Roxio GoBAck and Dual Boot

[Edward]

Javier Perez wrote:

> Hi
> 
> This is a warning for Roxio Goback users.
> Uninstall it before installing FC3.
> 
> This note should be on the Release Notes and it may save you a lot of
> time.
> 
> Roxio seems to package the partition table in such a way that the FC3
> installer cannot recognize the windows partitions or anyother partition
> you might have. Therefore, you will not be able to have dual booting
> from the beginning.
> 
> The first time I got bitten by the dual boot bug, I could not recover.
> The second time, I had pre-partitioned my hard disk, but when I tried to
> install, Linux could not find the partitions!!!!!
> 
> Checking it out with the Acronis disk manager (it works great, it saved 
> my data the second time around
> 
> Prepartitioning again, and trying to install, I wisely stopped at the
> manual partition wizard and when again, the installer could not find my
> Linux partitions, I cancelled.
> 
> Checking it out with the disk manager I noticed that I had one big Roxio
> partition instead of my neatly laid partitions that I had premade
> before.
> 
> After I uninstalled GoBack, the Linux installer found out quickly the
> new partitions, I assigned /boot, / and swap easily and the installer
> let me choose at once the default operating system.
> 
> So, for all people who install Norton Systemworks and who may go to
> install the GoBack thing, just be aware of how it impacts your chances
> of successfully installing Linux.
> 
> Is there anything on the installer that may be done to work around the
> GoBack partitions?

I would say not. Goback is a tricky situation (we actually ask our 
customers never to install it). In it's complexity, it kills things that 
should be easy, as you've found out.

GoBack will get you back from any kind of disaster (even an accidental 
partition deletion). The only way it can do this is to store partition 
information within it's own partition (as you've also found out).

GoBack does things it really shouldn't, but on the other hand, it HAS to 
do it that way to provide the features it has.

I don't think the installer will ever incorporate the ability to 
read/write inside the GoBack partition. GoBack really is a Windows 
application, and uses partition tricks to get Windows to recognize 
anything created within it.

The only way you'll ever get this to work I think is to get Norton to 
write a GoBack partitioning scheme module that can be put in the initial 
Linux ramdisk upon installation.

I think pigs will fly first.

Regards,
Ed.