[wplug] Multi-booting Linux/Win?

[terry mcintyre]

--- Tim Lesher <tlesher at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Fri, May 23, 2008 at 2:03 PM, Zach
> <netrek at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > I have run Windows 98 and Linux together using
> LILO and now I want to
> > run Debian, Knoppix, Windows 98 and Windows XP
> Home Edition all on the
> > same machine. Any tips/suggestions would be
> appreciated. I heard XP
> > may try to aggressively overwrite the MBR with its
> boot block, if true
> > how do I disable that?
> 
> 
> That's true, and it's not a behavior you can
> disable.
> 
> The rationale was explained by Raymond Chen a few
> years ago (and it's not
> "to beat up on Linux" :-) ).
> 
>
http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2005/12/20/505887.aspx
> 
>
http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2006/07/11/662325.aspx
> 

Let's say, charitably, that they're not actually
picking on other Operating Systems. The alternative
rationale is far worse: Microsoft engineers are not
sufficiently competent to figure out how to do the
Right Thing.

As one of the comments to the article above suggests,
if there are multiple partitions, and the MBR appears
to have LILO or GRUB installed, it doesn't cost much
to play nicely. Many Linux installers do just that,
and even provide an entry to boot Windows.

It isn't only "ultradweebs" who have dual-boot 
machines nowadays. Microsoft's days of glory are
numbered; Windows may survive only in dual or triple
boot systems, or a guest of some more secure OS.

Last weekend, as I flew to Atlanta and back, I
observed more non-Windows laptops than Windows. OS X
and Linux aren't so scary anymore, especially among
college students. The article in question was written
in 2005;   much has changed since then.



Terry McIntyre &lt;terrymcintyre at yahoo.com&gt;

“Wherever is found what is called a paternal government, there is found state education. It has been discovered that the best way to insure implicit obedience is to commence tyranny in the nursery.”

Benjamin Disraeli, Speech in the House of Commons [June 15, 1874]