i just got a second hard drive to put linux on it so i could learn how to use it and i was wornding could i make it so i could have bolth hard drives hooked up to the computer at the same time so i could just choose what hd to boot from?
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i just got a second hard drive to put linux on it so i could learn how to use it and i was wornding could i make it so i could have bolth hard drives hooked up to the computer at the same time so i could just choose what hd to boot from?
make one the primary hdd and the other the secondary (jumpers on the hdd) .... then install linux on the second one and configure lilo to point to windows on the first hdd and linux on the second one .. in lilo.conf, your linux setup should be able to do it automatically
Are you asking how to install the second drive into your computer or how to install linux on the second one?
Yeah, you could just Dual Boot/partition the one hard drive to have linux on if that's the only reason you bought another hard drive. Some people buy seperate hard drive's, but most people I know will partition the hard drive they have to dual boot their system. Search AO for some tutorial's on Linux Partitioning, Partitioning, Dual Booting, etc and you'll come up with some great tutorial's. As a matter of fact, here is a good tutorial done by Trust_Not_123 that I might refer to since I'm planning on dual booting one of my system's. This tutorial by KissCool talk's about the Partition Sector of a Hard Drive and the Boot Process.
Those are just a few, hopefully I helped ya out. :) Post back if you have any problem's.
um i did was i got a second HDD and i all ready installed linux on it and i installed it but when i boot it will only boot to the win HDD i have to discconnect the win HDD and start the comp with just the linx HDD installed but then when i want to go to win i have to do the same thing disconncent one and reconnect the other one how can i configure my system to get around that and what system do i configure linux or win or bolth.
you have to configure lilo .. lilo.conf ... to give you the option to boot windows or linux and then install it to the master boot record
you need to make it so it has the option to boot windows and another option for linux and have it pointing to the appropriate hdd depending on what option you choose ... im sure there is a tutorial here that will show you how to do it .. or a qucik search on google will show you :)
Not to get off topic, but isn't that what gore was talking about..? The whole "pointing someone to google, etc" thing. Sorry to get off topic.Quote:
im sure there is a tutorial here that will show you how to do it .. or a qucik search on google will show you
EDIT: Nevermind. That was in the addict's forum, sorry.. :D
aint familiar with the addicts forum :) but do tell ... :)
i suggested you do a quick search on google as i am not exactly sure how to configure lilo.conf :)
*smacks spyder for not looking at certain members post count* *ahem* Continue.
I think fyrewall's was ok, as he stated OTHER STUFF first, rather than simply a link to google.
Haha you'll just hafta wait. But sorry for posting that before, I forgot it was in the addict's forum. Anyway's, back to the topic at hand...
EDIT: Ouch! The Grunt, weren't you supposed to be leaving? Leave already damnit ;)
Im only 95% sure about this but unless you have a raid system you cant simpily slave a Hard drive from another and put an operating system on it.
The reason for this is that the BIOS will load a boot program that it has stored in your master boot record, here it will read your drives Volume Boot Code. This is what tells anything that wants to know the exact state of the disc, i.e how many partitions it has, how many o/s's are installed on it etc. This is where third party boot loaders are also stored (lilo).
The way you have configured your system however means that you will have two MBR's, with lilo obviously being on the linux hdd. The BIOS needs to be told this and what MBR to go to! By default it will go to the lowest lettered fixed drive and read that MBR (C drive).
So I would guess that you have windows on your C drive??
This is why linux is not being loaded, you can reconfigure it all day long but it wont ever load, hence when you take the windows drive out, the BIOS then goes to the linux drive MBR and loads linux!
There is three ways I can think of to get around this, either:
Get a Mother Board that supports RAID
Partition one drive and install both Operating Systems on this
Install Linux on your C drive, as this has LILO and will allow you to boot to windows if you want. As long as the BIOS loades the MBR with LILO in it you should be able to boot the second drive (maybe??) Im not to sure about this way as when LILO sends the boot instruction to the second drive it is still going to encounter a second MBR so it will either boot as normal (hopefully) or say, what the f*** is this doing here and crash!
You will have to experiment!
I would say partitioning the master hdd is the best answer, you can still assign space on the second hdd to each o/s, aslong as it is properly formated with the right file system (ntfs,ext2). You just need to have lilo in the MBR that the BIOS loads from.
So, if I was you, I would partition both drive 50/50 with NTFS and ext2, instal both O/S's on my C drive and then assign the remaining space on the second drive to each O/S!
Problem solved!!!!(hopefully!)
//edit: read my post here for more info on MBR's etc: http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=260546
For what it is worth, Partition Magic will negate the need for the second hard drive as long as your hard drive is large enough to support the extra partition. I was always paranoid about possible heating problems with 2 hard drives. Then again I use mini towers.
Mike
But then you lose the extra storage capacity an additional hard drive gives you.Quote:
For what it is worth, Partition Magic will negate the need for the second hard drive
You still use the same space when you partition a hard drive, your not really adding anything onto it you just dividing it up!Quote:
as long as your hard drive is large enough to support the extra partition.
good job it was only 95% sure nokia.... otherwise I'd have to slap you - I have two (fairly standard IDE) hard drives in my box... one with XP one with linux one ;).Quote:
Im only 95% sure about this but unless you have a raid system you cant simpily slave a Hard drive from another and put an operating system on it.
First Riot make sure you have one drive set as master the other as slave - pretty much what fyrewall said. Then install XP on the primary drive and linux on the slave drive. You then have two options
1. install lilo (or grub or whatever your using) to the MBR on your primary drive - have it point to Windows on hda and linux on hdb... thats all - similar to what you would do if you had one drive with two partitions. except you're pointing to different drives is all.
2. install lilo to floppy and have an entry for linux in it pointing to hdb. Then when you wish to start windows... boot up as normal... if you want linux ~ pop the floppy in the drive (make sure the computer will boot from floppy!) and then boot up.
I've used the second option (and TBH I'd advise you to do the same) mainly because its less hassle in the long run..... for example sometimes I'll play around with different distros.. its easier to write the new bootloader to the floppy with no fear of fscking the MBR (not much of a pain I know but I'd rather not have it happen) - and should I ever want to get rid of linux (gasp!) then its simply a matter of reformating the slave drive as NTFS and no mucking around with the MBR.
Z
Maybe I miss understood you. I thought that you wanted to add another HD to support another OS. If you have a large enough HD and if storage isn't a problem then Partition Magic meets your needs.
Like I said just my .2c worth.
Mike
Cheers for putting me straight Z I was'nt sure about that!
Im not really in to linux and didnt know you could put lilo on to a different drives MBR but hey, you learn something everyday!
Cheers, Nokia
no prob nokia.... I wouldn't say I'm really 'into' linux as such (not the way some folks are) I've just played around enough to have some mild comprehension ;)
[edit] Riot... if its of any help I can forward you a copy of my lilo.conf file... might help you figure out what goes where.... but you will obviously have to modify it for your own set up. PM me if you do want a copy.
thank you for all of your help it realy helped.