Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Itching for Linux

Apr 1, 2005 9:40PM PST

Hello,
I have 2 HDDs in my PC. The first has XP and all my files. The 2nd is unused.
My plan is to install Linux on the 2nd HDD and switch between the 2 using the boot sequence in the BIOS. Logical? Is there a better way?

Thanks, Tom

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Works fine.
Apr 2, 2005 1:30AM PST

That's how a lot of us do it. Actually, I have Windows on one partition on 1st HDD, a 2nd 120G partition on same
drive(photos and media), and Mandrake on 2nd 40G HDD. But
I've done it like you want (since you have already partitioned and installed Windows). Just be sure to put the MBR on head of 1st HDD(Windows). Or, to put it another way, just accept the default when installing Linux. Good luck. chuck

- Collapse -
I haven't installed Linux yet...
Apr 2, 2005 5:01AM PST

What I want is no "bootloader". What I want is... if I have the XP drive chosen in the BIOS to load first it will boot to XP without asking. If I have the Linux drive chosen to boot first it will boot to Linux without asking.
Possible? Hope I make sense!

- Collapse -
Why do it this way?
Apr 2, 2005 4:07PM PST

What your reason for selecting the OS throught the bios method? I think you maybe making thing more complicated. Was there something about the boot loader you don't like? What did you hear?

- Collapse -
I agree!
Apr 3, 2005 3:16AM PDT

You HAVE a bootloader, even if you are just running Windows. If you install the normal way, as suggested, you
choose the default of your choice. Usually, Linux will
make itself the default since it loaded last(has to have Windows installed first). If you want Windows as the
automatic load default, change to that. That's how mine was for a long time till I became more comfortable with Linux. chuck

- Collapse -
Ok...
Apr 3, 2005 12:53PM PDT

I'm going to install Linux on a partition on my 2nd HDD. I set aside 12 gig for Linux. The BOOTLOADER needs to be on the 1st HDD? Is this obvious since the PC boots to this drive 1st?

Thanks....Tom

- Collapse -
Now you're getting it.
Apr 4, 2005 6:29AM PDT

For a dual-boot, Windows has to be installed first, and the boot-loader from Linux just adds itself to the already present MBR, giving you more choices than you may want(Windows,Linux,Kernel,etc). My first dual-boot was on Seagate 20.5G drive, half for Windows, the other for RH9.
Linux is less of a hog than Windows, especially XP. Good luck. chuck