Installing Linux on large (1 gig) IDE drive

[albert at ccs.neu.edu (Albert Cahalan)]

> I understand that Linux's root partition has to boot from under the 1024 
> cylinder limit.  Knowing this, it seems as though I'll have to 
> repartition my harddrive.  Does DOS/Windows have to boot under the 1024 
> limit also, or can I put all of my DOS stuff on the other half of my IDE 
> drive, i.e. on the second 500 mg partition if my drive is split in two?
> 
> I'd like to know how other Linux users make their large IDE drives 
> co-exist with Windows and LInux.  Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Anything that boots must be under the 1024 limit.  Put your DOS partition
there, then move /boot to /dos/linux/boot.  (assume /dos is C: drive)
Now make /boot a link to /dos/linux/boot.  Put your kernel images there
too, or maybe in /dos/linux/kernels - specify it in /etc/lilo.conf.

Linux will boot from the DOS partition, but mount the Linux ext2
partition as the root.  I always make these changes during the
install so that I do not have to boot from a floppy twice or run
lilo by hand.  Careful, you will need a Linux boot floppy if you
defrag your DOS partition because the kernel gets moved.