How about SuSE 9.1?

[Kaitain]

SuSE 9.x and some versions of RedHat use GRUB as a bootloader. This is fine, except for the fact that they universally mess up the configuration of it for getting Windows to work.

My recipe for dual boot:

1) I prefer to have Linux and Windows on entirely separate hard discs. It is now possible to resize NTFS partitions from within the SuSE/RH/MDK installer if you need to cram both OS on a single hard disc. I prefer to have Linux on e.g. the primary master and Windows on the primary slave - this way there is no contamination between different operating systems.

It is acceptable to have Windows on the master and Linux on the slave, but your Windows drive will be modified to include the Grub boot loader - if it goes wrong, that's two OS down the tubes.

2) Install WinXP or 2k first, with its drive set as primary master, then just jumper it as slave. Windows won't recognise anything different.

3) Set up Linux according to whichever howto/manual/FAQ you like. There are enough about.
3a) Every installer, especially SuSE, gives you the option to edit the bootloader configuration manually prior to installation. This is where you can correct the error they always make before you have any problems. Since every installer is different, I won't describe how to find the relevant menu - it should be fairly self-evident. You can always fix it later in Linux.

4) Once you get the bootloader config on screen, you'll be presented with something like this:

default 0
timeout 8
splashimage=(hd0,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title=Gentoo Linux 2.6.5
root=(hd0,1)
kernel=(hd0,1)/kernel-2.6.5-gentoo-r1 root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc real_root=/dev/hda5 vga=0x317 splash=verbose
initrd=(hd0,1)/initrd-2.6.5-gentoo-r1

title=Windows XP Home Edition
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

This is for a single-disc installation with WindowsXP installed first. What you need to pay attention to is the Windows section, and know that it is WRONG!

Grub checks the partition type to see whether it is valid before it attempts booting. If it doesn't recognise the partition type, it will fail with either an error, a string of zeros or just a blank screen.

What you need to do is edit the Windows segment according to your installation type:

For the above example: Windows shares a disc with Linux, OR Windows is primary master, Linux is primary slave

 title=Windows XP Home Edition
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

The rootnoverify command disables Grub's partition checking, just assuming that it'll find a valid OS. Makeactive only works for *primary* partitions - it sets Grub's root so that full paths no longer need to be given. Chainloader +1 looks at the first sector of the specified device for an OS. The three commands put together in this order allow WindowsXP/2k to boot successfully.

If, like me, you put Linux on the primary disc and Windows on the secondary (has the advantage that if Linux fries, you can set BIOS to boot Windows automatically) then you will need to use the map command:

title=Windows XP Home Edition
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

This creates a virtual "swap" between the master and slave drives. It only works when the operating system uses BIOS to determine device location. If a driver is used (e.g. for an external card or for a RAID array) this will fail. Windows can be booted without it, but it sometimes gets uppity.

5) Reboot, check both OSs work, and enjoy

[Daniel ~]

WOW! Thanks Kaitain!

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by Áedán

They're not comparable really. The underlying OSes have enough differences in the way they work to invalidate any comparisons.

I'll have to find another "hook" then":O}

[dod]

Kaitan,

At the moment I have one disk set up on IDE1 as first boot with win2k. My second disk comprises of a raid0 with win2k from the sil raid controller.

Would you treat the IDE drive as the master and the raid as the secondary here?

[Kaitain]

Originally Posted by dod

Kaitan,

At the moment I have one disk set up on IDE1 as first boot with win2k. My second disk comprises of a raid0 with win2k from the sil raid controller.

Would you treat the IDE drive as the master and the raid as the secondary here?

Sorry, I'm not clear on your setup. You have a non-raid Win2k install and a raid Win2k install? i.e. the raid controller has 2 drives with data striped between them? Or is the disc on the raid controller a mirror or stripe of the one on IDE1?

[dod]

Originally Posted by Kaitain

Sorry, I'm not clear on your setup. You have a non-raid Win2k install and a raid Win2k install? i.e. the raid controller has 2 drives with data striped between them? Or is the disc on the raid controller a mirror or stripe of the one on IDE1?

Three drives.

