Dual Boot

[srimaya_rath]

Hi Guys,

1. Initially I had only Red Hat Linux 9 was installed in my computer. Yesterday I installed WIN - XP Professional along with Red Hat Linux. But the dual boot prompt is not showing. It's directly going to WIN - XP when I'm booting. I want to use Linux also. Please guide me how to get that dual boot prompt.

2. I'm having a 320 GB HDD. I've not fitted it to my computer. Will it slow down my computer if I'll fit it?

-Srimaya

[~Phenom~]

this is because ur GRUB is gone. search forum for restoring GRUB. And its always better to install linux after windows and not vice-versa because GRUB can redirect to NTLDR but reverse is not possible(atleast not easily).

[Vishal Gupta]

Boot using Linux CD and at prompt type:

linux rescue

and after following instructions, u'll get sh prompt, now give following commands:

chroot /mnt/sysimage
grub-install /dev/hda

Here /dev/hda refers to ur HDD... :D

[srimaya_rath]

Thanks for your suggestions... I'll try out these options and let you know about the outcome...

-Srimaya

[mehulved]

And any reasons for using such a outdated distro?

[~Phenom~]

^^may be,he is a student like me and his school/college uses RH9 only. lol

[srimaya_rath]

hi Vishal thanx a lot for your suggestion .

I have run into a small issue. everything works smoothly till i reach the shell prompt.

when i excute the following on the shell prompt:

grub-install/dev/hda

message i get :

file or directory not found

when i execute the following :

grub --install/dev/hda

message i get:

invalid device requested

why such messages !!


So regarding this i have some queries:

1 does every body have their HDD on hda or is it installation specific.
2 if it is installation specific how do i know to which hda my HDD correspond to ?


thanx in advance

rgds
srimaya

[mehulved]

check the output of fdisk -l to know the partition name
hda is usually the first PATA disk then hdb
sda is usually the first SATA disk then sdb.
fdisk -l
The above command will give you the idea of which disk you have installed linux on.

[Vishal Gupta]

And also there is a "space" between grub-install and the partition name ;)

[JGuru]

Actually, the correct procedure is as follows:

# fdisk -l | grep Linux

This will display two Linux partitions, one is root & the other swap.

You must install GRUB in the root (ie., Linux partition).

For eg.,

# grub-install /dev/hda3

NOTE: In your case it may vary. See the output of the command "fdisk -l"

[phreak0ut]

Also, there should be a space between #grub-install and /dev/hda3 I think you are typing wrong. Check it out ;)

[srimaya_rath]

Hi,

Yes, now I'm able to see the dual boot. Thank you all...
I was giving wrong command. I was not giving any space after grun-install...
But now I'm getting 3 prompts. 2 for linux and one DOS. Why 2 linux prompts are coming???

-Srimaya

[mehulved]

One must be failsafe.
Check your /boot/grub/menu.list file.