[Luna] Questions about linux.

[Christopher Bradshaw]

Jake,

You don't have to sweat allowing lilo/grub to write over your MBR.  If  
for some reason you aren't happy with the results - you can always boot 
you machine with a DOS or windows rescue disk, and use the command 
"fdisk /mbr" to replace the windows bootloader.

-Chris

Patrick Fleming, EA wrote:
> Jake Morin wrote:
>   
>> Len,
>>
>> I guess I could try that.  Most people have told me not to install the
>> bootloader on the first disk...something about messing with the mbr
>> (master boot record?)
>>     
>
> If the Master Boot Record is not changed you will always boot to
> Windows. The computer will not understand that there is another option.
> Some kind of boot loader needs to be on that primary disk though.
>
>   
>> There is no simple way to describe it.  You can look at these threads:
>>
>> http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=274259&highlight=first+time+install
>>
>> and
>>
>> http://www.flaglug.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=20
>>
>> Let me know if you think I should definitely install LILO on the first
>> drive.  I'm not really psyched about putting that HDD at risk though.
>>
>> Thanks Len,
>>
>> Jake
>>
>> On 10/24/06, Len Bright <lpbbright at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>     
>>> Jake,
>>> So you installed the boot loader on the 2nd disk, the one with Linux
>>> OS installed, is that correct?  Have you tried installing the boot loader on
>>> the
>>> Windows disk? If not, probably the simplist thing for you to try is
>>> reinstall Linux
>>> and install the boot loader, grub or lilo, on the Windows disk, if you have
>>> not
>>> already tried that.  I suggest making Windows your primary drive, Linux the
>>> secondary drive, and install your boot loader on the Windows disk.  Also,
>>> what was the problem you ran into when you attempted your installation on a
>>> single hard drive?
>>>
>>> -Len
>>>
>>>
>>> Jake Morin <jacobmorin at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>  I am subscribed.
>>>
>>> I just seem to have been having the worst time with linux. I'm not
>>> all that dull when it comes to computers but I've had a hell of a time
>>> with linux.
>>>
>>> First, I had harddrive issues when trying to install on a single
>>> harddrive. So I decided to get a second harddrive. I did, and now I
>>> have a whole new set of problems.
>>>
>>> I have set the linux drive to master, the windows drive to slave,
>>> loaded the live cd of mandriva one. Installed mandriva with lilo.
>>> But for some reason, my computer always boots straight into windows.
>>> I switched the cables, the jumpers, the power cables...all hardware
>>> has been systematically checked. I checked the bios, sure enough,
>>> linux as master, windows as slave. I can't get into linux to change
>>> the lilo file because I have to unplug the windows drive to even reach
>>> the linux.
>>>
>>> When I do unplug the windows drive, lilo loads with a 10 second time
>>> out (so I know it isn't a lilo time situation).
>>>
>>> Like I said, I spent about 20 hours before with the single harddrive
>>> issue and I'm just growing tired of all this fuss. I've tried what's
>>> supposed to be two of the most user friendly distros (Ubuntu and
>>> Mandriva). Hell I've even tried GRUB with Ubuntu and Mandriva.
>>>
>>> Maybe it's windows fault, maybe it's linux's fault, maybe it's my
>>> fault. Don't really know to be quite honest. But if you know, feel
>>> free to tell me :)
>>>
>>> Jake
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>>       
>>     
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