Dual Boot System Tips

**MichaelRead** · 2003-02-28 04:35

Hi All,

Sometime in the next couple of weeks I am going to put together the parts I have in hopes <img src=/S/grin.gif border=0 alt=grin width=15 height=15> of eventually having a dual boot Win98SE and RedHat8.0 box. It will be P4 2.0, ECS L4S8A2, 648 chipset, twin 40 g hard drives, and twin 256 sticks of PC2700 DDR.

Was wondering if anyone here had some tip, tricks, or other mischevious methods that I should be aware of before attempting this! Am totally unfamiliar with Linux other than the conclusion that it comes in a nice red package.

**cbaldrey** · 2003-02-28 13:52

My first tip for you, install Windows FIRST.

Second tip... Let Red Hat do the partitioning for you for your Linux setup.

Third tip.... read ANYTHING, and EVERYTHING you can about using Linux. I received a copy of the RedHat 7.3 bible a little while ago when I started into the world of Linux. I haven't read it cover to cover, but it's helped me out a few times, when I needed to look something up.

**mwolfman** · 2003-02-28 18:02

WAIT!!!!

This is tricky. Yes, windows has to be nstalled first BUT!!!!
The partitioning has to be set a certain way.

1st partition - 30-50 mg partition at the front - This is fthe linux boot partition.
2nd partition - whatever size - Windows C: drive
3rd partition - 256mg - linux SWAP partition
4th partition - whatever's is left - linux root partition

You can set these as follows:
Drive1:

/boot - linux - 1st partiton - 30 mgs
windows - 2nd partiton - 39.xx gb

Drive2:

/swap - ist partiton - 256 mb
/ (linux root) - 2nd partition - 39.xx gb

also

you can make other partitions for /home /var etc. This is usually used for server where they want to limit space so one
service doesn't kill another. ie /var is for logs /home is home directories. On a workstation, you shouldn't need anything but / (root) /swap and /boot.

First install 98, then linux, you need to put the /boot partition within the first 1024 blocks of the FIRST hard drive or else the lilo won't work.

Any other ??'s, lemme know

**MichaelRead** · 2003-02-28 22:34

I'm sure there will be a lot of questions, just don't know what they all are yet!

**mwolfman** · 2003-02-28 22:49

Just reply to this post so I see it in my email. We'll try to keep it here so maybe we can get more people over to the dark side and off Windoze.
<img src=/S/cheers.gif border=0 alt=cheers width=30 height=16>

**MichaelRead** · 2003-03-10 02:46

Hi Mike,

For my own sanity, is it possible to put windows on one hard drive and linux on the other hard drive, or would it be preferable to follow your multi-drive partition recommendations?

If using the multi-partition setup you initially recommended, what sort of stuff happens at boot-up? Is there some sort of GUI i.e., boot from Windows, boot from Linux?

Thanks,
Mike

**mwolfman** · 2003-03-10 03:03

HMmm, well, this is what happenes. The first 30 meg of the first hard drive is a /boot partition, usually LILO. This is a gui that will give you the choice for Windoze or Linux. It HAS TO BE FIRST on the boot drive. The esiest way to do this is probably:
1st drive
30 meg - /boot
remaining - Windoze

2nd Drive
256 meg swap - (type 82 - =you'll need to know that)
remaiming - / (root)

What you wanna do:
1st drive
/boot
/swap
/

2nd drive
windows

This theoritically sounds feasible, but I've never tried it. I usually put the boot partition and windoze on the same drive.

One thing to remember, when after you install Windoze, while your installing linux, you have to tell the LILO where windoze is, but its pretty self explanitory, espeically Red Hat 8.

Lemme know if I didn't answer exactly what you need or if you have any other problems

**MichaelRead** · 2003-03-10 03:48

Thanks Mike, will try as you say. Wife and kids gone for spring break for a few days, so I figure this is my chance to take over the office and the dining room table with two boxes. Fortunately I have the advantage of leaving this box up while building the other one.

