quick dual booting question

[joshd]

i am planning on using partition magic to create a partition, and then i want to dual boot with linux. all then help in partition magic says i need to use partition magic to install, and then use bootmagic to set up the menu on power-up.

do i need to use partition magic to install, or can i just create the partition, and then just install linux onto it?

do i need to use bootmagic to bring up the menu? i thought LILO will do the job, and if it does not see my windows os, i just have to "fxmbr" if i have to resort to doing this, will the option to boot to linux still be there?

the partition magic help is really confusing.

thanks in advance, joshd

 

[brady]

Once you install Linux with whatever you want, all you need to do is edit the boot.ini ( which those apps might already do ). All this will do is give you the option ( for however many seconds you want ) to boot to either OS's.

 

[joshd]

thanks for the quick reply.

so in need to edit the boot.ini within windows?

what would i type to point it to a certain partition?

 

[brady]

You shouldn't need to edit it at all.
The apps that you are using will or "Should" do this all for you.
Once you have another OS installed on the machine your boot.ini will recognize the installation and automatically insert it into your boot.ini
All you would need to do in that ini file is set the time you need to be able to choose that other OS. ( hope that makes sense )

 

[joshd]

ive read somewhere before that windows will not recognise linux partitions, so i suppose i would have to edit it myself if it is not seen.

if i am stuck with only being able to boot to linux, will the "fixmbr" definatly fix this?

i definatly dont want to lose any files. i will backup as much as i can, but reinstalling all my programs and windows would take days.

 

[brady]

Hmmm... I have never heard that before.
I really don't know. Im sorry.

 

[brady]

I don't think you will lost the data but backing it up is a very good idea.

This might help you:
http://www.littlewhitedog.com/content-52.html

Let us know.

 

[joshd]

thanks for the link.

i will do the partition and installation in about 2 weeks, as a friend who is good at the whole linux dual-boot will be coming round to help me.

i am just trying to get as much background information as possible before the setup.

thanks very much.

 

[brady]

Your Welcome. Good luck and let us know how it works out. : )

 

[joshd]

i said i'd let you know, so here we are:

I DID IT!!!!


i initially had problems with grub not seeing a small bootable dell utility partition for running test on ur computer, but a friend added the right stuff to the grub.lst, and now that boots as well.

another good thing i worked out you can do, is hibernate windows, boot ubuntu, restart, and then resume ur windows session. cool stuff.


thanks for all your help.

josh


PS just need to fix the thing with the concurrent dos partition, post in the other hardware topics on this.