[2024-feb-29] Sad news: Eric Layton aka Nocturnal Slacker aka vtel57 passed away on Feb 26th, shortly after hospitalization. He was one of our Wiki's most prominent admins. He will be missed.
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slackbook:booting [2012/09/05 05:04 (UTC)] – [Dual Booting] updated with original text alignment and formatting mfillpot | slackbook:booting [2012/09/12 20:42 (UTC)] (current) – [Sources] Bullet Points sycamorex | ||
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darkstar:~# ls -1 / | darkstar:~# ls -1 / | ||
/ | / | ||
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darkstar:~# mkinitrd --help | darkstar:~# mkinitrd --help | ||
mkinitrd creates an initial ramdisk (actually an initramfs cpio+gzip | mkinitrd creates an initial ramdisk (actually an initramfs cpio+gzip | ||
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darkstar:~# mount | darkstar:~# mount | ||
/dev/sda1 on / type ext4 (rw, | /dev/sda1 on / type ext4 (rw, | ||
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- | < | + | < |
darkstar:~# mkinitrd -f ext4 -r /dev/sda1 | darkstar:~# mkinitrd -f ext4 -r /dev/sda1 | ||
</ | </ | ||
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darkstar:~# >/ | darkstar:~# >/ | ||
# See "man mkinitrd.conf" | # See "man mkinitrd.conf" | ||
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- | < | + | < |
darkstar:~# / | darkstar:~# / | ||
mkinitrd -c -k 2.6.33.4 -f ext3 -r /dev/sda3 -m \ | mkinitrd -c -k 2.6.33.4 -f ext3 -r /dev/sda3 -m \ | ||
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installer, but you can run it at any time from a terminal. | installer, but you can run it at any time from a terminal. | ||
- | {{ :slackware:setup_lilo_cl.png?550 |}} | + | {{ :slackbook:setup-lilo.png?550 |}} |
**// | **// | ||
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- | <code> | + | <file> |
# LILO configuration file | # LILO configuration file | ||
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vga = 773 | vga = 773 | ||
.... many more lines ommitted .... | .... many more lines ommitted .... | ||
- | </code> | + | </file> |
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- | <code> | + | <file> |
# LILO configuration file | # LILO configuration file | ||
... global section ommitted .... | ... global section ommitted .... | ||
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table = /dev/sda | table = /dev/sda | ||
# Windows bootable partition config ends | # Windows bootable partition config ends | ||
- | </code> | + | </file> |
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darkstar:~# lilo | darkstar:~# lilo | ||
Warning: LBA32 addressing assumed | Warning: LBA32 addressing assumed | ||
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==== Dual Booting with Partitions ==== | ==== Dual Booting with Partitions ==== | ||
- | In order to set up a dual-boot system with each operating system on its own partition, you must first create partitions. This is easiest if done prior to installing the first operating system, in which case it's a simple case of pre-planning and carving up your hard drive as you feel necessary. See the section called “[[slackbook: | + | In order to set up a dual-boot system with each operating system on |
+ | its own partition, you must first create partitions. This is easiest | ||
+ | if done prior to installing the first operating system, in which | ||
+ | case it's a simple case of pre-planning and carving up your hard | ||
+ | drive as you feel necessary. See [[slackbook: | ||
+ | information on using the **//fdisk//** or | ||
+ | **//cfdisk//** partitioning applications. | ||
<note important> | <note important> | ||
- | If you're dual booting two Linux distributions, | + | If you're dual booting two Linux distributions, |
- | </ | + | to attempt to share a /home directory between the |
+ | systems. While it is technically possible, doing so will increase | ||
+ | the chance of your personal configurations from becoming mauled by | ||
+ | competing desktop environments or versions. | ||
It is, however, safe to use a common swap partition. | It is, however, safe to use a common swap partition. | ||
+ | </ | ||
You should partition your drive into at least three parts: | You should partition your drive into at least three parts: | ||
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* One partition for swap | * One partition for swap | ||
- | First, install Slackware Linux onto the first partition of the hard drive as described in [[slackbook: | + | First, install Slackware Linux onto the first partition of the hard |
+ | drive as described in [[slackbook: | ||
- | After Slackware has been installed, booted, and you've confirmed that everything works as expected, then reboot to the installer for the second OS. This OS will invariably offer to utilize the entire drive; you obviously do not want to do that, so constrain it to only the second partition. Furthermore, | ||
- | You have a few possible courses of action with regards to the boot loader: | + | After Slackware has been installed, booted, and you've confirmed |
+ | that everything works as expected, then reboot to the installer for | ||
+ | the second OS. This OS will invariably offer to utilize the entire | ||
+ | drive; you obviously do **not** want to do that, so | ||
+ | constrain it to only the second partition. Furthermore, | ||
+ | attempt to install a boot loader to the beginning of the hard drive, | ||
+ | overwriting LILO. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | You have a few possible courses of action with regards to the boot | ||
+ | loader: | ||
**Possible Boot Loader Scenarios** | **Possible Boot Loader Scenarios** | ||
- | **If the secondary OS is Linux, disallow it from installing a boot manager.** | + | **If the secondary OS is Linux, disallow it from installing a boot |
