Install - boot question

[walt]

On Thu, 30 Dec 2004, Paul Grunwald wrote:

> I don't mind reinstalling DFly again - what is the best method to dual-boot
> DFly and WinXP?

My answer will not be the simplest path to follow -- but I have been happy
with grub (Grand Unified Boot Loader) for many years.  It is available as
a FreeBSD/DrangonFly port for easy installation: /usr/ports/sysutils/grub

The grub configuration file is the show-stopper:

# cat /c/boot/grub/menu.lst (also named grub.conf, depending on the version)
default 1  [boot Dfly (2nd menu choice) by default after 20 seconds]
timeout 20

title Windows
root (hd0,0)  [this is the first partiton of the first hard disk]
chainloader +1 [load the boot blocks installed by M$ in the Win partition]

title Dfly
root (hd0,1,a)    [this is the 2nd DOS partition on the first hard disk]
kernel /boot/loader   [note: the 'a' refers to the DFlyBSD disklabel 'a']

In my case, the /c disk is a FAT32 FS because Windows demands a primary
DOS partition to which it installs its own boot loader, ntldr.  This is
true whether or not Windows is installed the primary DOS partition, or
in an extended partition, even on a different physical disk.

Note that the grub variables 'root' and 'kernel' are the important ones
to set in the config file.  In the FreeBSD/DflyBSD context, the 'kernel'
is /boot/loader.  In other settings (linux or NetBSD) the 'kernel' is
actually the actual executable kernel residing in / or /boot.

The best way to learn grub is to install it on a floppy boot disk.  You
can then use the grub boot floppy to boot almost any computer using the
grub command-line interpreter to set the 'root' and 'kernel' variables
from the grub command prompt.

If you don't already know grub, then it may not be the best answer for
your immediate needs.  I strongly recommend that you invest the time to
learn how to use grub for the next time you run into similar problems
with booting.