Drive one connected to IDE1. Has an installation of w2kpro.

Drives 2 and 3, in raid0 from SATA ports 1&2, using the sil10034 controller. This also has an install of w2kpro set up purely for testing/benchmarks etc.

System dual boots at the moment.

[Kaitain]

It looks like there's a difference in the way Linux and Windows understand RAID. With this in mind, you will not be able to see the win2k on a RAID array within Linux. Sad but true.

You have 2 options, so far as I can see - the first is to point Grub at your non-RAID windows. It will in fact activate Windows' boot loader, and you can select which variation of Windows you want from there. The second is to activate the first device in your raid array (whichever one holds the boot sector). Unfortunately I can't find any proof of my guess here...

[dod]

Thanks Kaitan.

Given the new territory I'll disassemble the Raid and just use them as individual drives. One less complication never hurts.

Edit: and it looks like thursday's the night for me. The wifes going out on the horse so I'll get peace to destroy a perfectly good set up

Keep your diary clear Kaitan

[Kaitain]

Originally Posted by dod

Thanks Kaitan.

Given the new territory I'll disassemble the Raid and just use them as individual drives. One less complication never hurts.

Entirely up to you. If it's an experimental array, then I guess it doesn't hold too many personal files. I would strongly recommend leaving your non-raid Win2k intact and untouched for the time being, at least while you're still learning the ropes - it's a nightmare when you do Something Stupid As Root, knocking out Linux, and not having a fallback OS. I've done that far too often for comfort...

Originally Posted by dod

Edit: and it looks like thursday's the night for me. The wifes going out on the horse so I'll get peace to destroy a perfectly good set up

Keep your diary clear Kaitan

If you have a horse trained up for elementary/medium level dressage, I take payment in riding time

EDIT: Looks like you can boot a Windows RAID0 directly, provided the BIOS allows it to be called as a single drive:

http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.p...t+windows+raid

[Daniel ~]

Again, thanks K!

http://www.aoaforums.com/frontpage/

And

How about SuSE 9.1? My recipe for dual boot:

[Time to Paws]

Originally Posted by Daniel ~

The site says it will load itself next to ANY Windows platform resizing the Win partition as it goes, then you can access Win files from SUSE.. pretty sneaky if they can pull it off hey! ":O}

They also have a general brief install guide to lend the new guy some comfort.

Ok I am answering this before reading the rest of the thread Soooo..

yes SUSE will dual boot just fine.. After windows is installed then install SUSE. It will let you read/write fat & fat32 partitions, read from NTFS. The writing part is a little shaky from what I've heard.. If you want to run windows games under linux then you want transgamings cedega. I have an eval copy, cause I wanted to see if Civ3 Conquest would run.. It does so I'll probably subscribe (~5.00 a month).. For other windows programs you can try wine, which comes with SUSE. www.winehq.con and www.frankscorner.org has more info.. If you absolutly need office (I prefered open office even when I ran a windows box).. then look at crossover...

I am now windows free.. I loaded SUSE 9.1 on my desktop so both machines are 9.1 (laptop & desktop)...


For easy upgrading of the system take a look at apt & synaptic.. Lets you easily update just about all the software.

Adolph

[Aedan]

Originally Posted by Kaitain

It looks like there's a difference in the way Linux and Windows understand RAID. With this in mind, you will not be able to see the win2k on a RAID array within Linux. Sad but true.

Whilst software is using INT13 to access drives, the RAID array will appear as a single disk. As soon as you swap to using direct hardware access, the the RAID array will appear as multiple disks. Grub should be using INT13 to access the array, and so should see it as a single disk. That's good news, as it means this is not a problem.

However! The system will attempt to boot from the hard disk that was registered first. If that device was the single IDE drive, then that'll be where the Windows bootloader is. This is set by altering the boot order in the BIOS. There can only be one bootsector in the system.

Just to confuse everyone, I tend to use the NT bootloader to kickstart linux, rather than the other way around. It seems a little less sensitive!

[Kaitain]

Originally Posted by Áedán

Grub should be using INT13 to access the array, and so should see it as a single disk. That's good news, as it means this is not a problem.

