[plug] win98 install

[Leon Brooks]

russ wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I've had a look through the archives and it seen the horror stories of
> win98 installs wiping out linux partitions. The problem is I already
> have linux installed and win95. I use lilo to boot. I want to install
> 98 over 95. I should say I HAVE to install, I don't really want to.
> 
> Is it possible to install win98 over win95 without it chewing up
> linux?

***WARNING*** IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING PRECIOUS, BACK IT UP FIRST!!

The OEM version of windows 9X, left to itself, will completely reformat
the hard disk. Linux, SCO, Pick, it cares not, to quote the Papal nuncio
at the city of Bezieres, "Kill them all, God knoweth those that are his"
[he then ordered and supervised the massacre of 30,000 people, about
half of them Catholics].

With "ordinary" windows installs, you need to do this:

* Make a Linux boot floppy (try mkbootdisk)

* Create a FAT-16 partition with Linux

* Format it under Linux (mkdosfs /dev/hdaX)

* If it's an upgrade version of windows, you usually need to boot MS-DOS
and FORMAT /S C:

* If it's a non-upgrade windows, you lose. SETUP will refuse to install
if it sees an existing OS.

* Pray

* Install windows

* Boot Linux from the floppy

* (as root) delete or rename /boot/boot.0300 (to
/boot/boot.0300.original)

* add "other=/dev/hdaX", "name=windows" and "alias=w" to /etc/lilo.conf

* type lilo (I prefer lilo -v or adding "verbose=1" to lilo.conf)

* start breathing again

Bon fortune.

-- 
If at first you don't succeed, try a shorter bungee.