Installing Linux for the first time (& dual boot)

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Originally posted by fredericklee

I have followed what phantasm66, but instead of /mnt/winxp I use /mnt/windows xp

Hmm, ok, but just remember that before special characters like space, you have to use \, so you would change to directory cd /mnt/windows\ xp.

Where do I create this new partition, named /?? At C: or E:??

How to set the size to "maximum available", The size come in numbers with up down arrows for you to increase and decrease the value in numbers. I have check that the maximum nuber it can go is to 2076. So If I'm use 512MB of RAM, I should set this to 1024 right?

Originally posted by Phantasm66:
click NEW. Select a file system type of SWAP, and select the hard drive (in your case

probably just hda) you want the swap partition to be on.

Attention The writers of the 2.4 kernel recommend 2 X your physical RAM as swap

partition space for that kernel.

So if you have 256 MB, make a 512 MB partition. Click OK.

Now click NEW again. Make the mount point / (i.e. just "/" on its own!) and give it a

file system type of ext2 or ext3. ext3 is the new system with some better integrity, but

Drive Image software hasn't caught up to it yet, so I use ext2. If you don't use drive

image then there's no reason not to go with ext3. Tick the box that says "Fill to maximum

allowable size" so that disk druid shall automatically use the remainder of your HDD space

for the / partition, which is where you want everything to do.

 

[fredericklee]

HI

I'm back. I have succeeded installing win 98, win xp and red hat, but when I boot red hat using the boot disk, this task fail to start "Bringing up interface eth0". The rest of the task was successfully start up. I would like to know if you could help me with this problem?

After I login as root, I could not find "startx". I only got 3 icons on my desktop, and they are root home, start here and trash.

can you please help me with these 2 problems.

Thanks

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

startx is a command which starts X Server, ie. the graphical interface. You don't need to find it if you're already using X, for example, if your computer is set to boot straight into graphic mode, but in any case, it's typically in /usr/X11R6/bin/startx.
Your NIC problem sounds like you've got wrong drivers for it. Can you check which chip your NIC has? I'm not sure about that NC1100, it could be NE1000/2000 compatible.

 

[fredericklee]

If I do not need to start "startx", then where do I enter this comment:

As a final step, we want to add linux to Window XP's boot menu.

If you chose to mount your XP partition as /mnt/winxp and you installed linux to hda6 then

this is what you do:

/sbin/lilo

-----should say that it has added linux sucessfully...., then:

dd if=/dev/hda6 of=/mnt/winxp/bootsect.lin bs=512 count=1

This is for adding winxp, what if I want to add another win98 to linux, what other comment should I enter and where should I enter?

 

[Phantasm66]

You run the command in a terminal window. you will see an icon for a thing that looks a little like a black TV. click on that.

What the above command does is add the option to boot linux to the windows xp or 2000 boot menu. Its not for adding Windows XP.

Please read the guide post carefully.

 

[fredericklee]

Hi
I have install win98 on the first partition, winxp on the second and red hat on the third and swap on the fourth.

And I did the following

/sbin/lilo

dd if=/dev/hda6 of=/mnt/winxp/bootsect.lin bs=512 count=1

but when I try to boot from my hdd it show something like a menu to choose between linux and DOS. When I choose DOS it go into DOS, showing a choice of 3 oses to choose from, "Windows XP", "windows 98", and "Linux Red Hat". I can start winxp and win98 but could not start red hat.

Can you tell me what is wrong.

Thanks

 

[Phantasm66]

You have installed LILO to the master boot record and not to the bootsector of the linux partition.

I will let you off since this is your first time but I made it pretty clear in the stuff I wrote here not to do that.

Please post the contents of a file called /etc/lilo.conf here. Post it exactly.

Also post the contents of a file called /etc/fstab here as well. you will find both of these in the /etc directory on your linux partition.

Then I will be able to tell you what to do.

 

[fredericklee]

Hi Phantasm66

Sorry to touble you so much, but I have not touch linux before, and so even simple problems are big problems for me. But I really appreciate it very much for all your help that you have given me.

This is the contents of /etc/lilo.confi:

prompt
timeout=50
default=linux
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
lba32

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.7-10
label=linux
read-only
root=/dev/hda6
append="hdb=idle-scsi"

other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=DOS



This is the contents of /etc/fstab:

LABEL=/ / ext2 defaults 1 1
none /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
/dev/hda1 /mnt/win98 vfat defaults 0 0
/dev/hda5 /mnt/winxp vfat defaults 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0
/dev/hda7 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom iso9660 noauto,owner,kudzu,ro 0 0
/dev/cdrom1 /mnt/cdrom1 iso9660 noauto,owner,kudzu,ro 0 0
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,owner,kudzu 0 0

 

[Phantasm66]

Okay, we are going to move LILO to the bootsector of / , away from the MBR.

