Arch Linux

horrormaster

Member

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 23

Multiple HDD dual boot

Basically, I'm going to have two internal HDDs with an OS on each one (Arch & XP). How do I go about installing Grub so that I can boot between?

kaola_linux

Member

From: Bacolod City/Philippines

Registered: 2008-09-23

Posts: 513

Re: Multiple HDD dual boot

You can install grub on the first hard disk and just put a specific entry on your menu.lst referring to the second disk..

ex arch(1st-hd), xp(2nd-hd):

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux (stock kernel)
root   (hd0,4)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda6 resume=/dev/sda9 ro
initrd /kernel26.img

# (2) Windows Xp
title Windows Xp
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

The second entry was mapped since it is not on the first hd which xp will complain if you did not do so.  So you need to virtually swap the hd to let xp know that it is on your 1st hd...:) Hope that helps...You don't need to map if your xp is in the first hd...

Last edited by kaola_linux (2009-04-20 03:41:46)

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horrormaster

Member

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 23

Re: Multiple HDD dual boot

Because I had Arch already installed on the first HDD, XP refuses to install unless I make room for some setup files on the Arch HDD. Why? No clue. I'm guessing because it sees the first HDD as the C: drive and complains on install if it is installed from anywhere but the C: drive. Windows can't even install without causing problems. What a piece of crap.

Anyway... XP will now be on HDD #1 and Arch on #2. Would this menu.lst be correct?

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux (stock kernel)
root   (hd1,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda6 resume=/dev/sda9 ro
initrd /kernel26.img

# (2) Windows
title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

fukawi2

Ex-Administratorino

From: .vic.au

Registered: 2007-09-28

Posts: 6,224

Website

Re: Multiple HDD dual boot

Something like that, yes.

You should be able to install grub on the same hard drive as Arch (to keep it all together), as long as you can tell your BIOS which drive to boot from. Most recent BIOS firmware supports this.

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