linux/xp

[neweyedeya18]

is there anyway to install linux to one hd then install xp to another hard drive and any safe way of switching between the two other than pulling ide wires?? just never heard it being done and i want to experiment with linux whilst keeping my xp (afraid of the switch)

 

[macdude425]

GRUB/LILO. They're bootloaders that are loaded into the MBR and let you pick your operating system at startup. One of them will be installed during the Linux install.

Remember to install Windows FIRST. If you install it second, it has a tendency to screw up Linux partitions and the bootloader.

 

[infraRed]

I have Slackware Linux one one hdd and two Windows XPs on another. So it is quite possible.
Automatic configuration of lilo during install didn't work, though, so I had to edit lilo.conf file manually to make it recognize Windows partitions.

 

[Sevoma]

You can use a boot menu if your bios supports it. On mine, I just press F10 and select which harddrive I want to boot (also has cdroms and such). A better way would be to use a bootloader though.

 

[TheRecluse]

they don't even have to be separate hard drives.. you could have 5 different OSs on one drive if you were so inclined.

 

[jakec]

neweyedeya18,

As Sevoma said it is better to use a bootloader, the Best one is GAG a boot loading program that allows you to install upto 9 OSs on the same machine

http://gag.sourceforge.net/index.html

Hope this Helps,

Jake

 

[hillbillybob]

I have XP pro, Mandrake 10.1, SuSE 9.1 and am gettin ready to install FreeBSD (new to that one) , so yes, it is possible. If you don't care for linux, you can fix it by these steps

1. insert XP CD
2. Reboot computer, boot from CD
3. Choose to recover windows from recovery console
4. at the recovery console, type fixmbr
5. Follow directions

this will fix the MBR and allow you boot to windows XP without the use of a bootloader. then you can keep the extra HDD and do what you will with it. This works for one drive/multiple OS's or two drives/multiple OS's

Some sites I found useful

www.linuxselfhelp.com
www.linuxhelp.net
www.control-escape.com

Also, What distro are you running with?

If you want some choices, check out these two sites

www.linuxiso.org - not always up to date, but still got some goodies
www.distrowatch.com - pretty up to date, keeps good track, lots of distros

 

[macdude425]

But wouldn't that SNAFU GRUB/LILO, thereby forcing him to change the boot device in BIOS? (Also, why did you say that was helpful in getting rid of Linux; that's not what we're talking about).

Take my advice; use GRUB.