Boot to different partitions on hard-disk via BootCD?, Can I boot into different operating systems on my hard-disk via a disc External links Rating Options

[Panarchy]

Hi

I'm looking for a software solution that will allow me to boot into any partition on my hard-drive.

I have a SATA 1TB Seagate hard disk drive.

Would Grub4dos do the trick? Or would you recommend a different BootCD/LiveCD?

As I will be having around 9 operating systems on my 1TB hard-drive, and if anything goes wrong, I want to be able to access any partition via a disc (I don't have a floppy drive).

If you could recommend a BootCD/LiveCD for me to use, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance,

Panarchy

PS: I'm especially interested in using GRUB or BCD from a disc for this, as I will be booting into 9 different operating systems, especially if I were to go the GRUB route, I'd make a copy of my menu.lst and put it on the BootCD... hopefully?

[was_jaclaz]

Would Grub4dos do the trick? Or would you recommend a different BootCD/LiveCD?

Yes, grub4dos is currently the most "wide" bootmanager, as it can boot, beside chainloading actual bootsectors, most OS system files directly.
For NT based systems, having on the CD also the equivalent of these "emergency" floppies is imperative:
http://www.xxcopy.com/xxcopy33.htm
http://www.multibooters.co.uk/floppy.html
(and grub4dos also allows for mapping floppy images)

jaclaz

[Panarchy]

Yes, grub4dos is currently the most "wide" bootmanager, as it can boot, beside chainloading actual bootsectors, most OS system files directly.
For NT based systems, having on the CD also the equivalent of these "emergency" floppies is imperative:
http://www.xxcopy.com/xxcopy33.htm
http://www.multibooters.co.uk/floppy.html
(and grub4dos also allows for mapping floppy images)

jaclaz

Thanks. However, I DO NOT have a floppy drive, also floppy disks are hard to come by nowadays.

Please recommend to me a bootable CD solution.

Thanks in advance,

Panarchy

PS: Thanks for telling me a bit more about GRUB4DOS though...

[was_jaclaz]

Thanks. However, I DO NOT have a floppy drive, also floppy disks are hard to come by nowadays.

Really?

Who actually talked about a floppy drive?

I said "the equivalent of these floppies" which can mean BOTH:

• replicating their working on the Cd

OR

• using a floppy image chainloaded by grub4dos

Please recommend to me a bootable CD solution.

I already did.

Use grub4dos.

The above does not mean that I will guide you step by step in doing whatever you wish or that I'll make you a course on grub4dos CD booting, it means:
READ the grub4dos guide:
http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=5187
http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/Grub4dos.htm

BROWSE the grub4dos forum:
http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showforum=66

LEARN from guide and examples posted what the features and possibilities of grub4dos are, then, once you have a basic understanding of what features it has, feel free to ask for help for any doubt you may still have.



jaclaz

[Panarchy]

Thanks for clearing that up jaclaz.

However, after thinking about it for a while, I've decided again DOS4WIN. As I don't think I can replace it with Solaris's GRUB, which supports booting into ZFS partitions.

Can someone please recommend a Linux/FreeBSD/Solaris/OpenSolaris based LiveCD that has a GRUB feature, which I can replace/edit with my own menu.lst (and, if Linux or FreeBSD based, one that I can replace with my GRUB folder from Solaris/OpenSolaris).

Thanks in advance for this BootCD/LiveCD suggestion,

Panarchy

[was_jaclaz]

However, after thinking about it for a while, I've decided again DOS4WIN.

again DOS4WIN?

You mean against grub4dos?

As I don't think I can replace it with Solaris's GRUB, which supports booting into ZFS partitions.

You do not need to replace anything.
You can chainload the (hdx,y)+1 zfs partition and use it's original bootsector, or combine grub4dos or other bootmanager with OS-BS mbrldr, as user morroman did for his "strange" SCO UNIX:
http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=5807

jaclaz

[Panarchy]

^So you're 100% sure that I can boot directly into ZFS partitions from the GRUB4DOS disc?

(Yes, GRUB4DOS, not GRUB4WIN... lol )

Because if that is the case, then I will burn the floppy image (with emulation?) to a CD or DVD.
_______________________________________________________________________

If it is the case, then can you please tell me exactly what to put in my menu.lst file?

Here's my partitioning schema;


Please tell me what to put in my menu.lst for GRUB.

Thanks in advance,

Panarchy

[was_jaclaz]

If it is the case, then can you please tell me exactly what to put in my menu.lst file?

NO.
Nothing against you, your partitioning scheme, Solaris/ZFS or anything , but the idea is NOT that of doing other people's homework.

Please tell me what to put in my menu.lst for GRUB.

Please re-read, this time slowly , post #4:
http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...t=6951&st=3

jaclaz

[Panarchy]

Thanks.

Well I will now get my plan into one post. This will serve as both a 'backup' of all information on this, so that I won't need to read through this entire topic (and linked off guides) again, and also as a way of asking if what I am planning on is correct.

So I will download SYSlinux, then I will download GRUB4DOS.

Load via SysLinux

To load via Syslinux you will first need to install Syslinux to a bootable device. Copy C:\Grub4dos\GRUB.EXE to the drive containing your Syslinux files and add an entry to the Syslinux configuration file syslinux.cfg. e.g. –

CODE

LABEL grud4dos
MENU LABEL Grub4dos
KERNEL grub.exe

Have I missed anything? Oh right, I'll use ImgBurn to make the .iso and burn the .iso to disc.

Please tell me if there is anything else I need to do (other than edit the menu.lst) in order to enable booting directly from GRUB4DOS from Syslinux into ANY one of my partitions.

I have a Seagate 1TB SATA hard-drive, and here is what my partitioning schema will be;


Please tell me if I need to do anything else in order to boot directly into my partitions from the disc,

Thanks in advance,

Panarchy

[mr_]

You have the option to install your bootmanager either on hdd, on cd or both. I would prefer both, cd (or other medium) as backup. And you still want boot from cd first and then your operating systems?

It's not really needed to use syslinux / isolinux first in order to start grub4dos, you can start it directly, see
- http://grub4dos.sourceforge.net/wiki/index..._bootable_CDROM
- http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/...ll.htm#method10