Re: Dualboot Two Hard Drives
The definitive guide for dualbooting Windows and Ubuntu on a single hard drive, using the alternate cd, can be found at Herman's site:
http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/
For Dapper Desktop CD:
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installing
The guides can be used to install on 2 different hard drives, but Windows would need to be the master drive and Ubuntu the slave drive. You would select "IDE drive hdb" to install Ubuntu onto and install Grub to Windows(hda) when prompted. Windows doesn't like it when it's not the first OS in a dualboot system, therefore, it has to be on the master drive when using this method. (The menu.lst(Grub) Windows entry, provided in the links in my first post method, has a mapping command, which fools Windows into thinking it is the first OS.)
If you decide to uninstall Ubuntu, heaven forbid, you'd need to boot up your computer with the Windows installation CD, go to recovery mode and enter fixmbr, which restores your Windows mbr(deletes Grub). Then you could reformat the slave drive from Windows.
Note: I would recommend anyone installing grub onto their Windows mbr when setting up a dual boot with Ubuntu to download the Windows 98SE OEM boot floppy from bootdisk.com as described here:
http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p18.htm
If for some reason Ubuntu or grub becomes corrupted, you would need to repair your mbr in order to boot Windows, by booting up with the Win98SE boot floppy and enter fdisk /mbr. The boot floppy would be useful for anyone not having a Windows install cd, or as a backup for those that do have one.
I opted to post this method as a reply, rather than editing my first post, since it is a different way of setting up a dualboot with 2 hd. Any adivce from more experienced Ubuntu Linux users concerning dualbooting would be welcomed.
I feel that having one link with various options concerning dualbooting with 2 hd, most importantly with Herman's guide, would give a beginner alternative methods for setting up a dualboot Windows/Ubuntu system. My initial intent was to offer only the dualboot method by "lha", but other options would be helpful, in my opinion...so that beginners would have a choice depending on their system, their experience with computers & linux, and their preferences...
Here's a thread with one person's solution to dual boot dual hard drives:
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=259422
If your computer supports selecting which drive to boot in bios:
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=275728
Tip: Before installing Ubuntu on your system, you should try running the liveCD to ensure that there are no hardware incompatibilities and to familiarize yourself with the Ubuntu OS.
Note: If you're installing Ubuntu to dualboot with Windows on a single hard drive, Windows MUST be on a partition located prior to Ubuntu...e.g. Windows on hda1, Ubuntu on hda2.
Re: Dualboot Two Hard Drives
To everybody that brought this information to this place at this time... Thank you so much!!! What an awesome eloquent way to do this. Virgin Windows Install, Virgin ubuntu Install move one jumper, edit one text file and you are in heaven... ;) (with 2 virgins) sorry I couldn't resist.
Anyway than you very much. This kind of solution is what makes Liniux such a great OS.
--Shoki
Re: Dualboot Two Hard Drives
Quote:
Originally Posted by
shoki
To everybody that brought this information to this place at this time... Thank you so much!!! What an awesome eloquent way to do this. Virgin Windows Install, Virgin ubuntu Install move one jumper, edit one text file and you are in heaven... ;) (with 2 virgins) sorry I couldn't resist.
Anyway than you very much. This kind of solution is what makes Liniux such a great OS.
--Shoki
Thanks, for me it was the more desirable option, don't have to worry about repairing your Windows mbr,etc and as you mentioned, it's quite easy to set up. You summed it up nicely.
Re: Dualboot Two Hard Drives
Confused57,
I also want to thank you. I was trying to figure a method to insulate the wife from ever dealing with the fact that I put Ubuntu on the computer. Why, because she is dependent on Windows to remote-connect to her place of employment. She is very wary that I will screw up the computer permanently and for good reason.
I have been searching for a method to use NTLDR with a Linux-Ubuntu option, but it was looking procedurally complicated and a little risky, since it involved tinkering with the Windows drive MBR.