**MichaelRead** · 2003-03-15 17:02

Hey Mike,

I am given the option of using GRUB or LILO for the boot loader. Do you have a preference for one or the other and if so, for any specific reason?

**mwolfman** · 2003-03-15 19:50

Heya Mike,

Grub is fairly new, I've always used LILO, only because I knew it and I knew how to configure it. One of my friends started using GRUB and loves it. He thinks its a better boot loader, unfortunately, I've never used it. Either one is fine, my next box will be GRUB, only because its being used more and I should learn it....

I know its not a definate answer, but it should help a little. I basically comes down to a personal opinion.

**MichaelRead** · 2003-03-15 22:14

Thanks Mike, I chose LILO since you had mentioned it. Works great!

This is some kinda cool! I see now what you meant by the partition restrictions, took a little while to work that out even with your instructions. Up and sailing now though!

**mwolfman** · 2003-03-16 06:10

Woo Hoo, do i hear that another has turned to the mighty Tux? (penguin) Good to hear you got it up and running. Lemme ask you, do you have any linux experience before this install?? You seemed not to have any problems??? Then again, Red Hat 8 has a fantastic installer...

**MichaelRead** · 2003-03-16 14:14

No linux experience until now. Actually I was unaware that linux was so advanced...I had the impression before this that it was akin to using basic on an old TRS80, but I am totally impressed. Took me about 4 hours or so to make sure I had pulled all my important windows stuff off my old box, so I haven't played with it much yet. Nice GUI.

Only problem I had (which was my fault), was that at first I used fdisk to partition both drives and that interfered with the linux install. Went back and deleted the partitions from the second drive and partitioned all but 100megs of the first drive, reinstalled windows on the first drive, and bing bang walla walla bing bang it worked.

One other question Mike, I did not set up any users during the setup, only leaving the administrator. When I tried to get into it again, I tried all sorts of user names like administrator, admin, adm, etc and never could get in. Finally, I typed in "root" and the password and in I go. Is this normal (for the admin username to be "root")?

**mwolfman** · 2003-03-16 16:24

YES!!! Root is god in the linux world. Note my signature. You should add users. Again, this is mainly for bigger servers but also reguilar users don't have access to edit/delete certain system files. ie /etc or /sbin. If you login as Mike and need to do something with root, all you need to do is open a termiknal window and type su - Then it'll prompt you for the root account. THROUGH THIS WINDOW ONLY, you'll have root access. One thing you'll reaiize, linux is very command-line. You can do things thru the gui but it's (believe it or not) EASIER to do things with the command line. I consider mydelf pretty advanced and I login with mwolfman and if I need to, I use su - to edit root files. Also it keeps a log of what you've done. If you have more then one user on the box and you're all logging in as root, you'll nver know who screwed what...

Linux has a bunch of text editors, which you'll need to edit config files when you're ready to do it. My favorite is vi, but its a little weird. I'd start with pico, its very self explainatory. pico <file name> and the commands are at the bottom of the window.

Also, you can use different window managers. You probably have Gnome or KDE loaded. If you hit CTRL-ALT-BKSPACE, it will put you at a command prompt. If you loaded them, just type:

switchdesk <managername> ie gnome - kde - windowmaker

There's so much to play with. Oh yea, one more. If you are in a terminal window and have a question about a command, there's two help screens: <cmd> --help this is a basic help screen or man <cmd> this is a more indept "manual" file.

Lemme know if there's anything else... maybe we can switch some mre people over to a REAL os. (hehe)

**MichaelRead** · 2003-03-21 03:04

Hey Mike,

Can see why this would be the rage for a network. Superb control over everything. I went from Gnome to KDE to Widowmaker...found KDE to be initially the most user friendly for me. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to get out of Windowmaker and get back to KDE. Any ideas?

Nevermind! I see the command prompt in your post! Will try that first.

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