Hello

I'd like to add XP to a test host that has FC5 installed. I'll have to
repartition the HD to make room for XP, install XP, and then somehow
recover Grub so I can dual-boot. FWIW, it's an old PC, so it can't
boot from USB, only the CD or HD drives.

Is there a HOWTO that explains how to do this step by step, so I don't
screw up and end up with a broken PC?

Thank you.

On Mon, 25 Dec 2006 14:08:03 +0100, Vincent Delporte wrote:
> Hello
>
> I'd like to add XP to a test host that has FC5 installed. I'll have to
> repartition the HD to make room for XP, install XP, and then somehow
> recover Grub so I can dual-boot. FWIW, it's an old PC, so it can't
> boot from USB, only the CD or HD drives.
>
> Is there a HOWTO that explains how to do this step by step, so I don't
> screw up and end up with a broken PC?

If not, there is

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"Vincent Delporte" <justask@acme.com> wrote in message
news:99jvo2p38r4484i8la564usdebm2q48kva@4ax.com...
> Hello
>
> I'd like to add XP to a test host that has FC5 installed. I'll have to
> repartition the HD to make room for XP, install XP, and then somehow
> recover Grub so I can dual-boot. FWIW, it's an old PC, so it can't
> boot from USB, only the CD or HD drives.
>
> Is there a HOWTO that explains how to do this step by step, so I don't
> screw up and end up with a broken PC?
>
> Thank you.

"Best" way to build a dual boot system with XP and Linux is to
install XP first, then install the Linux/OS of your choice. That's
what most of the guides say. XP has more restricitions on
configuration than Linux or any other OS does.
Generally make first partition XP second partition FAT32 for
transfering files/sharing files (if that is something you want to do)
third partition and the ones there after can be used for other
OS installs and uses. Make sure you backup your data before
starting. I would wipe the drive first and then use the fdisk/
formater of XP to do the disk manipulations in the beginining.

later.....

On Mon, 25 Dec 2006 18:15:05 GMT, "***** charles"
<someone@out-there.com> wrote:
>"Best" way to build a dual boot system with XP and Linux is to
>install XP first, then install the Linux/OS of your choice.

I know, but it's too late, and if possible, I'd rather not have to
scratch the whole thing.

I'll see if I can find something on how to go from here. Thanks.

Vincent Delporte wrote:
> On Mon, 25 Dec 2006 18:15:05 GMT, "***** charles"
> <someone@out-there.com> wrote:
> >"Best" way to build a dual boot system with XP and Linux is to
> >install XP first, then install the Linux/OS of your choice.
>
> I know, but it's too late, and if possible, I'd rather not have to
> scratch the whole thing.
>
> I'll see if I can find something on how to go from here. Thanks.

I tend to dig around the parts bin and hardware graveyard to get
another hard drive and use that, to avoid risking the Linux box. Also,
if your hardware is recent enough and supports various virtualization
features, you can use something like Xen or even VMware to install
Windows in an image file.

On 26 Dec 2006 16:05:32 -0800, "Nico" <nkadel@gmail.com> wrote:
>I tend to dig around the parts bin and hardware graveyard to get
>another hard drive and use that, to avoid risking the Linux box.

I might do this, but I'm adventurous

>if your hardware is recent enough and supports various virtualization
>features, you can use something like Xen or even VMware to install
>Windows in an image file.

Unfortunately, it's too old to support virtualization. Thanks.

to install xp over fc5 you have to resize your fc5 parition to make
space,
assuming you have ext3 filesystem, you must boot from a live CD, which
has 'qtparted'
i suppose KNOPPIX has it, then use qtparted to resize your ext3
partition, and create an empty
partition for windows.
then install windows on this partition,
grub will be lost
but can be regained using the following two ways -
Procedure 1:
boot using KNOPPIX
mount your fc5 partition (assuming it to be /dev/hda1) into say
/mnt/hda1

now to install grub you just have to say -
grub-install /dev/hda --root-directory=/mnt/hda1

Procedure 2:
boot into windows XP
and install grub for windows NT from
www.geocities.com/lode_leroy/grubinstall/
this is a novell piece of software which allows the windows boot loader
to remain as it is and install grub too -
it achieves it as follows -
after installing grub for windows nt,
the next time you boot your computer windows xp boot loader will boot
as usual
and present you two choices
1. windows
2. grub
when you chose grub, grub will present itself, this is a non intrusive
and lesser known way to install grub.
In this method grub does not install itself in the boot sector instead
it is loaded by the windows loader when required, the boot sector
always contains the windows boot loader

xask wuz here
xask.linus
Vincent Delporte wrote:
> On 26 Dec 2006 16:05:32 -0800, "Nico" <nkadel@gmail.com> wrote:
> >I tend to dig around the parts bin and hardware graveyard to get
> >another hard drive and use that, to avoid risking the Linux box.
>
> I might do this, but I'm adventurous
>
> >if your hardware is recent enough and supports various virtualization
> >features, you can use something like Xen or even VMware to install
> >Windows in an image file.
>
> Unfortunately, it's too old to support virtualization. Thanks.

On 28 Dec 2006 01:17:48 -0800, "xask" <xask.linus@gmail.com> wrote:
>to install xp over fc5 you have to resize your fc5 parition to make
>space,

Thanks, but the / partition was LVM, so Partition Magic, Qparted
couldn't handle it, so I ended up removing the whole thing, installing
W2003. I'll take the opportunity to install FC6 over the Internet.

Thank you.