Well, it also depends on which version of Windows you're using. If you're using something like ME or XP then, the Windows OS protects the MBR somehow. So, any other software which tries to access / overwrite MBR will fail.
How can a system that isn't even running prevent anything? I thought The best (or worst) it could do is the restore the MBR to its old state AFTER you start windows. So at the very least you should get the lilo prompt at least once. Some BIOSes do protect the MBR, though... but they usually throw up a dialog box and besides they wouldn't have an effect on Linux which accesses the hardware directly, thereby cutting the BIOS out of the picture.
- If you have NT Boot Loader (if using XP), then create an image file of the
boot sector using dd. Copy this file to some windows partition. Edit your
A simpler way, if your NT/2k/XP boot partition (the partition with NTLDR.EXE) is installed is FAT is to create a dummy 512-byte file (using dd) and add it to the boot.ini as you described. Then set the 'boot' parameter in Lilo as the name of the file... eg. boot = /mnt/winc/lilo.bin
Then so long as you have your windows partition mounted rw you can just use lilo as you always do.
How can a system that isn't even running prevent anything? I thought The best (or worst) it could do is the restore the MBR to its old state AFTER you start windows. So at the very least you should get the lilo prompt at least once. Some BIOSes do protect the MBR, though... but they usually throw up a dialog box and besides they wouldn't have an effect on Linux which accesses the hardware directly, thereby cutting the BIOS out of the picture.
Well, I don't much about it. But, if you mark a sector RO (if at all it can be done), then applying to the MBR will prevent other OSs from writing onto it. This is just a wild guess - could be wrong as well.
A simpler way, if your NT/2k/XP boot partition (the partition with NTLDR.EXE) is installed is FAT is to create a dummy 512-byte file (using dd) and add it to the boot.ini as you described. Then set the 'boot' parameter in Lilo as the name of the file... eg. boot = /mnt/winc/lilo.bin
Then so long as you have your windows partition mounted rw you can just use lilo as you always do.
Same thing done the other way....... There is a catch in it though... Before executing it, you need to have Windows partition mounted at /mnt/winc, right?? Now, while loading the bootloader you don't know of any filesystem tree. Then where will "winc" be mounted??? Only after booting into linux will you be able to access /mnt - unless of course it is onto a different partition. But again, it would be better if you use the device name + partition no. combination instead of *nix filesystem specifics.
Kunal (kgangakhedkar@softhome.net) (kgangakhedkar@hotpop.com)
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Kunal Gangakhedkar -
Vinay Pai