Dual-booting with Slackware

[QCompson]

Has anyone successfully dual-booted a box with windows/slackware? I'm considering trying out Slack 9.1, but I checked out the installation instructions for dual-booting with XP/2000, and it looks rather intimidating (I'm used to the hand-holding of redhat, suse, and mandrake).

Should I be scared, or is it all bark and no bite once you get into it (and RTFM)?

[J-Excel]

If you install Slackware on a second drive you can load LILO on that drive, save the bootsector of that drive to a file, then add that file to the Windows boot.ini file. This will allow your computer to boot with the Windows boot loader where you can select Slackware.

[J-Excel]

I guess this works even if Slackware is on another partition on the same drive. Here are some tutorials...

http://www.frusher.fsbusiness.co.uk/.../dualboot.html
http://www.littlewhitedog.com/reviews_other_00011.asp
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/history/91430 (4th post down)
http://www.slackware.com/book/index....rce=x1776.html (under Windows NT)

[QCompson]

That sounds pretty simple and safe (my main concern is screwing it up so that I won't be able to boot to either Windows or Slack). But is this method not possible for one drive with partitions?

[QCompson]

You just beat me to my own question! Thanks for your help, J-Excel...

[J-Excel]

Just make sure you put LILO in the root partition and not the MBR.

[ArcticFox]

OK, hold the boat -

LILO? Whats that?

My advice is to use XOSL, which I find superior in every way to the bundled Linux Loader. It's got a nice, clean GUI similar to Win2k, PS/2 mouse and keyboard support, and you can edit the configuration with an easy-to-use menu system within the loader itself instead of funny files in Linux. It can be used not just for Linux and some other OS, but any OS out their.

Get it here - http://www.xosl.org

Note - At time of writing this (6:30PM PST) their site was down, but keep trying or get it from another site.

You can thank me later...

[flashingcurser]

Why would you want to dual boot? J/K

Its really quite easy though not very inuitive. Durring the install there is a section for loading LILO.

Choose --"Expert"

Then in the next menu choose "New LILO header", then it will ask if you want to add an append statement Example append = "hdc=ide-scsi" for a cd burner, then it will ask you how long you want the choices to appear on the screen before automaticaly booting the first choice--I usually choose 5 seconds. After that it will bring you back to the menu that you chose "New LILO header".

Now you will want to choose "DOS/Windows" first it will ask you what partition it needs to boot to start windows--usually hda1 (first partition-master on the first connector)--then it will ask you what you would like to name it. Example -- Winders (Dont worry NTFS works just fine with the same instructions) It will then bring you back to the menu for with "New LILO header" in it.

Next ---from that menu--- you will want to choose "Linux". Again it will ask you what drive/partition you want to boot. This is the same partition you set up "/" on durring the format portion of the install (or alternately if you set up a /boot partition then you would want to choose it instead). Then you will be asked again what you would lke to name it. Again back to that same menu.

Then from that menu choose---"Install LILO". It will ask you if you want to "Install to a boot floppy", something else (cant remember), and "Master Boot Record"---choose MBR (Master Boot Record)

Thats all there is to it assuming that you have partitioned your hard drive correctly with fdisk/cfdisk

Happy slacking

Edit for wrong append statement

[originel]

personally i use a custom lilo.conf file (also using slack 9) which i would also recommend doing:

# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
append="hdc=ide-scsi hdd=ide-scsi"
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 300
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# End LILO global section
# Linux
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda1
label = Linux
read-only
# Windows
other=/dev/hda2
label=Windows
table=/dev/hda

you can see where i set up to dual boot (it will be the same for your setup too...just prolly a different partition).

Also i have ide-scsi emulation enabled (necessary for cd-burning)

Then i also have a custom timeout for the boot menu

EDIT: and i installed this to the MBR

[flashingcurser]

If you want to hand edit your /etc/lilo.conf as original points out above--a few things you will want to keep in mind---keep your boot floppy handy as slackware will not give you the oportunity to hand edit it by hand durring the install. Once the install is finished you can use your bootable CD and follow the onscreen instructions to boot your kernel or on reboot just stick in your boot floppy. Once logged in as root, use your favorite editor --- vim /etc/lilo.conf or pico /etc/lilo.conf (you get the idea) save the changes and then run the command "lilo" (without the quotes) from the command line. Reboot agian.


happy slacking