[NTLUG:Discuss] Umm, I'm in need of some advice.

[Gregory A. Edwards]

Damien Rakh wrote:
> 
>      Okay, my parents are shipping me a new computer, and it has 10 gigs of
> hard-disk space, so I think I have enough room to partition the hard drive
> and install Linux on one.  HOw would I go about making it so that my
> computer lets me choose at bootup which operating system to go to?  Thanks
> guys and gals.
> 
>                                                     ~Mark

This is how I normally partition a dual boot system from scratch, YMMV.

Use the Linux install to partition the disk into 4 partitions.

(for RedHat)  I don't use DiskDruid so I can't remember it it'll let you
do this, if not use the advanced install option.

 1 10M primary (for Linux /boot)
 1 ??G primary set to active (for Windows)
 1 ??G primary (for Linux)
 1 128M primary (for Linux swap)

By using this setup Windows won't see the Linux partitions and the Linux
boot will always be in the proper range.  If you don't make all of your
partitions primary Win98 will take the entire disk on you.

Stop the Linux install after saving the partition setup.

Install Windows in the active partition.  Since Windows can't see the
other primary partitions it'll leave them alone when it installs and
won't try to access them when running.

Now do the Linux install and let Lilo (or other boot manager) be
installed.  When you setup your mount points for Linux do not mount the
Windows partition.

-- 
Greg Edwards
New Age Software, Inc.
http://www.nas-inet.com