"XOSL quick install HOWTO" v0.9.3 (20.03.2001) *********AKA "quick alphabet install"************************* (referring to "XOSL 1.1.5" and "ranish partition manager 2.4") here's a quick install HOWTO covering the above mentioned programmes. the official web sites are: * http://www.xosl.org/ - XOSL * http://groups.yahoo.com/group/xosl - (mailing list) * http://www.ranish.com/ - ranish partition mgr * http://groups.yahoo.com/group/partman-discussion - (mailing list) "ranish partition manager" - quick info: ranish partman is a powerful partitioning tool with many advanced features (some of them currently under development). mr. ranish is also developing his own powerful bootmanager with many advanced features. the ranish bootmanager doesn't require it's own partition - it resides at the beginning of the HDD. as a drawback it doesn't come with a nice and user friendly GUI. "XOSL" quick info: the "extended operating system loader" is a powerful bootmanager with an advanced and user friendly GUI. therefore it requires a reasonable amount of space on your HDD. it can be installed to either it's own dedicated primary partition or on top of a FAT primary partition, where you have installed some operating system. the secure and clean way i recommend is: install it to it's own dedicated partition. "xosl" also comes with "ranish partition manager" built in to set up your partitions! 1. DESCRIPTION: **************** this is neither a complete and detailed manual on those two tools nor does it cover various different approaches setting up your partitions and operating systems. this is just a quick install HOWTO answering various questions (raised frequently) regarding ONE very common task: 2. SUMMARY: ************ assume you bought a reasonable spacious HDD, recently. now you want to set up an advanced multi-boot / multi-OS system. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with this HOWTO i'll cover the task of setting the system up, so you can install two(!) instances of one operating system (e.g. win98), plus an optional linux system in parallel(!) on the same HDD. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx if you want some other more complex configuration, it gets more complicated. this HOWTO just covers a very common, simple and safe configuration. [see footnote #5]. instead of using some tricky workarounds (maybe two OSs sharing the same partition) you'll get a clean and safe system with totally separated partitions. depending on the option you change to boot, the other partitions are hidden accordingly. so those operating systems can't even see each other or mess around on the other partitions. with this HOWTO on hand you'll be able to set up your system as follows: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx PARTITION SETUP: ---------------- prim1: 00,016 MB XOSL (dedicated partition) prim2: XX,XXX MB win98 I (game environment) prim3: YY,YYY MB win98 II (work environment) ext1 : ZZ,ZZZ MB [logicals in here] - log1: AA,AAA MB FAT X (shared data for win I & win II) - log2: BB,BBB MB lnx swap (linux swap partition) - log3: CC,CCC MB lnx (linux regular partition) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx MAIN BOOT OPTIONS: ------------------ a) boot game: prim2(=>"C:"), sees log1 as "D:", prim3 is totally hidden! b) boot work: prim3(=>"C:"), sees log1 as "D:", prim2 is totally hidden! c) boot linux. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx annotation: your second HDD might screw drive LETTERS up, though. the basic idea is: the two windows installations are totally and cleanly separated and hidden from each other. they can't screw up each other. the separation principle: - put all your personal data on the logical "shared data" (log1). e.g. letters, text files, *.wav, whatever. just YOUR plain data. - install all the programmes on that windows "C:" partition (prim2 and prim3). never install programs to the log1 "shared data". - nice side effect: this approach helps you keep your HDD tidy plus enables easy backup of your data. you don't have to search for it all over the HDD - it's all on that one logical drive. 