Linux newbie

[rgoud]

Hi list,
I am trying to install Linux server and make it dual bootable. I have used partition
magic and made partitions for NTFS (about 50gb), Linux ext (29.5gb) and about
512mb for Linux swap.
I have installed LINUX server with Gnome and I chose samba,ftp etc all of them,
I have created a big partition for /usr about 2.5 gb so that it can accomodate
all the packages.

It asked me to select GRUB, LILO or no boot loader I chose GRUB. After installing
I am getting console login, which program do I need to run GUI, Xwindows or GNOME.

After installing Linux it does not let me boot off CDROM so that I can install
Windows XP on it.

What is the right procedure Windows need to be installed first then install Linux?,
what do I need to choose (GRUB,LILO) to make it dual bootable?.

Please let me know.

[Steven E. Protter]

To boot off the CD rom drive will require you to make a bios change.

As the machine starts up there is a display that says something like F2 for setup or whatever.

You go into setup, and check the boot order. If you want the thing to boot off the cdrom drive, the cdrom drive needs to be listed ahead of the disk drive.

As far as sharing disk space with NTFS clients, best course of action is samba

I don't know why you'd want to dual boot a server. By definintion a server is up providing service most of the time. Under that definition why would you want to boot it into another OS for a substantial period of time.

You can't run both OS' at the same time on one server.

SEP

[rgoud]

I tried setting 1st and 2nd boot options to CDROM, still does not work.

This is my home PC, I want to use both Windows and Linux.

[Steven E. Protter]

Okay, so its not a production server. Sorry about my misunderstanding.

You did good by choosing grub, but there are sometimes problems with Windows and Linux playing nicely with each other.

The easy answer is partiion magic, it adds a layer and gives you a choice which OS to boot when the box starts.

XP likes to do things that make Linux unbootable, so another layer is really important to make them play nicely together.

Let me know if you have more questions, if the answers were of any use, please assign points.

SEP

[rgoud]

I am just getting console login, do you know how to start GUI manually?.

[Steven E. Protter]

I'm sorry, I meant to put that in my last post.

xstart

If this fails,

DISPLAY=ip_of_pc:0.0
export DISPLAY

xstart

Also I think ctrl-alt f3 or f4 or some function key will switch a system with the X subsystems installed into X mode.

SEP

[Steven E. Protter · Accepted solution]

This thread provices some more information.

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x0cc950dde50cd71190050090279cd0f9,00.html

SEP

[Balaji N]

hi
welcome to the world of linux.

1. a) login to the console as root. and run X -configure or if it is a redhat distro, redhat-config-xfree86. this will configure your X.

b) try running startx. this will start your GUI.

c) if you are satisfied and want a GUI login henceforth, edit the /etc/inittab file and change the entry
id:3:initdefault:

to look like

id:5:initdefault:

d) reboot or run init 5.

2. this most likely is a bios problem. i dont think grub has anything to do with booting of the cdrom. and the best way to install a dual boot system is to install the dumb os (aka windows) first and then the real OS (linux.) coz, windows tends to overwrite the MBR. while partitoning make a small partition of around 10 MB for boot if you have a older bios.

revert if you have more questions.

hth
-balaji

[Andrew Cowan]

Getting back to your dual boot problem.

If you cannot boot directly of the Windows-XP CD-ROM, you can go via several roundabout routes:

1. See if a friend can make you a dos boot disk with mscdex etc. so you can boot into dos then switch to the cd drive and run setup.

2. Install a basic Win-98/Me setup from an old CD (perhaps using a boot floppy) then run Windows-XP as an upgrade.

3. Try to find a Windows-2000 boot/setup floppy then run the XP setup from there.

I had the exact same problem with an all-SCSI pc, after a hard disk crash. I spent two days trying to get the CD Setup to run. In the end I had no other choice but to run a minimal Win 98/SP-2 install, then upgrade it to XP.

Good luck,
Andrew