VOGONS


First post, by Yasashii

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Here's the deal: I want to use Linux on my netbook, but I need Windows 7 for work and other stuff because of driver incompatibilities and such.

I know what you're going to say: just dual boot it. Well, I could but here's the thing: when I try Linux, I usually switch between different distros until I find one that I like... and then try some other ones too. From my experience, having this situation while having to worry about the bootloader is a pain in the neck. GRUB sometimes doesn't remove entries for systems I've removed, sometimes a distro installs its own, modified version of GRUB and so on. The bottom line is: it can potentially make a mess I don't necessarily want to have to deal with.

I need a no-headache solution.

So here's what I thought I'd do instead of partitions: How about making BIOS think my HDD is actually two HDD's? Like, physically, I mean. That way, to switch between systems, I'd go into BIOS and change the booting order.

I'd avoid the partitioning mess using this method. Each OS would have it's own HDD (or so it would think) and it could do whatever it wanted with the bootloader.

However, the lack of satisfactory Google results on the matter makes me wonder if I'm the first person to think of such a thing...

So, can it be done? If so, how?

Reply 1 of 6, by tayyare

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Sorry if I'm so predictable, but why don't you just connect really two HDDs?

PS: I never ever heard, anything like you are asking is, even remotely possible. Of course I might be wrong.

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Reply 2 of 6, by alexanrs

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AFAIK there is no easy software solution, and even if it did, it would probably require an option ROM to bypass the PCs BIOS (and you are using a netbook: no NICs to easily load it)... And that is before considering the both Windows and Linux will bypass the BIOS and talk directly to the drives.

If you're going to try many distros, you could either do it with Virtual Machines or install them to a fast USB flash drive/HDD.

tayyare wrote:

Sorry if I'm so predictable, but why don't you just connect really two HDDs?

He said he is using a netbook. It is probably impossible to install two HDDs there.

Reply 3 of 6, by Firtasik

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What about reinstalling GRUB from Live CD/USB?

Anyway, do backups!

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Reply 4 of 6, by Yasashii

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Well, it was worth a shot anyways...

time to cough up some money on an external HDD then.

Still, thanks 😀

Reply 5 of 6, by tayyare

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alexanrs wrote:
tayyare wrote:

Sorry if I'm so predictable, but why don't you just connect really two HDDs?

He said he is using a netbook. It is probably impossible to install two HDDs there.

I should have read more carefully, my mistake, sorry. 😊 .

GA-6VTXE PIII 1.4+512MB
Geforce4 Ti 4200 64MB
Diamond Monster 3D 12MB SLI
SB AWE64 PNP+32MB
120GB IDE Samsung/80GB IDE Seagate/146GB SCSI Compaq/73GB SCSI IBM
Adaptec AHA29160
3com 3C905B-TX
Gotek+CF Reader
MSDOS 6.22+Win 3.11/95 OSR2.1/98SE/ME/2000

Reply 6 of 6, by Malvineous

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Maybe you could partition the internal disk into two parts, one for Windows, and one for Linux Data. Then you can just install Linux onto a smaller USB stick, and have it mount /home on the internal data partition.

The end result is that you only need a relatively small USB stick for Linux (4GB should be fine, maybe 8GB for larger distros) but all your data will be on the internal disk. That means if you change distros, most of your settings will be saved across the switch and you'll only have to reinstall the programs you want on the new distro.

Of course depending on the distros you choose, most of the more technical ones allow you to install to a partition rather than a drive, and put the bootloader inside the partition as well. This means you can switch distros whenever you want and the main bootloader on the MBR won't get touched, so you don't have to worry about Windows being made unbootable.