3. SOME VERY BASIC INFO: ************************* PARTITION TABLE: the (historic) partition table standard allows 4 main partitions, only! so you can set up 4 primary partitions, for example. alternatively, you can set up 3 primary partitions and one extended partition. the extended partition may contain several logical drives. PARTITION BOUNDARIES: in a modern PC the HDD's contents are addressed via LBA mode. the ancient way to address the contents is the CHS-mode (cylinders, heads, sectors). although CHS addressing isn't usually used, nowadays, we have to make some programs happy by setting up partitions compliant with the following standard: - primary partitions always START at : cylinder X, head 0, sector 1 - primary partitions always END at : cylinder Y, head 254, sector 63 - logical drives (inside extended) START: cylinder U, head 1, sector 1 - logical drives (inside extended) END : cylinder V, head 254, sector 63 [see footnote #1] suspects requiring this standard might be: DOS, fdisk, various HDD imaging and backup tools, various bootmanagers, scandisk, etc. REQUIREMENTS BY THE OS: various operating systems behave kinda selfish and force us to fulfil some prerequisites. most of the problems arise as those OSs don't expect to be installed together with other operating systems in parallel. take a guess whether this behaviour is by design ;) here's some of those potential requirements: - OS has to be installed on primary partition - OS only can be booted off the first HDD in the system - OS must not see any other primary partitions - otherwise it goes mad - OS boot code has to be below the 1024 cylinders barrier - etc. ms windows for example forces us to meet many of those requirement. if you take linux, in opposite, you'll be surprised: it can be booted off literally from anywhere - e.g. from a logical drive on your second HDD, partition located beyond the 1024 cylinder barrier. [see footnote #2] 4. LET'S GET STARTED: ********************** here's my alphabet: a) create a plain DOS bootable FDD. b) create a DOS bootup floppy with cd-rom support. also have "xcopy", "edit", ms "fdisk" and "format" on it. c) download "XOSL 1.1.5" (or later) and extract it to a FDD. do not copy the included docs onto that FDD. you'll need the space for MBR backup! d) create a plain DOS bootable FDD. download standalone version of partman 2.4 (or later) and extract it to that floppy disk. (NB: partman is included in XOSL, but you'll need the standalone partman for commandline-switches) e) get, print out, read and understand all available docs on "xosl" and "partman" - including the mailing list archives, additional documentation on the official web sites and the included documentation in the downloadable files. f) only proceed, if you're sure to delete all the data on your HDD. g) boot with floppy b) and run MS "fdisk". h) delete all partitions. i) create one primary partition sized 16 MB; then reboot from floppy b). j) use MS "format c:" to format the partition. k) now run xosl-install from FDD c). l) choose "install to dedicated partition". m) leave all other options default. except: i recommend NOT to use "smart bootmanager" support for CD-ROM. opt it out. i have no real experience with this additional feature. n) reboot and XOSL screen shows up. press "CTRL-P" to enter ranish partman. o) use partman wizard to set up prim2 as FAT32 or whatever. - when you're using the wizard by pressing ENTER, don't format right away. just save and choose "format later". in main screen make sure, the wizard created the partition boundaries standards conform. on my machines it didn't always show up like this. so adjust if necessary. you can do this manually. [see footnote #1]. - when done press "F2" to save. then format pressing "f". p) do the same thing with prim3. q) now create an extended partition covering all of the remaining space of your HDD. r) create logical1 drive inside that extended. this will become "shared data". create logical2 drive, equally. this will become linux swap. make it sized double the amount of your system's RAM. (128MB RAM => 256MB SWAP) create logical3 drive, equally. this will become linux. save and format those partitions. check partition boundaries for all. [see footnote #1]. s) now setup XOSL! create following boot entries: 1) label "win game " boot from prim2, hide prim3 2) label "win game - FDD" boot from FDD, hide prim3 3) label "win game - F8" boot from prim2, hide prim3, set F8 be pressed 4) label "win work " boot from prim3, hide prim2 5) label "win work - FDD" boot from FDD, hide prim2 6) label "win work - F8" boot from prim3, hide prim2, set F8 be pressed 7) label "linux" boot from log3 8) label "linux - FDD" boot from FDD see XOSL manual how to set up "hiding", "adding key-strokes", etc.! hint: create 1) then "clone" and modify it to create 2) and 3)! same applies for 4) "cloning" to 5) and 6). t) now boot 2) or 5) and use partman standalone on FDD d) as follows: "part -d 1 -p -r > hdd1_v01.txt" this