Dual boot or no dual boot?

Dual boot or not?

Ok, perhaps, one of the most asked newbie questions is this:

"Umm, I have Windows95, and I want to install Linux, but keep Windows too. Can I have them both at the same time?"

And the answer is 'Yes'

Linux got this nice utility called LILO==LInux LOader. It is used to create a new MBR for your booting disk. With LILO's help you can boot into any OS that you have on your computer. The way it works is this:

first you create a config file for it, called lilo.conf and put it in /etc.
Run 'lilo'
If no warnings/error messages were given out, reboot.
When your computer boots, you will see a message LILO. At this point it all depends on what you have in your lilo.conf. I will explain how to write one right here :

One thing you need to know is the partition table of your disks.That can be obtained by cfdisk'ing your drives. Also, I'm assuming that you know that Linux uses /dev/hd? notation for drives, not C:, D: and so on one from Windows.

/dev/hda is the Master on Primary IDE controller, /dev/hdb is the slave on Primary IDE. /dev/hdc is Master on Secondary IDE, /dev/hdd is slave there.

Sample lilo.conf
 
   boot=/dev/hda   # This tells what disk is being booted.
   root=/dev/hdb1  # This says where the / partitition is.
                   # Change it to satisfy your needs.
   map=/boot/map   # Leave this and
   install=/boot/boot.b  # This alone.
   timeout=50     # This sets a timeout limit during which you can
                  # select which OS to boot. In .1th of a second.
   vga=normal      # Leave this alone.
   default=linux   # This tells which OS is a default. 
                   # linux is an alias, which should be defined.
   image=/vmlinuz  # This is the kernel to boot.
                   # Normally, in / it's a link to real kernel image.
           label=debian  # Make a label for it.
           alias=linux   # Set an alias for default option.

   other=/dev/hda1  # This tells the location of alternative OS
                    # In this case it's on /dev/hda1, which is C:
           label=Windows  # Call it Windows.
           table=/dev/hda # Leave this guy alone.

Now, when LILO appears, it will wait for 5 seconds for you to hit Alt, or Ctrl, or Tab. If you don't, it will load Linux. If you do, it will ask you to enter the label for the OS you want to boot. And that is all!

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