dual booting with linux

[kraleigh]

I would like to setup a dual boot with linux.
The first time I attempted to do this "I Think" the grub boot loader
corrupted the
boot sector and I wasn't able to boot either windows or linux.

I reinstalled window vista from scratch after trying to repair it using the
DVD disk, but I really wasn't sure how to use most of the repair options. So
I guess the first question is how
do I create a backup of my OS so that if I wipe it out again installing
linux I can use the DVD to reinstall the backed up copy? The DVD gave me the
option of restoring the system
from some place on my drive.

I am using two drives. one for windows and one for linux.
I also have two paritions on windows drive so I can store a backup copy.

Next, when I boot the computer the windows OS gives me the option to boot
either into
windows or linux, but when I boot into linux I only have a limited set of
options because
the boot loader wasn't installed. So I guess I need to install this grub
boot loader, but I am
a little leary after wiping out my windows install.

Can you make any suggestions, refer me to any documentation, or refer me to
any news groups or forums that might be able to help me?

any insight would be appreciated
thank you
Kevin

 

[kraleigh]

I would like to setup a dual boot with linux.
The first time I attempted to do this "I Think" the grub boot loader
corrupted the
boot sector and I wasn't able to boot either windows or linux.

I reinstalled window vista from scratch after trying to repair it using
the DVD disk, but I really wasn't sure how to use most of the repair
options. So I guess the first question is how
do I create a backup of my OS so that if I wipe it out again installing
linux I can use the DVD to reinstall the backed up copy? The DVD gave me
the option of restoring the system
from some place on my drive.

I am using two drives. one for windows and one for linux.
I also have two paritions on windows drive so I can store a backup copy.

Next, when I boot the computer the windows OS gives me the option to boot
either into
windows or linux, but when I boot into linux I only have a limited set of
options because
the boot loader wasn't installed. So I guess I need to install this grub
boot loader, but I am
a little leary after wiping out my windows install.

Can you make any suggestions, refer me to any documentation, or refer me
to any news groups or forums that might be able to help me?

any insight would be appreciated
thank you
Kevin

I found an article that describes how to alter the mbr so that windows
mbr can contain instructions on how to load both vista or linux.
http://port25.technet.com/archive/2...th-BitLocker-Protection-with-TPM-Support.aspx

Kevin

 

[Mick Murphy]

Acronis True Image for backups.
Or Vista itself, if you have Business or Ultimate Versions

VistaBootPro for your dual booting

 

[the wharf rat]

Can you make any suggestions, refer me to any documentation, or refer me to
any news groups or forums that might be able to help me?

ALWAYS make a restoreable volume level backup if any in-use
system before trying stuff like this (which I commend you for trying BTW)
via some program such as Ghost or dd.

One way to do this is create four partitions on your drive, one
linux one windows one linux swap and one dedicated to grub, then install
grub on that one. Another way is to install grub to the boot partition
instead of to the MBR. Or if you install linux first then vista just use
the vista boot manager; you dont need grub at all.

 

[Ed H]

Hey:

I've done this several times, works like a charm:
http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Ubuntu

First use Vista to shrink the volume. You need to make some free space, say
15 Ggs.
Download the latest versions of Ubuntu (8.04.1) and Easy BCD (1.7.2). They
are both very gui friendly.

Watch the step to click the "Advanced" button!

 

[ray]

I would like to setup a dual boot with linux. The first time I attempted
to do this "I Think" the grub boot loader corrupted the
boot sector and I wasn't able to boot either windows or linux.

I reinstalled window vista from scratch after trying to repair it using
the DVD disk, but I really wasn't sure how to use most of the repair
options. So I guess the first question is how
do I create a backup of my OS so that if I wipe it out again installing
linux I can use the DVD to reinstall the backed up copy? The DVD gave me
the option of restoring the system
from some place on my drive.

For starters, you don't have to have a backup of the entire OS just to
repair the MBR. Use Linux 'dd' to save the MBR to a file before you start
- then if things are unsuccessful (only time I've seen it fail is if the
power fails at a critical moment) you can replace the MBR with exactly the
data that was there before.

I am using two drives. one for windows and one for linux. I also have
two paritions on windows drive so I can store a backup copy.

Next, when I boot the computer the windows OS gives me the option to
boot either into
windows or linux, but when I boot into linux I only have a limited set
of options because
the boot loader wasn't installed. So I guess I need to install this grub
boot loader, but I am
a little leary after wiping out my windows install.

Can you make any suggestions, refer me to any documentation, or refer me
to any news groups or forums that might be able to help me?

any insight would be appreciated
thank you
Kevin

Modern Linux distributions will detect the presence of the MS system
during installation and automagically set up the dual boot for you. An
alternative is to use MS to control the dual boot. There are 'howtos'
covering that procedure. Typically, I have one Linux distribution control
all booting on a system and have each new install write it's grub to it's
main partition rather than the MBR.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

Use Linux 'dd' to save the MBR to a file before you start

Could you post the arguments for the command for dd
to copy just the MBR?

*TimDaniels*

 

[ray]

Could you post the arguments for the command for dd
to copy just the MBR?

*TimDaniels*

dd if=/dev/hda0 count=1 bs=512 of=/path/to/file/of/your/choice

should suffice.

 

[Ed H]

Hey:

I've done this several times, works like a charm:
http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Ubuntu

First use Vista to shrink the volume. You need to make some free space, say
15 Ggs.
Download the latest versions of Ubuntu (8.04.1) and Easy BCD (1.7.2). They
are both very gui friendly.

Watch the step to click the "Advanced" button!

 

[Timothy Daniels]

dd if=/dev/hda0 count=1 bs=512 of=/path/to/file/of/your/choice

should suffice.

Cool! Thanks.

*TimDaniels*