Dual-Booting (Just making Sure)

Juggalo · n00b Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 7

Okay, so right now I have Windows XP Pro installed on this box. I want to install Slackware 10.2. I've installed both OSs individually on this drive, but I've never dual-booted. From my understanding, dual-booting isn't that different: Leave the Windows partition alone, and install Slackware like I normally would. Install LILO to the MBR and it will automatically recognize Windows, and give me the option to boot both OSs.

Please correct me if I'm wrong. Also, which partition would I make active?

(Posted this here because this forum's very active, and I need an answer quick. Sorry if it's not allowed)

freelight · Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 8:42 pm Post subject:

Sure, you can do that. Best way to do it is to install Windows first, then shrink your Windows partition with something like PartitionMagic (or Slackware's installer, if it has a tool for that - I don't remember anymore), just make sure you don't wipe your Windows partition off the drive. After that, yes, you put LILO or Grub on your MBR and you'll be able to boot either OS.
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xoomix · Guru Joined: 02 Jan 2003 Posts: 489

Juggalo · n00b Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 7

Thank you both very much ( :

Clete2 · Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 2:17 am Post subject:

By the way, if you are looking for a good partitioner, there is a LiveCD called GParted and it's pretty much the safest partitioning software that I have ever used. It has never caused me to lose data when shrinking a partition nor has it ever caused any other problems.
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Juggalo · n00b Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 7

Heh, already re-sized with Partition Magic.

Do I want to add NTFS to /etc/fstab?

EDIT: Okay, I said no to that because I didn't fully understand it... but now I think I do, and it was a bad choice because I can't access the internet when booted into Linux (Maybe if it was added to /etc/fstab, my wireless card drivers would be loaded when I booted into Linux?).

So my next question is: Is the above (again) correct? If so I need to modify fstab because I don't want to have to install mad-wifi (Which is a paaaain) just to access the internet.

Thank you in advance for your time.

xoomix · Guru Joined: 02 Jan 2003 Posts: 489

It sounds as though there's lots you must learn my young Padawan :-)

- and I mean that in a joking manner

Your /etc/fstab has nothing to do with your internet access whatsoever - it's just a table that tells init what partitions to mount up on what paths and with what permission/control accesses.

In Linux you will most definitely need to build a kernel with driver support for your internet interface hardware, and assign it the proper ip address/netmask/broadcast/gateway info.