[Luna] Questions about linux.

[Ernest Bowman-Cisneros]

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Jake,

You actually have a couple of different options with regard to how to
setup your dual-boot system:

1. Rarely Reboot into Linux - Use a boot CD/DVD/Floppy (gasp, they still
have those?), keep Windows installed disk as Master, Linux disk as Slave.

2. Occasionally Reboot into Linux - Use grub4dos (or similar NT/Windows
based loader) to boot to Linux, keep Windows installed disk as Master,
Linux disk as Slave.

3. Frequently Reboot into Linux - Install LILO/GRUB (or Linux
boot-loader dejour) on your Master disk, order of disk doesn't matter.

Should also be helpful to have on hand an MSDOS (or other DOS) bootable
floppy/CD with the format command that can blow back the brain-dead MBR
onto a disk. This is very useful if your boot loader runs amok. Ditto
for having a good Linux rescue floppy/CD/DVD on hand, that lets get back
to your Linux partitions.

NOTE: Changing your MBR program on a disk does not affect your
partitions, so if your MBR gets hosed: Grab your towel and Don't Panic.
The you have the aforementioned rescue tools, you should be set to
recover from most issue.

As for why your system always boots to Windows, my guess (without
inspection of your system) is that the BIOS is looking for a valid MBR
(irrespective of Master or Slave drive) to bootstrap from. If the new
installed drive is clean (no MBR), then the BIOS will default to the
second. Also possible that the new drive has a MBR that is looking for
an active/bootable partition, which it only finds on the second
(Windows) disk drive.

My two cents, not a statement of warranty or other legalese that gets me
off the hook. As always, back up your disks if they contain any valuable
data before proceeding with any disk operations, the world is a strange
complex place, where many things are possible and some impossible things
happen. That said, happy hardware hacking!

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?)
> 
> 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

EBC
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