Topic: SME and Windows OS in one Computer

[daley]

Hi All,

Is it a way that we can install two differences operating system (SME and Win OS) in one box, my understanding is during every time of SME installation, SME will erased off all the data on disk.

My question is how do we custom install two platforms into one box and without erase off the another operating system data into the one same single harddisk setup.

pls advise.

regards,
daley

[Tyrone Miles]

I don't know why you would want to do it. But the only way I could think that it would be done is to split the drive into 2 partitions maiking one on the patitions hidden. Then load e-smith on the un-hidden partitions, configure it then when you are done unhide the hidden partition and load windows on that on, then you would most likely will have to redo the bootloader to see both OS's.

I would check google or there are some utilities on Tucows or Downloads.com that you can use to hide partitions.

[Michael Maggard]

Tyrone Miles wrote:
>
> I don't know why you would want to do it. But the only way I
> could think that it would be done is to split the drive into
> 2 partitions maiking one on the patitions hidden. Then load
> e-smith on the un-hidden partitions, configure it then when
> you are done unhide the hidden partition and load windows on
> that on, then you would most likely will have to redo the
> bootloader to see both OS's.

'Cept SME will blow away all existing partitions when it installs, including any "hidden" Windows ones. It even blew away the partitions on a second HD I had installed (the documentation warns they don't test/plan for 2nd disk effects.)

The best ways I know of to run either Windows or SME off of the same box are:

Dual Boot: First install SME then use a tool like "Partition Magic" to create a second partition for MS Windows. Then use either the Win NT (2K, XP) Boot Load or the SME boot loader to dual boot, they both support this. As to the details of how to undertake Windows/Linux dual-booting there are a number of online guides that walk you through step-by-step, just keep in mind you need to start from an installed SME. Btw SME is a Redhat-based distribution so anything for it will work on SME (as long as its command-line based.)

Or run one under the other. My choice would be running SME under MS Windows. For this you'd use an application like "Vmware" or "Virtual PC for Windows" to create a virtualized PC environment for SME to run within. As far as SME is concerned it's on a stock PC with brand-name components, only you need know it's running inside another OS. This works remarkably well, is fantastic for test environments, you can trivially make duplicates and duplicates of particular configurations to test out various scenarios.

Or there's my basic question - Why? For ~US$250 you can get a fine generic box from Walmart and toss SME on it, have a full time server and no futzing around. Don't need a monitor, can unplug the keyboard once set up, borrow the CD ROM from another PC for the install, a 10/100 NIC's can be found for ~US$5, sure the HD may only be 10GB but that's a fine start. Frankly bang-for-the-buck (and effort!) this beats any dual-boot or one-under-the-other solution.

PowerQuest Partition Magic:
>http://www.powerquest.com/partitionmagic/
 
VMware Workstation:
>http://www.vmware.com/products/desktop/ws_features.html
 
Connectix Virtual PC For Windows:
>http://www.connectix.com/products/vpc4w.html

Walmart PCs Without OS:
>http://tinyurl.com/3je2

[Andy MacDonald]

Just bite the bullet and use a removable hard drive caddy. One OS per disc.

[Kevin Flanagan]

Can you please say what you are trying to achieve?  

Do you want to dual boot?
Would you like to just have an SME server that you can work on to develop something?


There are multiple ways to do things, that's always true.  

If you just want to have an SME server that you can boot now and then to test, or have running all of the time you could do several things.

First thing, why only one computer, you can get a system for next to nothing that'll run SME server, I'd guess that a $100 computer would work just fine.


If you only have space, etc for one system try looking at virtualizing the second system.

   VM Ware is a great tool, it does cost money though.  It'll run a complete system in a window.  www.vmware.com I have run a demo of SME server on one laptop, SME server in a VM, Windows 2000 as the host system, works well, networking is a bit of a trick, but can be made to work.

   BOCHS is an open source tool bochs.sourceforge.net, it's free, and looks like it'll do similar things to VMWare.

   


Good luck,


   Kevin

[daley]

hi all,

thanks.

two platfroms in one harddisk, yeah... at any one time, either the MS Windows / SME startup or multi-boot startup, i wanna have a SME server and WinXP on one laptop for demo.

well, how do i start off? what are the steps like? i mean... does it really matter what operating system is install first and so on....

kindly advise.

regards,
daley

[Michael Maggard]

daley wrote:

> two platfroms in one harddisk, yeah... at any one time,
> either the MS Windows / SME startup or multi-boot startup, i
> wanna have a SME server and WinXP on one laptop for demo.
>
> well, how do i start off? what are the steps like? i mean...
> does it really matter what operating system is install first
> and so on....

Well, start by reading and responding to the replies already made.

Then do a search on e-smith.org site for information; this isn't a new topic and there's lots of stuff here already. If you don't find exactly what you want (and I'd be suprised if not, make sure you search back a ways and also check out the FAQs and HowTo's) then do a Google search. Rest assured you'll eventually find some instructions and advice.

Once you've got a set come back and ask some specific questions if you've got any. However please put at least some minimal effort in first before asking folks to spoon-feed you.

[Michael Smith]

FWIW I've used XOSL (http://www.xosl.org) successfully w/various flavors of Windows and Linux, multibooting up to 5 OSes on one HDD.  XOSL can hide partitions and hand off smoothly to LILO or GRUB.  You have to install it first, then install your other OSes.  If I were doing what you describe, I'd install XOSL first, then Windoze XP, then SME.

If it works, let us know!

[Robert]

daley wrote:
> two platfroms in one harddisk, yeah... at any one time,
> either the MS Windows / SME startup or multi-boot startup, i
> wanna have a SME server and WinXP on one laptop for demo.
>
> well, how do i start off? what are the steps like? i mean...
> does it really matter what operating system is install first
> and so on....
>
At least up to SME 5.1.2 it used to be quite simple to get a dual-booting system. You would simply copy the install.cfg kickstart configuration file from the CD-ROM to the ks.cfg file on the installation floppy and edit to taste (i.e. delete the lines having to do with partitioning). A search in these forums will return detailed instructions.
However, I think I remember reading some reports that this method doesn't work with SME 5.5. I haven't tried myself.
As for the order of installing, it's best to install Windows first and Linux second. This is because a Windows installation will wreck your master boot record, whereas a Linux installation can be very gentle with the other bootloaders. SME's LILO configuration will also automatically take care of pre-existing boot options.

[Jáder Marasca]

I have done this! I have Win2k and SME 512 on my Thinkpad MMX233 96Mb RAM 6 Gb HDD!

This is my HowTo (from memory and in a few steps!)

1) If you have something in you HDD (winXXXX) do a ghost of it to another disk/computer - later we´ll bring it back!
2) Install SME (it will DESTROY ALL YOUR DATA IN ALL HDDs!)
3) With Partition Magic do a resize and create new partitions.   I have:
   1 for XOSL ,
   1 for DATA (shared between W2k and SME!),
   1 for SME and
   1 for W2k

3) Install XOSL (www.xosl.org) and create boot option allways hidding other ones!

4) Bring your Ghost from other HDD/computer to your W2k partition

5) Adjust your boot.ini for W2k (or you´ll have problems on boot: HAL problems)
??You maybe can need the w2k CD!

6) Cross your fingers AND pray!

7) Boot and choose from SME or Win2K


Now I have my old Notebook to do demos of SME!!

I´m just thinking about how to do to update my SME to 5.6...
I think I´ll have to do from the begginig again! Or maybe just get a new notebook!