Grub does - it's the Linux kernel that gets it wrong.

I misunderstood a howto shortly before posting that - GRUB should be able to boot any Windows RAID array by simply addressing a single device. Addressing Linux raid arrays within GRUB gets a little more involved...

[Aedan]

Yup, that Linux kernel is such a pain at points!

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by Time to Paws

I am now windows free.. I loaded SUSE 9.1 on my desktop so both machines are 9.1 (laptop & desktop)...

Adolph

Adolph! Where you now stand I wish to one day stand beside you! LOL

I hope you'll help us face the challenges ahead.

[dod]

Well, the wife's sisters up and Diane's getting her hair done. I've killed the dual boot and windows no longer exists on my main machine. countdown says 6mins 42 seconds.

KAITAN, WHERE ARE YOU???

[Time to Paws]

Originally Posted by Daniel ~

Adolph! Where you now stand I wish to one day stand beside you! LOL

I hope you'll help us face the challenges ahead.

Yep.. In some ways it's taken me forever, and in other ways it's been weeks...

I first started w/ SUSE 7.3.. But I had so many NON-standard hardware, i couldn't get it to work correctly AND I didn't have the time to mess with it..

Then I had to do a lot of programming that was solaris/unic compatable (posix4 etc..) and I got the laptop.. So I decided to try again and bought 9.0.. The install went flawless.. I did use partition magic 8.0 (I think) to make room on the drive (Only a 60 gig).. Then did an install and it picked up all the hardware. the only thing that I had to manually change was the touchpad, and only cause I wanted it to act in a non-standard way.. Also it booted the mesa drivers for the ati mobility graphics chipset..
After about two months I found that between Kdevelop, for writing programs, and open office instead of officexp, I wasn't using windows at all. So I wiped the whole drive (I do NOT!! recommend ghost) and went linux full time. On the desktop I had to wait for summer break, just in case...

On the laptop I run the bleeding edge software, like the 2.6.XX kernel, kde 3.2.92 the cvs versions of kdeveolp and others.. So i can usually break something once a week
On the desktop I am only running the stable stuff..

With apt/synaptic & YAST I can choose to pickup the stable, or unstable packages..

Also RPM's will become your new best friends.. kinda like a windows install file, it will put everything where it belongs....

Last.. I don't know if I know the answers, but I'll try. Also with Áedán and others sounds like you got a whole tech support staff at your finger tips..

Adolph

[Daniel ~]

DOD!
Just don't put down the phone!

We must know what happens! That way if anything goes wrong the next guy....

Oh wait, that's bomb disposal, this is SUSE....

Well much of it still applies":O}

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by Time to Paws

With apt/synaptic & YAST I can choose to pickup the stable, or unstable packages..

Also RPM's will become your new best friends.. kinda like a windows install file, it will put everything where it belongs....

Last.. I don't know if I know the answers, but I'll try. Also with Áedán and others sounds like you got a whole tech support staff at your finger tips..

Adolph

Helping me already! ":O}

Yeah their an OK support staff...really just so-so.... but they only talk to me about half the time! Always mad about some little thing I said...I don't know what gets into them! LOL

Adolph, you may be the only friend I have left! ":O}

[dod]

Where do you want to start I decided that the best way for me to learn this was the same way I learnt to swim, I got pushed in. All I have is suse on my machine now. No windows of any kind

Okay specs.

8KDA3+ Gigabit built in LAN (First clue
2- maxtor Sata drives on Sata ports 5 and 6. NOT Raid
1. maxtor DM8 on IDE1
9800 pro (not sure if this is recognised properly or not yet)

Prblem no 1. I can't get onto the net. When I type in any address I get "error unknown host www.blah blah"

What I've done is gone into the Yast thing under root, selected network devices, picked network card. It runs the autodetect and gives the option "other not detected".

Does this mean it doesn't see it, and if it does why does it show up at all?

Not giving up I clicked configure anyway. clicked PCMIA, selected auto assign IP and finish. It tells me I have a configured network card but that's it.

|I'm trying to connect through a netgear 834 router. Trying to connect to it gives failed to connect