Re: Linux+NT

[Adam Woodbridge <awoodbri wis mb ca>]

Bryan Swann wrote:
> 
> Have have read the mini HOWTO on loading Linux and NT on the same box, but
> it didn't address several issues.  Hopefully someone in this furum can
> help.
> 
> I just recieved my first NT box.  When it boots, I get a prompt that will
> allow me to boot in standard mode or VGA mode.  I assume that if I use
> LILO that I will no longer see this menu and will automatically boot to
> standard NT mode.  Is there a way to modify LILO to continue to support
> both of these options?
> 
> If I put the MBR on the parition that I load Linux, will I still receive
> the same LILO prompt and be able to use multiple kernel images?  If I use
> the NT boot manager, how do I modify it to boot a different partition?
> Years ago with DOS, I used fdisk to change the bottable partition to
> select which OS I wanted to boot.
> 
> Is there a way to continue to support all of the boot options?
> 
>  __________________________________________________________________________
> | Bryan Swann (swann nosc mil)  803/974-4267   803/974-5080 (Fax)          |
> | Eagan McAllister Associates, Inc.                                        |
> |                                                                          |
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I'm going to make the assumption that you're running Windows NT 4.0.

Check out a program called "BOOTPART"
(http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/gvollant/bootpart.htm), which
modifies the Windows NT Bootloader to include entries for Linux (and
other OS's).  A good place to install BOOTPART is into %SYSTEM
ROOT%\WINNT\SYSTEM32.

What you would want to do is this:  install Linux so that it places its
bootloader (LILO) onto the /root partition.  Do not install LILO into
the Master Boot Record.  Next, restart your computer.  You will be
presented with NT's NTLDR, because it wasn't over-written.  Boot into
Windows NT.  At an MS-DOS prompt, type:

	BOOTPART LIST

this will produce a list of partitions on all available disks.  Find the
Linux-type partition on which you've installed your Linux /root
partition, and note its number in the BOOTPART list.  If you Linux /root
partition is 3, for example, type:

	BOOTPART 3 C:\LINXBOOT.BIN Linux

This will tell the system to create the file C:\LINXBOOT.BIN, which
contains a chain loader that runs the boot sector of partition 3 (where
LILO is ready to boot Linux).  This will also create an option called
"Linux" on the Windows NT boot menu, which you can select to boot into
Linux.

That should do it.  Hope this helps.  For more information, pick up a
copy of the March 1997 edition of Windows NT Magazine, which has an
article on dual-boot Windows NT and Linux - most of the information I
gave you here comes from that article, however.

-- 
Regards,

Adam Woodbridge
Woodbridge Internet Services
============================
http://www.wis.mb.ca
email: awoodbri wis mb ca