[shaile_chn]

Hi,
If we run both Linux (Red Hat) and windows on 1 system then we do entry in /etc/fstab file for making the Linux to understand windows file system (FAT32).
I want to know that which Red hat Linux version (or Fedora) support NTFS of Windows OS.

Also, when we format Linux partition from windows OS then after restarting of system windows does not start as its MBR is lost.
Is there any solution to this problem or any other way remove Linux from system ??? :

[saikee]

I suppose every member has a duty to challenge a statement if it appears misleading.

(1) Only one system can be run between Red Hat Linux and Windows, unless you use a virtual machine management layer.

(2) the file /etc/fstab is a list of files the kernel is "instructed" to mount. Linux understands fat32 partitions and so they can be mounted "manually" or automatically by /etc/fstab at boot time.

(3) I think every Linux supports ntfs partitions by reading the content if such a partition is mounted and the permission is enabled. The kernel has to be very old not to support this feature. Writing on ntfs partition "reliably" is however a recent development. The most popular/successful project seems to be nyfs-3g. This is not supported by my Red Hat 9 or Fedora Core 4 and older. I had ntfs-3g successfully "yum" in FC5 and FC6.

(4) Windows does not support Linux and so there is no facility in Win9x, Win2k, xp and Vista to format a Linux partition in Ext2/3 or Reiserfs format. If you use a 3rd party software inside Windows to format a Linux partition, say with Partition Magic, then you could get "tragic" result because such software may not necessarily understand Linux partitions.

(5) When a partition is formatted it is the creation of a file idexing system. The MBR is in the boot sector of the first partition and no formatting program I know would dare to destroy the information in the boot sector. Therefore technically it appears to me impossible. Also formatting a Linux partition in Window to cause the loss of the MBR is something no MS Windows would permit.

(6) Even if the MBR is nuked every installation CD of the MS system can be used to restore the original MBR. Prior to Vista the common MS MBR can be restored by a bootable Dos floppy too. Now a Vista CD is needed to restore the MBR for Vista which has changed to a new MBR.