A little Linux help...

[Sevari]

Ok, I am thinking of installing RedHat Linux 7.3 but I have a few questions...
If I choose GRUB as the bootloader how do i dual boot with windows XP?
I have a RH 7.2 Bible... Is it possible to use it with 7.3? (are the commands still there)?
Thank you.

[thehorse13]

Yes, you can dual boot the box. There are many sites that give you step by step instructions on how to do this. Just fire up google and type in, "dual boot linux windows"

I have the RedHat Bible 7.3 and since it is only a point release difference, rest assured that almost all of your commands will remain the same.

If you don't find a sufficient set of instructions for dual booting, just PM me and I will give you my set.

Hope this helps.

[alittlebitnumb]

Here is a doc that might help you: http://www.linux.org/docs/ldp/howto/...with-GRUB.html

This was found with a query on www.google.com

Furthermore, www.tldp.org has a vast library on almost every subject imaginable on Linux and Linux/GNU related stuff.

Good luck!

[emachine]

Originally posted here by Sevari
Ok, I am thinking of installing RedHat Linux 7.3 but I have a few questions...
If I choose GRUB as the bootloader how do i dual boot with windows XP?
I have a RH 7.2 Bible... Is it possible to use it with 7.3? (are the commands still there)?
Thank you.

You use Windows XP, so I will assume that you use NTFS. Red Hat 7.3 doesnt have the ability to resize NTFS partitions, so what you will need to do is use a third party partitioning tool and create a fat32 partition on it, so that Red Hat can resize it. I have read about a utility called ntfsresize allows linux to resize ntfs partitions, but the only distro that includes this so far is Mandrake Linux 9.1 Beta.

If you go to this page, you can find a link to the static binary for ntfsresize.
http://mlf.linux.rulez.org/mlf/ezaz/ntfsresize.html

After resizing the partition, setting up dual boot will be pretty easy.

[antiman]

The above post states:

You use Windows XP, so I will assume that you use NTFS. Red Hat 7.3 doesnt have the ability to resize NTFS partitions, so what you will need to do is use a third party partitioning tool and create a fat32 partition on it, so that Red Hat can resize it. I have read about a utility called ntfsresize allows linux to resize ntfs partitions, but the only distro that includes this so far is Mandrake Linux 9.1 Beta.

You can also use VCOM's System Commander. This can resize FAT/FAT32/NTFS and Linux EXT2 partitions. This program will also eliminate the need for grub or lilo because it can boot into any operating system partition.

[ampm2003]

You may also find some help in www.linuxdoc.org ; it came really handy when i had to install a firewall for my box; i'm sure it will help you with LILO this time.
For partitioning your disk; i'm no sure; but perhaps FIPS works; you should read the tut; but fips worked really well with me when partitioning my fat32 (win98). Otherwise; you could use partition magic 7.0 although i haven't heard really good comments about it. Personally; i never experienced any trouble with it. So to sum up; it fips work i would use fips (althuogh you`ll need to boot from true DOS (you'll need a boot disk to do so)); otherwise i would give PM 7.0 a try. Regarding LILO; i'm sure http://www.linuxdoc.org will be usefull.

[thread_killer]

Is there a particular reason you want to use GRUB? If you just to a LILO install to the MBR it will work fine.

[linuxguy99]

Is there a particular reason you want to use GRUB? If you just to a LILO install to the MBR it will work fine.

I think it is a matter of opinion and taste of what kind of bootloader to use. I prefer GRUB over LILO, however, many, many users prefer LILO over GRUB.

regards

[thread_killer]

Sure it's a matter of preference. I prefer GRUB myself, however, I get the impression the thread starter doesn't have any (or much) *nix experience. IMHO, it doesn't get much easier than telling the OS to install LILO to the MBR. I haven't seen that screw up yet in a dual boot environment.

[Sevari]

emachine:
ntfs > me
I don't use NTFS =] FAT32 all the way.

thread_killer:
I have had a few bad experiences with LILO, it overwrote my MBRand would freeze on startup, furthermore... I like the shiny GUI in GRUB XD


I would like to thank everyone for their replies. It helped me a lot!