[Gllug] Dual Boot

[Tethys]

"t.clarke" writes:

>If I leave a reasonable amount of space on the drive unallocated when I instal
>l XP  (assuming it allows me to do so),  can I then later install Linux and
>overwrite the Master Boot area with LILO and set LILO up to boot from either
>Windows or Linux ??

Don't do it! Yes, you can, but it's far better to put your bootloader
into the boot partition rather than in the MBR. That way, no amount of
Windows interference can screw your Linux system up.

My typical order for this sort of thing is:

1. Boot a Linux install CD and partition the disk. The Windows fdisk doesn't
   give me the flexibility I need. Reserve some Linux partitions, and either
   leave a blank bit of disk, or explicitly create a Windows partition.
2. Install Windows into the bit of disk you've allocated for it. Windows
   will automatically either use the unallocated part of the disk, or a
   suitable Windows partition type (0x7, 0xb or 0xf, for example) if one
   is available.
3. Install Linux. You'll need to manually use fdisk again to make the
   partition containing your /boot filesystem the bootable one (with GRUB
   installed on the bootable parition).

Tet
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