will write a partition table dump and further info into that file. store the results at save place. print them out. put them in your file. u) now reboot and pick boot option 2) inserting a FDD providing cd-rom support. install windows onto HDD. before first reboot remove floppy. don't worry. XOSL is gone, temporarily(!), because microsoft overwrites the MBR. do all the rebooting and installing necessary for windows installation. when done, proceed: v) boot from plain dos floppy. run xosl-setup, again. select "recover xosl installation" on dedicated partition. reboot. w) now select boot option 5) and install the second windows system as step u) suggests. [see footnote #3]. when done proceed: x) recover xosl, again, as step v) suggests. when done, proceed: y) install linux by booting 8) using the linux setup floppy. when installing linux, make sure you're using a linux distribution with the latest LILO. otherwise you won't be able to boot linux from beyond the 1024 cylinder barrier. [see footnote #2]. also make sure, you install LILO to the bootsector of the linux partition. do NOT install it to the MBR. otherwise it will conflict with XOSL. z) reboot and enter BIOS setup. disable "boot from floppy", so you don't boot from floppy, accidentally! if you want to boot from floppy, you just have to select XOSL boot option 2) or 5). !) done! good luck, because i ran out of "step"-letters in the alphabet ;) if you want to: run step t) again and save the dump as follows: "part -d 1 -p -r > hdd1_v02.txt" 5. ANNOTATION - OTHER APPROACHES: ********************************** there's countless other approaches to setting up XOSL on your system. the above described is ultra-clean, straightforward and safe. that's the one *I* suggest. 6. GENERAL ADVICE: ******************* BACKUP: always and regulary make backups of your data. sooner or later they WILL be gone. that's a fact! USING TOOLS: don't trust partition resizers, imaging tools, fdisks etc. you don't know in every detail. they might not be compliant with open standards and screw up your system. PARTITION TABLE DUMP: very important: keep a printed copy of the data you got during step t) (partman partition dump to textfile) at a safe place! BIOS: before(!) re-installing your system it's a good opportunity to update your motherboard's BIOS to the latest version available. [see footnote #4]. 7. DISCLAIMER AND THANKS: ************************** re-partitioning and updating your computer's BIOS is a non-trivial task with many risks. make sure you know what you're doing. i take no responsibility. do everything at your own risk. i'm no expert concerning partitioning and/or using "ranish partman" and XOSL. in opposite, i'm just an ordinary user trying to help other users to get a quick(!) start using XOSL and partman. the information provided simply bases on my personal experience using those tools. while i'm writing this i'm trying to memorize(!) all of the important facts and steps required. i don't know whether it's complete and/or correct. if you disagree with some of the advice i gave and the facts i tried to explain: please don't hesitate to comment on this - including typos and misspelling :) many thanks go to "geurt vos" (XOSL) and "mikhail ranish" (partman) for providing us with their great programs. they're spending a reasonable amount of their spare time to make their tools available to the public, currently at no charge. make sure to read their license agreements! in case you need FURTHER HELP: - READ ALL AVAILABLE DOCUMENTATION!!! make sure to follow step e) (read all available info)!!! - CONTACTING THE AUTHORS: please understand that the authors of the above programs certainly don't have the time to answer every single user request, personally. currently there's approx 400 users on the xosl mailing list, for example. only contact the authors directly, if it's "confirmed bug" reports or other serious matters. - POSTING TO THE MAILING LIST: also keep in mind there's more than 500 people on the mailing lists. when posting to the list, make sure you set an appropriate topic in the email header, be specific, and follow other standard's "netiquette". happy installing! philipp g. ====================================================================== 8. FOOTNOTES: ************** #1) PARTITION BOUNDARIES as stated in 3.) we have to make some programs happy by setting up partitions compliant with the following standard: - primary partitions always START at : cylinder X, head 0, sector 1 - primary partitions always END at : cylinder Y, head 254, sector 