Fangorn <
fang...@yahoo.it> wrote:
> Hi everybody.
>
> I have linux slackware 13.37 already installed and I'd like to install
> windows xp.
> Therefore I would install windows after linux. Windows installing
> process would screw everything up, writing the MBR, erasing lilo and
> the possibility to boot linux.
>
> I know is an old issue, but I looked for documentation with google and
> I could not find anything suitable.
> I mean, what I found looks outdated, not useful for me.
>
> As a first step, in Slackware Linux Essentials I found loadlin, whose
> use is explained in the following link:
>
http://www.slackbook.org/html/booting-loadlin.html
> Textually I read: "During the installation process, LOADLIN will be
> copied to root's home directory as a .ZIP file."
> However I could not find it, even though I installed all the packages.
>
>
> I think, if I well understood, the problem would be solved making a
> bootable disk, floppy or cdrom, with the kernel image.
> Then simply running 'lilo' as root at the prompt once I loaded the
> kernel image to reinstall the linux loader in the MBR.
This is the right idea I think. I have once or twice set up a system
using lilo to give a "dual boot" allowing booting of Windows or
Slackware. It's been a long time since I did it, so I'm not sure how
it is done now or even if it can be done.
Right. I don't know how to make anything I would consider a useful
boot disk using a floppy.
GNU Legacy Grub (stage2_eltorito) can be used to make the CD bootable.
Slackware's mkinitrd will make the initrd.gz. You need a kernel, but
that is in your installation.
> At this point I don't know how to proceed... I remember older version
> of slackware gave the possibility to create rescue disks at the end of
> the installation process.
In short, you ...
1. Use mkinitrd to make the initrd.gz.
2. Use mkisofs to put stage2_eltorito, initrd.gz, and your kernel into
a disk image.
3. Burn the image to a CD with cdrecord.
Now you have a boot disk. It assumes a label on your root partition.
Call it "useJBD".
To use the boot disk (JBD) you need to make two changes to your
installation...
1. Modify your installation to have an fstab file that refers to your
root partition as "LABEL=useJBD".
2. Run e2label to label your root partition as "useJBD".
...and one change to your computer's BIOS...
1. Change the boot order if needed to boot first from your CD drive.
Hope I got it right. The details are in my website
http://RosevearSoftware.com/products/jbd
If you can hold on a bit, I hope to upload a 13.37 JBD to SourceForge
sometime this month. If not, perhaps the above information or the
details in the website will help.
Note that this gives you a way to boot your installation regardless
where it lives. It could be in your computer or on a drive in a USB
enclosure.
With a JBD you don't need to run lilo. Running lilo risks messing up
the MBR. At least, I consider it a risk. Your mileage may vary.
You still get a dual boot. To boot XP, just remove the JBD from the CD
drive and boot.
-Joe
--
http://JosephRosevear.com
http://RosevearSoftware.com