coppro
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I'm trying to get Windows to dual-boot on my computer, and I've already prepared it a nice little 7.5GB partition to play around on. However, before I start the install, I know that Windows will gleefully wipe my MBR and GRUB when it installs. As such, I need to be ensured that I can reinstall GRUB without having to reload my entire OS. My preferred solution would be to use a sort of Windows GRUB installer that can reinstall GRUB to my MBR, making it use the same /boot as I've always had. My next-best solution would probably be to dd the earlier parts of my hard disk to file, then finish the Windows install and boot from CD to dd them back, but I don't know what parts I should be copying. Lastly, I could always boot from CD, potentially chroot into my regular OS, and install GRUB normally. But that's not my ideal solutions.

What's the best approach here?

calamarain
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I can't answer your question directly - but I'd make a related recommendation. From my own experience with having a dual boot system - If you're going to use the windows partition more than twice a week or so, I would recommend having a larger partition than 7.5GB. It's amazing how quickly the space gets sucked away, even if you don't install things on that partition itself. I mean, the Windows install takes at least 2GB minimum.

So I'd recommend twice that - 15GB.

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Syntax
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coppro wrote:
What's the best approach here?

Not install Windows?

coppro
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Syntax wrote:

coppro wrote:
What's the best approach here?

Not install Windows?

That would be my first choice.

Syntax
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Always go with your first choice.

coppro
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Unfortunately, WINE doesn't work as well as I wish it does.

Tuttle
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Generally I've done it the other way around -- Windows then Linux. Put the OS that understands the others on last.

This is how I repair GRUB after ghosting a Linux box at work; it's written using a Gentoo install CD to boot from and with an install of Debian on the hard drive, but it should be relatively generic. It assumes certain things about partitioning; you should make sure you have written copies of /etc/fstab and /boot/grub/grub.conf (or wherever they live on your box) to refer to before you start.


Once you have GRUB back in place your machine will be back to a single-boot Linux box, but then you can add the Windows partition to grub.conf and get dual boot working.

coppro
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Tuttle wrote:
Generally I've done it the other way around -- Windows then Linux. Put the OS that understands the others on last.

That would be preferred, but I've been running Linux for a year and a half and just now started using Windows.

However, I've discovered that there's a third (highly tricksy) option - install to a VM, copy the image partition to my disk, then reconfigure Windows to my hardware, thus preventing it from ever touching that MBR. It'll take longer, but it means that I'm doing funny things to the OS I don't care about, rather than the one I do.

Briareos
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coppro wrote:
However, I've discovered that there's a third (highly tricksy) option - install to a VM, copy the image partition to my disk, then reconfigure Windows to my hardware, thus preventing it from ever touching that MBR. It'll take longer, but it means that I'm doing funny things to the OS I don't care about, rather than the one I do.

Ugh.

Why not just create a bootable GRUB cd then having GRUB reinstall itself from there?

np: The Orb - Gee Strings (Bicycles & Tricycles)

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