.ini, located at the root folder of the bootable volume, Registry files (i.e., SAM, SECURITY, SYSTEM and SOFTWARE), etc.

If these files have been deleted, corrupted, damaged by virus, Windows will be unable to boot. You'll see error messages like "NTLDR is missing ...".

So, the next step in recovery process is to check the existence and safety of system files (for sure, you won't able to check them all, but you must check at least NTLDR, ntdetect.com, boot.ini which cause most of problems).

To do it in Windows 95 / 98 / ME - you can boot in Command Prompt Mode, or from the bootable floppy and check system files in the command line or with a help of third party recovery software.

To do it in Windows NT / 2000 / XP, you can use Emergency Repair Process, Recovery Console or third party recovery software.

Ronan|Raven

Or to simply view you boot.ini file in win2k goto the control panel and simply goto folder options and goto the view tab and uncheck the box with "Hide Protected System Files" then goto C:\ and boot will be there.

Lemming

Originally posted by netman
once you finish installing linux run:
dd if=/dev/hda2 of=bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1
which will save the boot record to a file called bootsect.lnx

A quick question .. do I point to /hda2 (wich is my /boot partition), or /hda3 which is my root partition ? :-/

netman

Point it to whereever you've installed LILO.
Usually it's the root partition "/" or the master boot record.

zAbbo

As i suggested - thank you - the boot.ini file.

Start>>Run>>Boot.ini >> Bingo

as for editing it hmmmz can be dodgeeOso