[Techtalk] Dual-Boot Installation Order?

[Nicole Zimmerman]

Wow! How strange that I have a unique positive experience with windows. It
is usually the other way around. ;o)

The process I use:

1) Make partitions. Usually split even between NTFS and linux, then a swap
and the rest is FAT32 shared (so both can read/write). I use partition
magic for this. So if I had an 18G drive, I would make 8 NTFS, 8 linux,
256 (or 512MB) swap, the rest FAT32. The NTFS goes at the beginning of the
drive, followed by the other stuff. I am always careful to leave that
stupid 8megs that Win2k loves at the end of the drive. I have never tried
putting Win2k somewhere else on the drive, it is always a primary
partition on the first drive. I am afraid it would eat me if I tried.

2) Install linux because linux is more fun to install (less monitoring and
stuff like that, at least until it hits configuration). I use debian but
that shouldn't matter. I set up LILO to go on the MBR and configure it to
boot windows 2000 too, easier now than later.

3) Install windows 2000. It will have to reboot during the process, and I
just choose windows 2000 from the LILO menu to have it boot the right OS.
Install all of the software that goes along with windows 2000. My life
would be easier if we bought Norton Ghost, but for some reason I cannot
convince my company of it's usefulness.

I have been able to reinstall windows 2000 partitions while leaving the
linux partitions and the MBR intact. I have been able to install different
versions of windows 2000 this way too.

hth :o)
-nicole

> Nicole, Judith and I sure would like to know your secrets for
> installing Linux first, then Windoze 2K, and then not resulting in
> Windoze eating Linux. We've done several such installs and every time
> Windoze ate Linux -- absolutely destroyed it. Only way we've been able
> to get a successful dual boot is to partition, install Windoze 2K,
> then Linux. In fact we actually had a triple boot, Linux, OS/2, and
> Windoze 2K beta. At least we had the triple boot until we tried to do
> a clean install of Windoze 2K gold and it ate everything. Destroyed
> the boot manager which was not in the MBR and wrote all over every
> other partition leaving messages saying "noting to load here."