Re: Boot Disk from BDI

[Paul <paul.corner-at-tesco.net>]

Hi Jack

On Sunday 30 December 2001 6:53 pm, Jack Ensor wrote:
> First question:
> After installing, and in the process creating a boot disk, I later
> found that the boot disk didn't work, apparently damaged because I
> couldn't read it with windows explorer.

The boot floppy is no longer an msdos disk so windows will never be able to 
read it.

> In trying to find out how to make a boot disk from Linux I found and
> tried this command:
> dd if=/mnt/cdrom/images/boot.img of=/dev/fd0 bs=1440k

This is indeed the correct image (and command format) to use for booting from 
the CD.

> after inserting the BDI cd and a formatted floppy.
>
> It worked to a degree, however when I checked it for starting it puts
> me in the mode to install the BDI all over again.  I don't understand
> this, in that if I want to reinstall it again what do I need the boot
> floppy for?  The BDI CD boots itself.

The boot floppies are needed if you are trying to install from a CDROM that 
does not support bootable CDs or over a network.

> I thought that the boot floppy was for the purpose of getting linux
> up and running so that if it wouldn't boot from the hard drive, one
> could boot into it from a floppy and hopefully be able to get into it
> and fix the boot problem.

The boot images on the CD are for booting the CD only - If you need to make a 
boot floppy for your installed linux system, then you need to use:-
mkbootdisk 2.2.18-rtl3.0

See -at-man mkbootdisk' for more info.

> Second question:
>   I understand that it is necessary to put linux on drive C.
> If this is true then I see a problem with my intentions.  I plan to
> set up a new computer in addition to the machine computer (which is
> set up only with BDI).  On the new computer I want to install the BDI
> for experimental purposes,  a full fledged Linux Red Hat 7.0, and
> Windows98, then use a LiLo start up.  Is this possible? Can I have
> the three different systems in three different partitions?

This is quite feasable to do but.....
Depending on the size of the drive, I would create three primary partitions - 
hda1 would be used solely for BDI - Around 1.5G would be sufficient.
hda2 resevered for Windows.
hda3 for RH7.x (go for RH7.2, it is much improved over 7.0).
hda3 would need to be split in to at least three logical (or extended) 
partitions for /boot, /, and swap - The swap partion can also be used by the 
BDI install.

Doing the installs in the sequence of BDI->Windows->RH7.x will leave you with 
lilo from the last install controlling everything.


Regards, Paul.