Independent of each other..

[dmoz]

Hi
I have 80 gb harddisk and 5 o.s's.
1)windows98
2)windows2000 Pro
3)windowsXP
4)windows2003 server(Enterprise edition)
5)Red Hat Linux 9
My problem over here is that when ever something goes wrong with win98(which i used mostly).And i have to format and re-install win98
The whole system is messed and i have to re-install all of them.
Is there any way of installing different o.s's such that they are independent of each other.I mean even if you format any of one of them the other should work.
My primary partition is C: and others are extended d: etc.. and win98 is on cfat 32) other versions of windows are in NTFS format and rhlinux in ext3 format.
i do hope some guys here could help me.
thanks in advance.

 

[tuxfan]

When you have multiple OS in your PC, you need a boot loader to select which one gets loaded when you start your PC.

Which bootloader do you use? WinXP? GRUB?

A bootloader gets installed in MBR (Master Boot Record). Each time you install an OS (except Linux), it takes control of MBR making other OS inaccessible. At that time, all you need to do is re-install the boot-loader.

If you use GRUB, all that you have to do is boot from the first Red Hat CD. Proceed with the normal installation. Anaconda, the RH installer, will automatically recognise that RH is already installed and GRUB is missing. Then it will let you install only GRUB. So after you install an OS, within 10 minutes, you are back to normal

 

[dmoz]

thanx tuxfan
I use LILO as a bootloader.
n yes linux have no problem.
the problems r with windows
there r files on root directory like boot.ini,ntldr etc which get deleted
after i format c:
i want to install all the o.s's such that they will b independent of each other hope u got me

 

[tuxfan]

If you have one single hard disk, I don't think it is possible to install all OS independently. For this you may need to have separate hard disks.

But with separate hard disks, sharing data between Windows and Linux become a problem because you have to disable a hard disk from BIOS everytime you wish to run a different OS. Alternatively, you may have to open the box, change wires and jumper settings for it to work and share data as well.

Frankly, all this sounds quite inconvenient to me. When I was about to start with Linux, even I thought that I will keep them on separate Hard disks. But as I grew somewhat in experience, I realised that keeping them on a single hard disk is more convenient.

Now I have installed PCQ Linux 2004 alongwith Win98SE on not 1 but 4 machines. I don't face any problems. On one of the machines (mine), besides Win98, I also have PCQ Linux 2004 (kernel 2.4), PCQ Linux 2004 (kernel 2.6), Knoppix 3.4 (kernel 2.4) and Knoppix 2.6 (kernel 2.6) It sounds complicated, but it isn't too complicated. Of course, I got help from GNUrag on installation.

 

[dmoz]

No tuxFanNo
It's possible i have seen ppl doing.It's quite a timeconsuming n headaching job but it's possible, You need to partition the HD make 4 primary partitions hide partitions something like that...I have just heard talking how to do. But not seen them doing.
thanks anyway

 

[tuxfan]

Oh ok. I am not too aware of how to do it. But 4 primary partitions are really possible. You don't have to hide them, but just make one of the partitions active. This is just a guess from common sense.

But what you say seems possible. Wait for someone more knowledgeable than me

 

[pradeep_chauhan]

use VMware

 

[demoninside]

Yup it's possible to have more ten one primary part

 

[tHe_WiCkEd_OnE]

yeah u need this software called PartitionMagic. using that u can create partitions within one hard disk and its very useful

 

[amitsaudy]

Make multiple primary partitions.
Only one primary partition can be active at a time.
That is your boot partition.
Use XOSL n yyou have option of hiding all other primary partitions.
Only the active one and the extended will be visible.
So when you wanna boot into say 1 then hide 2&3.
If 2 then hide 1,3.
So the os does not know that any other os is installed.
It thinks its a standalone os.
Hrmphhh

 

[sailendra]

If you dont want to use a boot manager you can make the partitions active manually by using FDISK under windows 98 and the Disk management tool under windows xp. This will not hide the partitions at all. All your partitions will be visible. although some say win98 can have problems with more than one visible primary partition, i have faced no such problems....
However its a tedious to keep switching the active partition flag this way...but its a good solution if you only use the other os installed occasionally.

 

[ice]

Now I have installed PCQ Linux 2004 alongwith Win98SE on not 1 but 4 machines. I don't face any problems. On one of the machines (mine), besides Win98, I also have PCQ Linux 2004 (kernel 2.4), PCQ Linux 2004 (kernel 2.6), Knoppix 3.4 (kernel 2.4) and Knoppix 2.6 (kernel 2.6) It sounds complicated, but it isn't too complicated. Of course, I got help from GNUrag on installation.

Knoppix 3.4 has an older kernel than 2.6?
Or were u typing 3.6?

Sorry to point it out, please dont be offended.

 

[tuxfan]

You are right. I mistyped it