Knoppix3.8 Windows dual boot from HDD. To have a boot menu?

[deepak_abc]

Hi,

I am looking for installing Knoppix 3.8 and Windows 2000 on a single disk and have a boot menu as I boot from the hdd.
Can anybody suggest what needs to be done for this?

What I did

I installed Windows on the machine. I used FAT 32 for windows. Left some space unclaimed by Windows. Created Linux,FAT32 and swap partitions in ths unclaimed space.
Booted the knoppix cd. I have installed knoppix from the cd.

The partitions created are:-
Windows FAT32
Linux ext3
Swap 1 gb
FAT32 blank partition created through Knoppix cd size 1 gb.

Windows is the active partition. I have installed the MBR in Linux partition.
When I boot the machine without cd Windows boots.
When I boot with Knoppix cd, I cant mount the Linux partition and the Windows partition and am able to see the Knoppix and Windows files.

[JohnnyH]

... I have installed the MBR in Linux partition...

It looks as if what you may actually have done was to choose installation of the Boot Loader into the Partition instead of into the MBR.
This would work if you have an independent boot manager to put in the MBR e.g. SmartBootManager or GAG Boot Manager (you could find these free downloads on the Web ).

However if all you are going to put on the machine is the Knoppix and Windows it would probably be most convenient to re-install Knoppix, this time choosing to install the Boot Loader into the MBR. The installer should detect your Windows and put it in the boot-up menu for you

[deepak_abc]

I have installed the MBR in Linux partition...

It looks as if what you may actually have done was to choose installation of the Boot Loader into the Partition instead of into the MBR.
This would work if you have an independent boot manager to put in the MBR e.g. SmartBootManager or GAG Boot Manager (you could find these free downloads on the Web ).

[quote]


Thanks Johnny. But I read many posts that if I chose to install the Boot Loader in the MBR then my system will become unbootable. Neither Windows nor Knoppix will boot. Have you tried your solution out and does it work?

Rather than reinstalling I should be able to mount the partition, copy the boot loader with dd and copy it on to the MBR.
As a precaution I have to save a copy of the MBR before I overwrite the MBR and restore this copy if something is messed up. Any idea how to do the above things? I am not new to Unix and have tinkered with unix for many years.

Other posts were to use and configure GRUB. But I didnt find any readymade solution with GRUB with my scenerio. If things go wrong then the only way out is to reinstall Windows and Knoppix. I am not looking at poor man's installtion of Knoppix but a proper installation with boot options.

[JohnnyH]

... But I read many posts that if I chose to install the Boot Loader in the MBR then my system will become unbootable. Neither Windows nor Knoppix will boot. Have you tried your solution out and does it work? ...

I have never had any trouble doing this using Knoppix or DamnSmallLinux for example.
If you did have a problem you can always restore the Windows MBR operation by fdisk /mbr from your Windows disk or e.g. a DOS boot disk.

...Rather than reinstalling I should be able to mount the partition, copy the boot loader with dd and copy it on to the MBR.
As a precaution I have to save a copy of the MBR before I overwrite the MBR and restore this copy if something is messed up. Any idea how to do the above things? I am not new to Unix and have tinkered with unix for many years...

I think that you will find you get into much greater complications if you try to do it this way there is more than just copying involved...
If you have a strong reason for keeping your original Knoppix installation on the partition, it would be simpler and more 'future-proof' to use a dedicated Boot Manager.

[kirol]

Windows is the active partition. I have installed the MBR in Linux partition.

If the linux partition is a primary one, you should only need to mark it as active (instead of the windows one). I can't remember for sure if 3.8 installed grub or lilo, but you should see startup entries for both OSs.

[deepak_abc]

I made the linux partition active but still I dont get the boot menu. When I made the partition active it does not boot eveen from Linx.

[kirol]

Please post the output of "sfdisk -l /dev/hda" so we can see your partition table. This assumes an IDE primary master disk, adapt if needed (e.g. I think it would be sda for STAT...)

[deepak_abc]

Please post the output of "sfdisk -l /dev/hda

We have hdc instead of hda. Here is the output:-
root@ttyp0[knoppix]# sfdisk -l /dev/hdc

Disk /dev/hdc: 4870 cylinders, 255 heads, 63 sectors/track
Units = cylinders of 8225280 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes, counting from 0

Device Boot Start End #cyls #blocks Id System
/dev/hdc1 * 0+ 3441 3442- 27647833+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hdc2 3850 4869 1020 8193150 83 Linux
/dev/hdc3 3723 3849 127 1020127+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hdc4 3596 3722 127 1020127+ b W95 FAT32

[deepak_abc]

At present if I boot frm Knoppix 3.8 cd and mount the Linux and Windows hdd partitions I can see the files in these partitions. I am unable to boot from Knoppix Linux even after making the Linux partition active.
I am able to boot Windows from the HDD at present. First I should be able to boot knoppix from hdd.


I feel that I have to learn and configure grub for the boot menu which will prompt me for WIndows or Knoppix option.

[TopFarmer]

IF you want a GRUB boot menu, you must install it in the MBR not the linux partition.
As 'JohnnyH' posted, I use a third party boot loader.

I am unable to boot from Knoppix Linux even after making the Linux partition active

More info. , any error codes or just what happens?