Dual Booting With A Linux and keeping vista bootloader


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hey, in my new computer, which will come clean of any Os'es, i want to install ubuntu (probally, might change, but basically a distro with GRUB bootloader (aomost certainly i guess) )

i dont care what i install first or wha, just need to be told what to do, i want the vista bootloader, so it boots vista unless i tell it otherwise on boot screen (For example i can turn it on and go eat cake, and vista will be open when im back like xp has 30 sec screen before chosing os, and its the primary, i want vista to be the primary, and ability to choose ubuntu)

im not certain how to do it, i saw tons of guides but all of them had grub as they're main boot loader, they just pop live cd with the partition ready and install linux, thats usally where the guide's end, but i want vista bootloader main, please help me.

thanks

matan

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You can also edit grub list and make vista the default one too.

If you are installing Ubuntu, just install windows and install ubuntu using wubi. Wubi will add an entry on windows bootloader for ubuntu. Otherwise install vista, then install the linux distro you want, then just go to /boot and edit grub config file. Usually the instructions to edit it are inside the file already.

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Grub is more capable of a bootloader than Vista's. But if you want to use the Vista boot loader (and lose the ability to pass boot-time parameters or manually initiate a specific kernel on your Ubuntu install) that's fine. I have only ever used the GRUB commands for a few days when I was adding drives for dual-booting and changing Linux versions manually and needed to test out different configurations.

EasyBCD or wubi would be good options. Wubi does not change any partition information, allowing for easier removal, if you think that your Linux install is "just to see and try it" and may be removed.

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When you install Ubuntu on a partition, there's an option to "not" install the bootloader to the MBR of the drive. Use this option when installing (it's in the advanced settings on the last screen of the installer before it actually installs the OS). This will "not" screw up your Vista bootloader. Once Ubuntu finishes installing, use EasyBCD to add a boot entry to the Vista bootloader for linux. When you select your linux OS, the Vista bootloader will send you to the linux bootloader where you can boot to linux normally. Also, keep in mind I'm speaking from experience, as I'm doing a triple boot on my laptop following the steps I just gave you. "If" you actually needed to pass boot time parameters (which it doesn't seem like you'll ever do that anyway), you can still do it as using EasyBCD doesn't just boot straight into linux, you get a menu list of options. My particular setup has the following when it goes to the Ubuntu bootloader:

Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic

Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (recovery mode)

Ubuntu 8.04.1, memtest86+

Other operating systems:

Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)

Use the (up) and (down) keys to select which entry is highlighted. Press enter to boot the selected OS, 'e' to edit the commands before booting, or 'c' for a command-line.

Selecting that last option takes me back to the Vista bootloader. This method works very well and I have not had any problems with it. EasyBCD works very very well for this task.

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Grub is more capable of a bootloader than Vista's. But if you want to use the Vista boot loader (and lose the ability to pass boot-time parameters or manually initiate a specific kernel on your Ubuntu install) that's fine. I have only ever used the GRUB commands for a few days when I was adding drives for dual-booting and changing Linux versions manually and needed to test out different configurations.

EasyBCD or wubi would be good options. Wubi does not change any partition information, allowing for easier removal, if you think that your Linux install is "just to see and try it" and may be removed.

wubi is like the suckage in my expirience, it shows errors all the time, doesn't work alot, i'd also rather linux having it's own partition, also im not at a tech level i need to make commands in the grub menu, if i run into issues, ill Reinstall linux, no problems

Another question: do i need another swap file for the linux install and one for the windows?

also, to the guy above me, i want it to go straight to windows vista, and do it auto after a few seconds or so, since the linux will be like probally 10% of my usage or less in the Comp, i dont know what easyBCD is, but it sounds like wubi or something. correct me if im wrong, but if its just another auto linux dual boot installer im not intrested, had some really bad Expirience with them, i dont want the bootloader with the 3 linuxes and ability to spinoff to windows BL, i want a windows boot loader, which if i say linux, it spinoffs to grub possibly, or just loads linux.

another reason wubi isn't an option, because i need the linux reliable, i might need to do some work on it, important work for me, i cant count on wubi, it doesn't work well at all from my Expirience, having to load the file from Windows, bah. kinda lame :p

Edited by matessim
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Linux makes a swap partition, not a file.

I would not recommend you try to make Linux use a Windows swap file. That would be like Ghostbusters crossing the streams. Bad.

EasyBCD isn't like wubi at all. Here is a bit of explanation of wubi.

wubi reserves a large file on your NTFS filesystem to use as a Linux "drive". It adds a "wubi" selection option to your Microsoft boot loader that points to that file, and mounts that fileimage. Then it runs. Just like regular Linux. Not sure what "errors" you say you got, but wubi is a real Linux boot (just one extra file abstraction layer is all). Everything else is 100% normal Linux.

