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Dual Boot or?

Started by Dennis, 2010.12.02, 21:33:25

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Dennis

I am installing a 2nd HDD in my currently windoze system. I am planning to install eCS on that HDD. Can I set up a situation where I can boot into 1 OS or the other? How? What problems might I run into?

RobertM

You can do so using BootManager. Problems generally will consist of various versions of Windows insisting on needing a C: partition (a partition with drive letter C assigned to it), and again with certain versions of Windows, it's desire/attempt/suggestion (depends on version) to remove non-Windows partition; inotherwords, OS/2's HPFS and JFS.


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RobertM

Just as a side note that may be helpful, OS/2 and eCS do not care what partition they are on or what drive letter the boot partition is assigned. The general layout I have had the most success with is:


START OF DRIVE
BootManager
Windows C Partition
OS/2 Boot Partition
Other partitions
END OF DRIVE

People have had success using other orders, though BootManager should usually be at the beginning of the drive.

Other considerations will be dependent on your hardware configuration, for instance, most SCSI implementations will have partition size limits for the boot partition. Older systems may also have different partition requirements based on how large of a drive they support. Though OS/2 v4.5x upwards (including eCS) do use their own geometry layouts, booting is handled before the storage drivers are enabled and take over disk access.

Using FAT32 is the easiest way of sharing data between both operating systems (or pinball.sys for HPFS under Windows XP downwards, though I have not tested the reliability of that driver when it comes to interaction with OS/2 on the same hardware). I would probably not recommend Windows' HPFS support, because I am definitely sure there are features that are not implemented (and probably ones that are not properly implemented).


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ivan

One other thing of note - OS/2 BootManager does not need to be on the first drive therefore there is no need to mess with your windows drive.

Assuming you only have windows in one partition, C: - the norm - then OS/2 - eCS would be D: for the boot partition and E: for everything else unless you make a transfer partition formatted fat32, assuming your windows partition is formatted NTFS.

You would finish up with something like the following:

Disk 1:  Windows (NTFS)

Disk 2:  BootManager
             OS/2 boot partition (HPFS about 2 GB)
             OS/2 Apps etc (JFS)
              Fat32 partition for transfer between OS/2 and windows.


ivan

Dennis

Will the install ask if I want to set up Boot Manager? It would have to be set up on my D: drive so it doesn't mess up my windoze HDD.

Wondoze is already set up and running using my C: drive, which is its own HDD. OS/2/eCS will be on a separate physical HDD.

RobertM

Quote from: Dennis on 2010.12.03, 17:20:36
Will the install ask if I want to set up Boot Manager? It would have to be set up on my D: drive so it doesn't mess up my windoze HDD.

Wondoze is already set up and running using my C: drive, which is its own HDD. OS/2/eCS will be on a separate physical HDD.

(will it ask...) Depends on the OS version and installation choices. You can set it up pretty easily though by selecting it from the LVM/MiniLVM window.


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Kirk's 5 Year Mission Continues at:
Star Trek New Voyages
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ivan

#6
Dennis, in most cases you will need to select 'advanced'  when you are asked what type of setup you want to do - that is unless eCS does it differently and you are using that.

Read every screen of information carefully and don't just click OK without thinking.

There was a quite good introduction to using LVM  but I can't remember where I got it - hobbes, tavi?? - that you should read to help in setting up your second disk for BootManager and OS/2.

ivan

edit:
OK, I found the info on LVM http://www.tavi.co.uk/os2pages/lvm.html

RobertM

Hey Dennis,

Just keep in mind one thing. In order to put BootManager on the second drive, the BIOS needs to be able to use the second drive for booting.

-R


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Kirk's 5 Year Mission Continues at:
Star Trek New Voyages
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