Re: [TCLUG:7719] A dual-boot question

[Michael Hicks <hick0088@tc.umn.edu>]

> I have two SCSI disks in my system:
> 
> sda1    Linux /
> sda2    Linux swap
> sdb1    Windows NT/FAT
> 
> I want to be able to boot NT from LILO, but LILO fails to boot NT
> because it can't find the NT things. I think this is because the boot
> option in lilo.conf specifies /dev/sda. But boot has to be able global
> parameter, if I read the docs correctly. I.e., I can't specify /dev/sda
> for the Linux kernel and /dev/sdb for NT.
> 
> Or can I? Is there some way to do this?

I think what you have to do would be something like this:

* Make sure you have boot disks for NT and Linux
* Boot NT and have it put it's boot loader on sda's MBR (well, it'll probably
put it there whether you want it or not).
* Boot Linux and do something similar to 'dd if=/dev/sda of=/boot/nt.b
count=512' (I'm not sure if that count value is right..)
* Edit lilo.conf and add a line into the section for NT that looks something
like 

loader=/boot/nt.b
(it's in the man page for lilo.conf(5))

* run lilo
* reboot (hopefully ;-)


Now, let me end this message with a question: has anyone heard of another way of
laying out the partition table which would allow for better boot loaders?  I
mean, 512 bytes is awfully small (actually, I think it's actually something like
446), and it means that many modern boot loaders have to be divided into two
parts (That's why you get LILO to stop at just 'LI' sometimes -- it loaded the
first bit, but not the second).  The second part of LILO is put in /boot/boot.b,
if I remember right -- for a grand total in size of just about 5kB.  

If the partitioning scheme were modified to have a larger MBR of, heck, 256kB or
something, it would allow for much 'smarter' boot loaders where you don't have
to worry as much about 1024 cylinder limits or about re-running lilo in order to
boot properly..

While we're at it, get rid of the silly Primary partition/Extended partition
mess that popped up from DOS..

*shrug*  It seems to me that it would be possible, not that I have much
expertise in the matter or anything..

-- 
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[ Mike Hicks | http://umn.edu/~hick0088 | mailto:hick0088@tc.umn.edu ]