After reading your method I realized there is the “ever present” Windows recovery option of returning the Windows drive back to the Master IDE position from the slave position. Last night I demonstrated the recovery option to the wife after following your procedure for installing Ubuntu and modifying GRUB. She is satisfied since the recovery demonstration gave absolutely ZERO indication that the PC ever functioned using the Linux OS, nor did it indicate a hard drive was ever removed. All because the MBR in the Windows drive is left intact throughout your method. My Ubuntu/XP computer works like charm with XP set as the default OS on GRUB. Wife is happy, and I get to have my fun too. Have a great day!
Re: Dualboot Two Hard Drives
I'm pretty sure (Me=Linux Newbie) there is a quicker way, without having to change all the files and such as in your how-to.
This is the way I did it:
I have a SATA drive for Windows XP and and IDE drive for Ubuntu 6.06. In the BIOS, I set the CD-ROM as first device (when installing Linux) and then the IDE drive to be the first hdd to start-up. After that just install Linux (with GRUB) and Bob's your uncle.
If I go back into BIOS and set the SATA drive as default hdd, then the GRUB doesn't show, and if I set the IDE as default, then GRUB shows, with Linux as default OS.
Hope that helps,
Josh
Re: Dualboot Two Hard Drives
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Josh_b
I'm pretty sure (Me=Linux Newbie) there is a quicker way, without having to change all the files and such as in your how-to.
This is the way I did it:
I have a SATA drive for Windows XP and and IDE drive for Ubuntu 6.06. In the BIOS, I set the CD-ROM as first device (when installing Linux) and then the IDE drive to be the first hdd to start-up. After that just install Linux (with GRUB) and Bob's your uncle.
If I go back into BIOS and set the SATA drive as default hdd, then the GRUB doesn't show, and if I set the IDE as default, then GRUB shows, with Linux as default OS.
Hope that helps,
Josh
Thanks for sharing and your method has proven to be another method of setting up a 2 hard drive dualboot.
The Desktop Live CD doesn't allow you to select where to install grub, so the "howto" I described ensures that grub doesn't overwrite your Windows mbr...definitely takes a little longer disconnecting and reconnecting drives. I assumed there were other methods of setting up a dualboot(2 hard drives) without installing grub to the Windows mbr and I welcome anyone adding to this "howto" with an alternate installation option.
Update: Starting with Ubuntu Feisty 7.04, the Desktop Live CD does allow you to specify where to install grub by clicking on the "Advanced" button during installation & typing in a different location, instead of the default (hd0)...e.g. you could enter /dev/sda, /dev/sdb, etc.
Re: Dualboot Two Hard Drives
Code:
title Windows XP
root (hd1,0)
savedefault
makeactive
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1
This worked great for me, except I orginally had these commands mistyped in grub. It should be noted that there is a SPACE between (hd0) and (hd1) in both the 'map' lines. Otherwise, Grub responds with an error 11: unrecognized device string.
That unix is so literal... :)
Thanks for the solution, all. It's very cool.
Re: Dualboot Two Hard Drives
It's actually better to copy & paste commands and entries, because it is difficult to tell where the spaces are in the typed commands, etc.
Re: Dualboot Two Hard Drives
I am trying to find a solution to getting Ubuntu to boot off Grub on the IDE XP MBR (Ubuntu is on SATA). I am reading here to see if I can learn something that may help.
The early post gave a link
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthre...dual+boot+sata
but there the commands are:
6. In Ubuntu go to Applications/System Tools/Terminal. You will need to open a text editor and change the grub menu file:
$cd /boot/grub
$sudo gedit menu.lst
now look for an entry (near the end) that reads like something like this:
title Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root (hd1,0)
savedefault
chainloader +1
and change it to this:
title Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root (hd1,0)
map (hd1,hd0)
map (hd0,hd1)
chainloader +1
7. save the file
8. reboot and test boot into XP
Notice the difference in the map ..... commands?
man I am confused now.