63 - logical drives (inside extended) START: cylinder U, head 1, sector 1 - logical drives (inside extended) END : cylinder V, head 254, sector 63 extended partitions (and logical drives) are treated differently: there is one main extended partition. starting at h0/s1. inside this extended partition there's a logical one (starting at h1/s1) PLUS an extended one (if there's more than 1 logical one), starting at h0/s1, again. they contain each other, somehow. don't know how to explain it, right now. look at the following example: start end part type cyl head sec cyl head sec size (kb) ------------------------------------------------------------------- 0 MBR MBR 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 Pri Unused 0 0 2 0 0 63 31 2 Pri 1 QNY 4.x 0 1 1 5 254 63 48,163 3 >Pri 2 FAT-32 6 0 1 502 254 63 3,992,152 4 Pri 3 FAT-32 503 0 1 875 254 63 2,996,122 5 Pri 4 Ext. LBA 876 0 1 3,736 254 63 22,980,982 6 + Log Linux 876 1 1 887 254 63 96,358 7 Ext Ext 888 0 1 2,380 254 63 11,992,522 8 + Log FAT-32 LBA 888 1 1 2,380 254 63 11,992,491 9 Ext Ext. 2,381 0 1 3,736 254 63 10,892,070 0 + Log Linux 2,381 1 1 3,736 254 63 10,892,038 1 Pri Unused 3,737 0 1 3,737 24 63 787 especially look at part 5: it's size is 22GB and ending at the end of the whole HDD. because it's the top extended one, all following partitions (6-10) are inside that one. NOTE: because we are using the ancient CHS addressing method, we might have a totally different HDD setup, under the hood. so we'll usually end up with two areas of unused space: a) one residing between MBR and XOSL partition. b) one residing at the end of the HDD. this behaviour is by design. anyway, who cares about a couple of MBs of unused space, nowadays? #2) 1024 CYLINDER BARRIER USING LINUX (LILO) as stated in 3.) and y) you should use a linux distribution with the latest version of LILO. recommended version: >= 21.7 otherwise you can't boot linux off from beyond the 1024 cylinder barrier. a traditional workaround was to create a further small linux partition ("/boot") below that barrier to boot properly and put the rest of the linux system on a partition beyond that barrier. in the example at footnote #1) that barrier would be at somewhere around 8GB. using the latest lilo version, however, makes this whole issue obsolete. you can boot linux off from wherever you want to, literally. the latest LILO uses some basic extensions in the BIOS: "EDD packet call extensions to the int 0x13 interface". so it's a good idea to get an updated flash BIOS beforehand, anyway. usually BIOSs built in 1998 or later support those packet calls. #3) HDD IMAGING TOOLS as mentioned in w): if you're using some HDD imaging software like norton's "ghost", you don't have to install the whole windows crap including ten reboots a second time. just boot into first installation with boot option 2) or 3), save an image of that partition to the log1 "shared data". then reboot and select boot option 5). then recover the image to the other partition (now visible). it's wise to put "ghost" or similar imaging software on the shared data partition (in case they don't need a real installation! thus, if you can just copy the executables, there). otherwise use the imaging software off the bootable floppy. but *BEWARE*! some of those imaging software might screw up your partitions when recovering images!! use only XOSL compliant software. #4) MOTHERBOARD'S BIOS modern motherboards allow you to update it's BIOS via "flashing" it with the latest version. the BIOS is an essential part of your system, so the update provides an opportunity to get both, important bug fixes and additional features. updating your BIOS via flash is a dangerous task. if something goes wrong you might render the whole system defective. try to get the latest version from your motherboard's manufacturer. for further information see: 1) your motherboard's manufacturer's web site. get your updated bios THERE! 2) http://www.ping.be/bios/ (loads of info on BIOS) 3) ftp://ftp.heise.de/pub/ct/ctsi/ctbios15.zip (tries to display further information on your bios) 4) http://www.bios-info.de/ (german) e.g. http://www.bios-info.de/compend/hdisk.htm 5) http://www.dr-hardware.com/ (retrieves some info on your hardware and chipsets) #5) OTHER CONFIGURATIONS there's countless other ways to configure your multi-boot system. there's more or less tricky workarounds to install certain OSs on an extended partition, even though originally this is an impossible task. as mentioned before: it get's more complicated and tricky. //EOF