First, remove it from the MBR like this:

/sbin/lilo - u

now open /etc/lilo.conf in a text editor, it looks like this:

prompt
timeout=50
default=linux
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
lba32

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.7-10
label=linux
read-only
root=/dev/hda6
append="hdb=idle-scsi"

other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=DOS



change it, so that it reads like this:

prompt
timeout=50
default=linux
boot=/dev/hda6
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
lba32

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.7-10
label=linux
read-only
root=/dev/hda6
append="hdb=idle-scsi"

other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=DOS

You can use a text editor called PICO to edit this, just give the command pico /etc/lilo.conf , make the changes and then press CTRL+X to exit and save......


I have made the change bold which is where you change hda to read hda6. (i.e. boot=/dev/hda6 on the fourth line...)

now reinstall LILO like this:

/sbin/lilo

if this gives you any error messages, post them here. it should say added linux and added DOS.

nw create your bootsector as a file like this:

dd if=/dev/hda6 of=bootsect.lin bs=512 count=1

this will create bootsect.lin file in your present working directory. copy this to your c:\ drive (your active marked primary partition)

now, if you have the c:\bootsect.lin="Red Hat Linux" bit in c:\boot.ini, then all you shall have to do is choose this from the windows 2000 boot menu and it shall boot linux.

good luck!

 

[Phantasm66]

Its probably a good idea to backup configuration files before you edit them, i.e.

cp /etc/lilo.conf /etc/lilo.conf.bak

 

[fredericklee]

Hi Phantasm66,

I do not know if I did this right, but this is what I get when I follow your above steps.

I login as root, click on start here, and go into programs/system/ and I click on GNOME terminal. After that, a black screen appear, and this is what I did in the black screen:

[root@localhost root]# /sbin/lilo - u

and after that some informations came up. After that I exit from this application and made the changes in /etc/lilo.conf.

After that, I go back to GNOME terminal, and this is what I did in the black screen:

[root@localhost root]# /sbin/lilo
Added linux *
Added DOS
[root@localhost root]# dd if=/dev/hda6 of=bootsect.lin bs=512 count=1
1+0 records in
1+0 records out
[root@localhost root]#

Those that are in bold are what you ask me to enter.

After that I reboot, and found that it cannot even boot up windows. It only shows LIL- at the bottom of the screen(DOS)

Thanks for your help

 

[Phantasm66]

You do get the LIL- prompt error when you try to start the computer itself?? If so, then I think that you did not edit the /etc/lilo.conf file correctly.

Boot from the linux boot disk and post another copy of your /etc/lilo.conf file exactly.

If you don't have a boot disk (which is silly ) then boot from the linux CD, and at the boot: prompt type LINUX RESCUE. Your linux system will be mounted under /mnt/sysimage or something similar, therefore you will be posting the contents of /mnt/sysimage/etc/lilo.conf and not /etc/lilo.conf.

I think that you edited the wrong section of the file.

What I think that you may have done is changed the part of the file that points to where linux is installed and not the part of the file which is the target for the lilo installation.

Your lilo.conf file should read like this:


prompt
timeout=50
default=linux
boot=/dev/hda6
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
lba32

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.7-10
label=linux
read-only
root=/dev/hda6
append="hdb=idle-scsi"

other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=DOS



NOT like this:


prompt
timeout=50
default=linux
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
lba32

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.7-10
label=linux
read-only
root=/dev/hda6
append="hdb=idle-scsi"

other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=DOS


the differences are in these lines in bold:


prompt
timeout=50
default=linux
boot=/dev/hda6
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
lba32

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.7-10
label=linux
read-only
root=/dev/hda6
append="hdb=idle-scsi"

other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=DOS


Only THIS line:

boot=/dev/hda6

Should have been changed from

boot=/dev/hda

to

boot=/dev/hda6


If you follow what I have said this will work.

You are changing the boot= bit and not the root= parameter which is on the 12th line.

So post your lilo.conf file again now.

 

[fredericklee]

When I type linux rescue from boot: prompt, it show alot of information, but when it reached:

ide0: BM-DMA at 0xa800-0xa807, BIOS settings: hdaio, hdbMA
ide1: BM-DMA at 0xa808-0xa80f, BIOS settings: hdcMA, hddMA

It just stop there. Looks like system hang, none of the keyboard buttons works, even ctrl-alt-del.

After that, even if I strike enter on the boot: prompt, it still bring me to the above information, then system hang.


And by the way, how do I delete the linux partition and the swap partition from my hdd. ( Thinking of reinstalling Linux one more time.) When I tried running fdisk, it could not detect my linux and swap partitions?

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Originally posted by fredericklee
When I type linux rescue from boot: prompt, it show alot of information, but when it reached:

ide0: BM-DMA at 0xa800-0xa807, BIOS settings: hdaio, hdbMA
ide1: BM-DMA at 0xa808-0xa80f, BIOS settings: hdcMA, hddMA

It just stop there. Looks like system hang, none of the keyboard buttons works, even ctrl-alt-del.

