Dual boot Linux Redhat & XP pro

[fintan]

Whats the best way to do it. From what I have read xp should be installed first then linux. Tried that didn't work linux keeps on taking over the mbr. XP doesn't like not having full access to everything.
Any ideas.

I have a 80G hard dive. I wanted 15G for each system include mbr 40G for files using NTFS "I know linux has problems with it." or samba. Then leave 10G unalocated.
Any help would be greatful.
Thanks

[4eyes]

I used to have Mandrake and XP running together - I installed XP first and then Mandrake, it worked just fine.

Sorry Fintan, I can't be much help here.

[Josk]

Do you get a prompt when booting that says "LILO". If so this is the LILO boot loader prompt, and you'll need to look into configuring this. Otherwise you may have GRUB, and this does the same thing but differently.

Useful links are : [tldp.org...] and [tldp.org...]

[fintan]

Thats the thing, like I have gone though the documentation and I know that I should get prompted to use lilo but nothing comes up. It just goes on to the boot disk and then skips lilo. I was thinking of installing liux first then see what happens.

[digitalghost]

>>I used to have Mandrake and XP running together

Were you using the NTFS partitions? I can't get Redhat Linux to run on any NTFS drives without installing the proper RPM. Had other problems with other distros and NTFS.

[4eyes]

Were you using the NTFS partitions?

I think the answer is 'no' - probably FAT32.

I installed Linux immediately after a reformat and re-install of XP, can't remember exactly, but pretty sure it was FAT32.

Sorry to be vague, it was one of those 3.00 am installs.

After a couple of weeks of dual boot, I reformatted again and did a pure Linux install.

[fintan]

4eyes
Why did you take the dual boot off?

[4eyes]

Why did you take the dual boot off?

I now run Windows inside Linux using Win4Lin.

I need Windows for certain software (some web design, some SEO stuff) and rebooting everytime I wanted to use it was becoming a pain.

[fintan]

What version of windows do you have. I'm only really starting to get into linux now because of work and the fact that I don't like windows. Is Win4Lin open source or do you have to buy it? Is there any software issues when running a setup like yours?

[4eyes]

Win4Lin is commercial ($90 or so) and it only works with Windows 98 (ie not XP)

Downside is that things do run slower - but usable on my 800mhz Athlon.

The 'upside' is that when windows crashes it doesn't take Linux with it, and you can reboot it again within 10 seconds.

There are few free options such as Wine and Bochs, which we covered in a little more detail here [webmasterworld.com]

Good Luck

[fintan]

I've installed linux and xp and Im happily dual booting away.