dual boot windows xp and ubuntu 6.06

[abbaZaba]

first I installed Ubuntu 6.06 on a 40GB partition, then booted up in the windows xp install CD and installed XP on the remaining ~70GB. but now it will only boot into windows. how can I get it to ask me when the computer starts to boot either Ubuntu or Windows?

[JesterMania]

You need to replace the Windows bootloader with grub. Boot from the Ubuntu Live CD, then reinstall grub into the MBR. Go to http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/linu...l-bootload.html and scroll down to the grub section for examples on how they configured it.

[dreamsINdigital]

Next time, install XP first before Ubuntu so you won't have to mess with this.

[nightcrawler1089]

I'm a Linux novice, but will you not be able to mess with boot.ini in Windows? It's under System Properties-->Advanced-->Startup-->Edit manually...

-NC

[shmengie]

I'm a Linux novice, but will you not be able to mess with boot.ini in Windows? It's under System Properties-->Advanced-->Startup-->Edit manually...

-NC

no, cuz boot.ini loads AFTER the mbr. and dreamsindigital is right. linux goes last cuzza grub.

[shockme17]

i have my system triple booting xp/osx 10.4.7/ubuntu..

it took a while to do- i had to wipe the drive, install osx as the as a partition in the middle of the drive, then installed xp on the first partition, then used ubuntu to configure it's own last partitions..

took many tries, but i finally got it done right.

[Austin123]

*claps* Kudos to you.

I got xp on one partion and..and.,. >_>

[Soniku]

i have my system triple booting xp/osx 10.4.7/ubuntu..

it took a while to do- i had to wipe the drive, install osx as the as a partition in the middle of the drive, then installed xp on the first partition, then used ubuntu to configure it's own last partitions..

took many tries, but i finally got it done right.

wow a trippe boot...i didn't even think it was possible

[betamaxman]

How about booting 5 OSs, I at least have an expirimental partition that I use just to try out new distros. Presently giving pclinux a run for it's money, it is to date the easiest distro there is to install, you can even download an iso with support for your graphics card pre installed.

I also using firefox and thunderbird in all OSs share my firefox profile and thunderbird email between all installed OSs.

[herd]

For these issues, its always handy to have a GRUB boot floppy at hand.

grub-floppy is the command that is available with the Debian variety of distributions.

(A CD will also do)

You boot from the floppy, on the command line enter:

root (hd0,1)

here that means first drive, first partition, just try until it says ext2 or 3

configuration /boot/grub/menu.lst

this will even help you with tab-completion if the root command succeeded

you will see your old grub menu; select your kernel, hit e, remove line savedefault if you have that, hit b.

Once booted into linux, you can configure your grub to install the boot sector into the beginning of your linux partition, not into the boot sector of the first drive. Do update-grub.

Then, you do

dd if=/dev/hda1 of=/windows/C/linux.bin bs=512 count=1

(The parameters above should reflect your config, e.g. if C: is not writable, use another floppy)

Then, as has been said, you can add

linux.bin="My devious Linux"

to your C:Boot.ini and utilize the Windows boot manager to boot your Linux.

hth,

herd

[betamaxman]

Knoppix is also a good tool for this, you can even use it to clone harddrives or partitions.

But most distros will allow you to not install a boot loader to the mbr and you simly then edit the grub menu of your primary install to include your new OS, Or in the case of a trial OS instalation if for example you are simply wanting to try out a distro, you can place it's grub to its root partition or folder, and set up your primary OSs grub to boot a chain loader located in that partition and you will not have to edit your grub again there after.

[abbaZaba]

well the easiest way to fix this was reinstall Ubuntu, so GRUB would be functioning. This was easy for me since I had nothing important or set up on the Ubuntu partition. but for future reference I should have installed XP first, then Ubuntu.