Partitioning and cfdisk how-to and how to ungoof your MBR

[Jonah]

For restoring the MBR, from Linux, go to /boot/grub or /boot/lilo there will be a few files marked mbr.xxx the x being numerals

Then use the command "dd if=mbr.xxx of=/dev/hdx"

dd means overwrite with the input file, if=XXX the output file of=XXX

In this case it will overwrite the current mbr with the ones lilo or grub had stored before.

The "mbrXXX" file or files.

I did that with Win2000, installed it onto an empty DOS partition, with three separate distros of Linux already installed on the system.

DOS installers like to take over the whole thing and there's a way I can't remember that keeps it from re-writing your mbr every time.
For booting ntfs there's an add-in bootloader that you place in the already installed XP or (so I've heard) Vista called grldr.then edit the autoexec.bat file to include grldr

grldr then can invoke the ntldr files to boot windows or grub to boot Linux.

When you're installing Linux pass the option from the grub installer to install the grub files to the root partition of your Linux.

And write the grub files to an already existing grub menu.lst

Adriane (Knoppix 6.X Live CD) gives the option to not overwrite the entire menu.lst, just add the lines to boot Adriane at the end.

That way the mbr doesn't get re-written in the first place.

This works if you have your mega-huge-everything-included large kernel Linux like Fedora or a full install of SuSe and a smaller Debian/Ubuntu distro like DSL or Puppy for or Knoppix for quick booting... already installed

And with Winbloze already installed.

[Jonah]

I figured I'd need a KNOPPIX CD and to chroot!

My problem now is that this is the PC with the burner I use (as I'm out of my office for summer break) to make KNOPPIX CDs and windows doesn't have burning software and I recently gave away all my CDs....

Thanx,
AJG

My first time using Linux I checked out a book (SuSe 5) from the library.

They're getting pretty good at ordering Linux books at the public Libraries now, the library purchasers check Amazon to find out what books are being ordered online.

For a while there you could scarce find a Linux book at the public library but now, they're everywhere.

And every Linux book has an install medium for Linux...

It would be pointless otherwise

I had gotten a "For Dummies" book just recently...

Knoppix 4.0 with the full-install DVD, bought it at a second-hand store.

For a dollar.

Whoever had donated the book never even opened the CD sleeve.

***see comment about "pointless otherwise"

You didn't say or at least I didn't see how you had resolved not having the CD burning software.

If you latch onto a Knoppix CD or a Puppy CD it will probably have k3b installed by default.