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matessim, EasyBCD is basically a GUI front end to manage your bootloader. You can use it to set whatever OS in the list to be the default. If you want Vista to be the default, you can set it as the default and also use it to change the amount of time before it auto-boots. I have mine set to 30secs by default because I'm lazy, and sometimes I like having that extra bit of time if I reboot and forgot why I rebooted (it happens sometimes lol). For what you want to do, EasyBCD really is an "easy" way to achieve that. It's nothing like Wubi, it just lets you edit the Vista bootloader.

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ok guys, bookmarking this page for documentation for myself under my New Computer To Do folder, thanks for the help.

*Hands Over cookies and signed hats :p*

i didnt understand some thing though

if i just installed linux, so it made grub my manager, it means easyBCD can edit my bootloader, but it wont edit my main bootloader, it will edit the vista one, which i need to go through a menu to get to, so how do i set vista bootloader first in first place, install ubuntu first? second? what?

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ok guys, bookmarking this page for documentation for myself under my New Computer To Do folder, thanks for the help.

*Hands Over cookies and signed hats :p*

i didnt understand some thing though

if i just installed linux, so it made grub my manager, it means easyBCD can edit my bootloader, but it wont edit my main bootloader, it will edit the vista one, which i need to go through a menu to get to, so how do i set vista bootloader first in first place, install ubuntu first? second? what?

just use grub and edit the menu and timeout how you please. easybcd didn't work so well for me before.

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ok guys, bookmarking this page for documentation for myself under my New Computer To Do folder, thanks for the help.

*Hands Over cookies and signed hats :p*

i didnt understand some thing though

if i just installed linux, so it made grub my manager, it means easyBCD can edit my bootloader, but it wont edit my main bootloader, it will edit the vista one, which i need to go through a menu to get to, so how do i set vista bootloader first in first place, install ubuntu first? second? what?

How do you select the boot priorities in GRUB? Some distros provide a GUI tool (I think Fedora and possibly Ubuntu do), but if yours does not, just take "root" powers (sudo or su) and edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst file.

Change the "default" line. Like most computers start counting, the first entry is 0. The second is 1. So a "default 1" statement makes your second listed OS the default if you don't select anything on boot. There is also a timeout you can adjust. And a "savedefault" line you can put in every boot option that will make whichever one you chose last time the default for next boot without having to change any files any more.

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If you want the Vista bootloader to the the "primary" bootloader, install Vista first (make sure you have a partition for linux though). Once Vista is installed, boot to the live cd of Ubuntu, and run the installer. Before you actually start "installing" linux, make sure you select the advanced option to install the bootloader to that partition, and not the main bootloader. This will retain the Vista bootloader, however you will be unable to boot to Ubuntu until you add an entry to the Vista bootloader using EasyBCD. It may sound hard, but it's very simple. Just follow these steps:

1.) Install Vista

2.) Install EasyBCD on Vista

3.) Install Ubuntu to it's own partition (making sure you install the Ubuntu bootloader to it's own partition and not the primary).

4.) Run EasyBCD in Vista to add Ubuntu entry to Vista Bootloader.

5.) Enjoy OSes

:)

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I would not recommend you try to make Linux use a Windows swap file. That would be like Ghostbusters crossing the streams. Bad.

Sorry to take this off-topic, but that line is so brilliant I'm going to put it in my signature :)

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If you want the Vista bootloader to the the "primary" bootloader, install Vista first (make sure you have a partition for linux though). Once Vista is installed, boot to the live cd of Ubuntu, and run the installer. Before you actually start "installing" linux, make sure you select the advanced option to install the bootloader to that partition, and not the main bootloader. This will retain the Vista bootloader, however you will be unable to boot to Ubuntu until you add an entry to the Vista bootloader using EasyBCD. It may sound hard, but it's very simple. Just follow these steps:

1.) Install Vista

2.) Install EasyBCD on Vista

3.) Install Ubuntu to it's own partition (making sure you install the Ubuntu bootloader to it's own partition and not the primary).

4.) Run EasyBCD in Vista to add Ubuntu entry to Vista Bootloader.

5.) Enjoy OSes

:)

thanks man, i found this post The most helpful one yet, step by step dumbed down is the way to go for me because i usally mess **** up any possible way i can. ty mate

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When you install Ubuntu (or other Linux) you can pick the destination for GRUB. It is typical to put it into the MBR (first sector of first partition). You can, however (sometimes as an "advanced" setting) pick another location like the first sector of your Linux boot or root partition.

In that case, you will need to manually tell your other existing boot manager to look there.

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