Arch Linux

1311219

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2007-01-09

Posts: 121

loading a kernel from a (running) windows xp (loadlin for xp?)

Hi, I'm wondering if there is any way of writing a linux kernel to ram, and execute it, from a running windows xp/vista installation.
I'm basically looking for something like kexec to run from windows (it doesn't matter what happens with the windows system, whether it shuts down correctly, or just gets "thrown away")

I've been searching for a solution for some time now, and all I can find is the program loadlin, but it depends on dos (which newer versions of windows doesn't come with), and I was hoping to find a solution which would mean no additional programs having to be installed into windows.

Is there any "magic" program for this, or would I have to install freedos and use loadlin?

Last edited by 1311219 (2007-10-13 17:39:59)

somairotevoli

Member

Registered: 2006-05-23

Posts: 335

Re: loading a kernel from a (running) windows xp (loadlin for xp?)

not sure if this will help, but may.... http://www.colinux.org/

It's actually how I discovered arch, http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ins … by_CoLinux

Last edited by somairotevoli (2007-10-13 17:47:35)

1311219

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2007-01-09

Posts: 121

Re: loading a kernel from a (running) windows xp (loadlin for xp?)

Interesting, but I were hoping for something that wouldn't require virtualization, some method that would replace the running windows system with a linux kernel, but thanks for the reply anyway.

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: loading a kernel from a (running) windows xp (loadlin for xp?)

Someone posted this a while ago: http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=37602

I haven't used it, but it sounds similar to what you're looking for.

retsaw

Member

From: London, UK

Registered: 2005-03-22

Posts: 132

Re: loading a kernel from a (running) windows xp (loadlin for xp?)

I don't think this is possible.  IIRC DOS runs in real mode which allows loadlin to load a new kernel over DOS, but XP (and possibly the whole NT line, but at least 2k on) uses protected mode.  To enable something like loadlin for XP, MS would have to put a kexec like feature in the kernel, but I don't think they'll do that.

I know it is possible to tell GRUB which boot option you want to boot on your next reboot from within Linux (Debian has a script included with their GRUB that handles this), and there is a Windows version of GRUB so it <i>might</i> be possible to create a Windows batch script that sets GRUB to boot Linux and triggers a reboot, but I haven't really looked into this and WinGRUB might not have this ability.

1311219

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2007-01-09

Posts: 121

Re: loading a kernel from a (running) windows xp (loadlin for xp?)

Thanks for the answers, especially about the xp running in user mode (kinda reminds about "hacking" videogame consoles, you'll need to get into kernel/real mode to be able to do the interesting stuff), well, it seems to be no easy solution for this, other than installing something like freedos, I guess.

Thanks everybody!