[runt888]

I want to be able to use my first hard drive in Linux. It is FAT 32 partitioned and has Windows 98 on it. Some early attemps to mount it didn't work, and ended up with messages like mount point doesn't not exist and special device does not exist. I think it's called hda, but I'm not sure. How do I find out? Also, how do I set it up so it mounts automatically when I boot up? Please be very specific, as I am new at all this. Thanks for the help.

[maxim]

What do you mean by 'early attempts to mount it', and 'so it mounts automatically when I boot up'? I am not sure what you would like to do, but I can probably help.

You say you want to use your first hard drive in Linux. Linux does not run in a FAT32 enviorment, unless you can do a partitionless install, which I don't recommend because if you have to re-install Windows, you'll need to re-install your linux system. RedHat and Mandrake allow you to do this. If you want your whole hard drive to be linux, and you have an extra drive, then just install the second hard drive as the slave, and copy that data onto the next hard drive. Then, you will want to install Linux on the first hard drive (yes, it's called hda). Oh, by the way, when you partition for linux, you may get something like:

/boot=hda1
/=hda5
SWAP=hda6

This will be normal. The numbers 5 and 6 indicate an extended partition. DOn't panic, as I did when I installed Linux .

Personally, I'd recommend installing a second drive, and using <i>that</i> for linux. Because Linux is flexible, it will still work perfect. Also, it will be EASY to partiton with Linux because there will not be any data that you will need to back up. Just boot from the Linux CD-ROM, and install! Oh, and if you do this, make sure that, when prompted, you install on hdb, NOT hda. This will make your windows data go bye-bye

Another thing, do you want to dual-boot?

Which Distro are you using? That would probably help me alot. Look foward to a response, as I like to help people! Linux is probably one of the only things I can <i>really</i> help with. Anyway, good luck! Let me know, and I'll get back to you!

--maxim

[runt888]

I already did a dual boot with Windows 98. Windows is on my first hard drive, red Hat 7.1 is on my second. All of that works great. I just want to be able to access my windows hard drive from Linux, and set Linux up to mount my first hard drive automatically when it boots so I don't have to do it manually everytime I want to use it. Thanks for the help!

[maxim]

OH, so your kinda saying that you want LILO to boot Windows (or dos, as LILO calls it) automatically, instead of Linux, Correct? Like, so when you leave the room, Windows will boot automaticaly. In other words, I think you want Windows to be the default. I hope this is what you want.

The easiest way is to edit your /etc/lilo.conf file, add an appropriate default= line near the top (first line of the file is O.K.) and then run /sbin/lilo.

The default= line should refer to the label in your MS-DOS "stanza." Usually, that would be whichever word you've been manually typing at the LILO: prompt to get into MS-DOS.

Here's an example:

default=dos
boot=/dev/hda3
root=/dev/hda3
install=/boot/boot.b
map=/boot/map
vga=normal
delay=20
image=/vmlinuz
label=Linux
read-only
other=/dev/hda1
label=dos

DOn't make your file look exactly like this. 'root=' is where linux is. I assume it's /dev/hdb, so have your stuff accordingly.

The main thing is that the default=dos line is in there, so that LILO makes it the default.

And as always, run the /sbin/lilo command to update your boot record and maps in order for your changes to work, or you can get a dreaded L1010...prompt.

That's about it! Good Luck! And if that's not what you wanted, let me know and I'll be on it!

--maxim

[runt888]

No, I'm fine with Linux being the default. When Linux boots, I want it to automatically mount my Windows hard drive so I can use it in Linux. I have a lot of files on my windows drive that I want to use in both operating systems, but I don't want to copy them over to my second drive.

[maxim]

Sorry to tell you, but I don't think you can do that. You see, Linux uses a different filesystem; Ext2, I believe. Anyway, Windows uses a FAT32 filesystem. Linux cannot read this, and if it could, it would probably get confused. Sorry. You might want to post on <a href=http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions>LinuxQuestions.org</a>. You will probably get more help here, as there are not too many UNIX/Linux users here on the techguy. Good Luck!

--maxim