Hmm, your motherboard has the same I/O chip as my board, 82801BA, so it shouldn't be the problem.. What are the hdds? I'm wondering about that hdaio.
?? lol

how do I delete the linux partition and the swap partition from my hdd. ( Thinking of reinstalling Linux one more time.) When I tried running fdisk, it could not detect my linux and swap partitions?

You can use the same tool with which you created them - Disk Druid.

 

[Phantasm66]

Originally posted by fredericklee
And by the way, how do I delete the linux partition and the swap partition from my hdd. ( Thinking of reinstalling Linux one more time.)

That is a good idea I think.

You don't need to delete the partitions, just reinstall and then format the existing ones.... Don't delete unless you have a reason to....

 

[fredericklee]

Hi P66, Its been a long time before I can start all over again.

I have already reformat my entire hdd and did everything that you have wirtten and things went pretty well this time. but have one problem. When I reboot, I was given a option to choose the os which were win xp as the first option and Red Hat Linux as the second option. When I select red hat to boot, the system just flash once and it return to the option to choose the os again.

What is wrong?

What I don't understand is that when I install RH, I was not given Network settings as you indicated after I select these options:
-Use LILO as the boot loader.
-Install boot loader on the first sector of boot partition.

And, I also don't know if I add linux to windows xp's boot menu correctly.

What you written is log in as root and try:
startx to start XWindows.......... The problem is what and where is this startx or XWindows?????

What I did was, there was an icon (black monitor with a foot print on it) at the task bar at the bottom of the screen. I click on that an it appear an application something like MS command prompt style. And I did what you written.
/sbin/lilo
after it say it added DOS*
added linux
Then I entered
dd if=/dev/hda6 of=/mnt/winxp/bootsect.lin bs=512 count=1

Your help is greatly appreciated
Thank you

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Fredericklee, in console ("an application something like MS command prompt style"), type the following:

fdisk -l /dev/hda

and post what it says. This helps us to see the partitions on your harddisk. Are you sure Linux is on /dev/hda6 (ie. second logical partition)?

 

[Phantasm66]

Yes, Mictlantecuhtli is right.

In all of my examples, hda6 was the sample linux partition name i gave. If your / partition is somewhere else, like hda8 or hdb1, then you need to change the commands, text file changes, etc to reflect that.

thusly, if / was on hdb1, we would have a dd command like:

dd if=/dev/hdb1 of=/mnt/winxp/bootsect.lin bs=512 count=1

You get it??

you should know what the partition name is because you will have seen this information during the linux installation process. There will have been a section where you assigned a / partition and you will have been given the opportunity to choose this.

 

[fredericklee]

Thanks P66 and Mictlantecuhtli,

both of you have given me lots of help. This is my forth attempt and I have succeed dual booting my system with win xp and Red Hat.
And what i'm going to do now is to learn how to use it. I have zero knowledge in RH. Where can I get infomation in using it?

By the way, P66, can your guide be dual booting with win2000, win98, winME instead of winxp?

 

[Phantasm66]

Originally posted by fredericklee

By the way, P66, can your guide be dual booting with win2000, win98, winME instead of winxp?

If what you are asking is Do the instructions apply for Windows 2000 as well as Windows XP???

Yes they most certainly do. NT4 as well at that.

 

[DesertEagle]

Windows on hda5?

Helloooo there, this is my first post since i havent found what im looking for and im very hungry... and tired of looking everywhere. So, without further whining:

i want to boot my hard drive's windows 2000 partition (hda5 in linux) and apparently windows doesnt like that, i can boot into linux (hda1) but windows says the typical error message on boot up IN CAPS (that one about device not found inaccesible hdd, etc) :\

im using GRUB and the config is

title Windows
root(hd0,5)
chainloader +1
makeactive

Ok so thats pretty much it... thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

If

rootnoverify (hd0,5)
makeactive
chainloader +1

doesn't help, I'm not sure what else to do, other than making the computer boot into 2k and editing its boot.ini to boot Linux. It shouldn't matter that 2k is installed into a logical partition, as far as I know.

 

[Nodsu]

I don't quite remember, but don't you need to issue a "boot" after the chainloader thingie?

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Only if you use GRUB's command line manually.

 

[MintabiePete]

some time ago Phantasm I downloaded your instructions and have just tried again to put Red Hat 8.0 on my computer as a dual boot with Win XP Home , this is about the closest I have got to success I have Grub loader and when I booted up a the finish of your instructions using the boot disk typed startx and nothing happened.

After taking out the boot disk and booting normally the grub screen comes up and I can go into XP OK no worries, but when I click on Red Hat which I have as default it runs OK and the welcome to red hat comes up than all the green OK's seem to be OK but I have noticed it says No Mount Points defined.

then I get the Local Host logon and can type root and my password and then find that the only command that seems to work is exit , I have tried other commands and nothing seems to work. I guess there is something simple going on but I havnt got the expertise to find it .

Hopefully you can steer me on the right track Phantasm, would be much obliged if you did I dont think I have left anything out .