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Sorry if this isn't helpful, but I'm coming in at the end of the conversation... If you want, you can use the NT loader to boot linux. That way folks who are likely to panic at the sight of a "lilo:" prompt will be in a comforting environment. ;) Here's a section from the min-HOWTO I'm writing on NT/Linux coexistence, keep in mind it's targeted for newbies and may be in the context of an initial installation! -- Niall Kavanagh, niall at kst.com News, articles, and resources for web developers and professionals: http://www.kst.com 2.2.2 Using Microsoft's boot loader to boot your operating system(s) When installing Linux, you may be presented will an opportunity to install LILO or another boot manager. Make sure you install LILO to the root linux partition and NOT the master boot record (MBR)! You only need to add your linux partition to the LILO boot menu, you will be loading Windows via the Windows boot loader. MAKE SURE YOU CREATE A LINUX BOOT DISK DURING THE INSTALLATION PROCESS! If you do not, or your installation doesn't offer you a chance to, see the ``References'' section for information on how to create one. Once the installation has completed you can restart your system and boot into Windows. To boot linux, use the boot disk you created during the installation process. After booting linux, login as root and execute the following command at a shell prompt: [/]# dd if=/dev/hda3 of=/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1 Where ``/dev/hda3'' is your root linux partition. This takes information on your linux boot sector and sticks it in /bootsect.lnx. The next step is getting this information to Windows. Take your boot floppy out of your floppy drive and stick in a blank, formatted disk. Copy /bootsect.lnx with the following command: [/]# mcopy /bootsect.lnx a: ...or... [/]# mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /mnt [/]# cp /bootsect.lnx /mnt [/]# umount /mnt This mounts the floppy drive under /mnt, and unmounts it when you're finished copying it. Now remove the floppy from the drive, and reboot into Windows. You're going to tell Windows's boot loader how to find your Linux partition by editing C:\boot.ini. Open up a command prompt and change to the root directory of C:. Insert the floppy containing bootsect.lnx. You'll need to copy bootsect.lnx, change the attributes of boot.ini so you can edit it, and edit boot.ini by executing these commands: C:\>copy a:\bootsect.lnx c:\bootsect.lnx C:\>attrib -s -r c:\boot.ini C:\>edit c:\boot.ini It should look something 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=''Windows NT Server Version 4.00'' multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT=''Windows NT Server 4.00 [VGA mode]'' /basevideo /sos Don't worry if it doesn't look exactly like this. If you can boot into Windows then it's just fine. Add the following line to the bottom of this file: C:\BOOTSECT.LNX=''Linux'' If you want Linux to be the default operating system (the one that loads after the timeout period specified by ``timeout='' has expired) change the ``default='' line: default=C:\BOOTSECT.LNX Save the file and exit. You need to restore the attributes to boot.ini: C:\>attrib +s +r c:\boot.ini You should now reboot and check each option on your boot loader menu. Selecting ``Linux'' should load Linux. Please note that if you change your linux boot sector (like when you compile and install a new kernel) you will need to create and copy a new bootsect.lnx file to your C:\ directory. -----Original Message----- From: Ron Peterson [mailto:rpeterson at yellowbank.com] Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2000 10:02 AM To: Chuck Noyes; discuss at Blu.Org Subject: Re: Lilo -> NT Boot Loader > > They configured it to dual-boot via lilo, which is odd. My > > understanding was that w/ NT, you had to use NT's boot loader. I > > still need NT for some of my work (sigh). > Actually, I "dual boot" my desktop system using LILO, between Linux and NT. > When booting NT (which I very seldom do), LILO turns control over to the NT > boot loader. From that point, it's identical to booting native NT. Yeah, that's exactly what my laptop does. Pretty neat. I'm just afraid someone at my office will turn my machine on sometime, then panic when they see the Linux boot screen, not know how to turn it off, and just hit the switch...:) How did you get this to work? If you install NT last, it grabs the boot sector, no? So you install NT first? Then what? I haven't seen this method documented anywhere. Is there a HOWTO or anything? This is really just a curiosity question. Not a really pressing issue for me. Ron Peterson rpeterson at yellowbank.com - Subcription/unsubscription/info requests: send e-mail with "subscribe", "unsubscribe", or "info" on the first line of the message body to discuss-request at blu.org (Subject line is ignored). - Subcription/unsubscription/info requests: send e-mail with "subscribe", "unsubscribe", or "info" on the first line of the message body to discuss-request at blu.org (Subject line is ignored).
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