- | If you're dual booting to another Linux distribution, | + | manager.** |
+ | If you're dual booting to another Linux distribution, | ||
+ | installer of that distribution usually asks if you want a boot | ||
+ | loader installed. You're certainly free to not install a boot | ||
+ | manager for it at all, and manually manage both Slackware and | ||
+ | the other distribution with LILO. | ||
- | Depending on the distribution, | + | |
+ | Depending on the distribution, | ||
+ | frequently than you would if you were only running Slackware; | ||
+ | some distributions are notorious for frequent kernel updates, | ||
+ | meaning that you'll need to edit LILO to reflect the new | ||
+ | configuration after such an update. But if you didn't want to | ||
+ | edit configuration files every now and again, you probably | ||
+ | wouldn' | ||
**If the secondary OS is Linux, let it overwrite LILO with GRUB.** | **If the secondary OS is Linux, let it overwrite LILO with GRUB.** | ||
- | If you're dual booting to another Linux distribution, | + | If you're dual booting to another Linux distribution, |
+ | perfectly capable of just using GRUB rather than LILO, or | ||
+ | install Slackware last and use LILO for both. Both LILO and GRUB | ||
+ | have very good auto-detection features, so whichever one gets | ||
+ | installed last should pick up the other distribution' | ||
+ | and make an entry for it. | ||
- | Since other distributions often attempt to auto-update their GRUB menus, there is always the chance that during an update something will become maligned and you suddenly find you can't boot into Slackware. If this happens, don't panic; just boot into the other Linux partition and manually edit GRUB so that it points to the correct partition, kernel, and initrd (if applicable) for Slackware in its menu. | ||
- | **Allow the secondary OS to overwrite LILO and go back later to manually | + | Since other distributions often attempt |
+ | GRUB menus, there is always the chance that during an update | ||
+ | something will become maligned and you suddenly find you can' | ||
+ | boot into Slackware. If this happens, don't panic; just boot | ||
+ | into the other Linux partition | ||
+ | points to the correct partition, kernel, | ||
+ | applicable) for Slackware in its menu. | ||
- | This is not a bad choice, especially when Windows is the secondary OS, but potential pitfalls are that when Windows updates itself, it may attempt | + | **Allow |
+ | manually | ||
- | To re-establish LILO after another | + | This is not a bad choice, especially when Windows is the |
+ | secondary | ||
+ | updates itself, | ||
+ | again, and you'll have to re-install | ||
- | Even when using the " | + | |
+ | To re-establish LILO after another OS has erased it, you can | ||
+ | boot from your Slackware install media and enter the setup | ||
+ | stage. Do < | ||
+ | re-install Slackware; skip immediately to [[slackbook: | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Even when using the //" | ||
+ | should detect both operating systems and automatically configure | ||
+ | a sensible menu for you. If it fails, then add the entries | ||
+ | yourself. | ||
==== Dual Booting from Hard Drives ==== | ==== Dual Booting from Hard Drives ==== | ||
- | Dual booting between different physical hard drives is often easier than with partitions since the computer' | + | Dual booting between different physical hard drives is often |
+ | easier than with partitions since the computer' | ||
+ | almost invariably has a boot device chooser that allows you to | ||
+ | interrupt the boot process immediately after POST and choose what | ||
+ | drive should get priority. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | The snag key to enter the boot picker is different for each brand | ||
+ | of motherboard; | ||
+ | splash screen to find out what your computer requires. Typical | ||
+ | keys are < | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | If you manage the boot priority via BIOS or EFI, then each boot | ||
+ | loader on each hard drive is only aware of its own drive and will | ||
+ | never interfere with one another. This is rather contrary to what | ||
+ | a boot loader is designed to do but can be a useful workaround | ||
+ | when dealing with proprietary operating systems which insist upon | ||
+ | being the only OS on the system, to the detriment of the user' | ||
+ | preference. | ||
- | The snag key to enter the boot picker is different for each brand of motherboard; | + | If you don't have the luxury |
+ | drives and don't feel comfortable juggling another partition and | ||
+ | OS on your computer, | ||
+ | virtual machine to give you access to another OS. Both of these | ||
+ | options | ||
+ | and might be the right choice for you, depending on your needs. | ||
- | If you manage the boot priority via BIOS or EFI, then each boot loader on each hard drive is only aware of its own drive and will never interfere with one another. This is rather contrary to what a boot loader is designed to do but can be a useful workaround when dealing with proprietary operating systems which insist upon being the only OS on the system, to the detriment of the user's preference. | ||
- | If you don't have the luxury of having multiple internal hard drives and don't feel comfortable juggling another partition and OS on your computer, you might also consider using a bootable USB thumbdrive or even a virtual machine to give you access to another OS. Both of these options is outside the scope of this book, but they' | + | ====== Chapter Navigation ====== |
+ | **Previous Chapter: [[slackbook: | ||
+ | **Next Chapter: [[slackbook: | ||
====== Sources ====== | ====== Sources ====== | ||
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- | * Original source: [[http:// | + | |
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- | < | + | |
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