Arch Linux

phazer11

Member

Registered: 2010-01-19

Posts: 20

Multiple HDD and Bootloaders

Hello everyone I have a question.

Alright here's the deal I have a 1TB HDD with only Windows XP on it. and I have a 1.5TB HDD with Windows 7 64-Bit installed on it with 75 GB partition for Linux
Currently I have Windows Bootloader setup to allow me to boot into either Windows XP on one HDD or Windows 7 on the other. I'd like to be able to boot into Windows XP or Windows 7 or Linux.

Now if I had to install Linux First how would I make it only take up 75-80GB? I mean I only want about 15-20Gb for a Root partition, max 4 gb for an unnecessary swap partition, and the other 55GB for my files in Arch. Then the other 1.48TB for Windows 7

I'd prefer not to mess with a good thing as I can boot into either HDD for either Windows version. and do not want to screw that up I wish I could boot the Linux partitions using Windows Boot Manager.

In order to get the Arch Installer to recognize my HDD's I had to edit the kernal options before booting from the Live CD by adding pci=nomsi and then pressing enter then b for boot as I was having problems with my drives I guess.

Thanks please ask questions if you didn't follow mine....

grey

Member

From: Europe

Registered: 2007-08-23

Posts: 679

Re: Multiple HDD and Bootloaders

If you don't want to touch the existing MBR of your disks, you can install grub to the boot record of your arch partition instead. Then it may be possible to tell the Windows Bootloader to "boot the OS on that partition". If it's not, you can use a grub CD instead. See http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual … D-ROM.html.

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phazer11

Member

Registered: 2010-01-19

Posts: 20

Re: Multiple HDD and Bootloaders

Installing Well I have two Arch Partitions one /root 20GB and one /home 60GB. I'd install GRUB to only the /root partition if I could get Grub to install at all it keeps failing to install to any of the partitions or drives. The only message I get is Grub installation failed (see /dev/tty7 for output) which I cannot access even by pressing ctrl alt f7. Any help?