io Programmo 11/IOPROG_11.ISO/docs/mini/loadli~1

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                           LOADLIN+WIN95 MINI-HOWTO

Authored by: Chris Fischer <[e-mail]>
v1.3.4, Revised: September 15, 1997


     _________________________________________________________________

  1. Introduction:



   This document describes how to easily use a combination of Windows
   95's Boot Menu and Loadlin.exe to autoboot Linux using the F4 Function
   Key. This procedure should work with Windows 95 versions 4.00.950 and
   4.00.950a, and all versions of Linux that support Loadlin. If you
   prefer to use the LILO boot manager, please consult the Linux+Win95
   Mini-HOWTO.

   This mini-HOWTO is posted first at The Linux+Windows 95 Reference
   Page, so check there to make sure you have the most recent revision
   of this mini-HOWTO.

   _** A Special Note for Windows 95 OSR2 (version 4.00.950b) users: **_

   Do _NOT_ attempt dual booting with Windows 95 without first consulting
   the Windows 95 OSR2 FAQ. The FAQ also contains a great deal of
   information regarding FAT32. In a nutshell, if you have OSR2 and are
   using a FAT16 file system, you can still dual boot using the F4
   Function Key.

   _NOTE: If you have Windows 95 OSR2, and are using a FAT32 file system,
   then the dual booting methods in this mini-HOWTO __will not work and
   should not be attempted_.

   However, there are a couple of alternate methods you can use to
   automate booting Linux at startup, which are discussed in Section 9.

  2. Things that are assumed:

          A. You have successfully installed Windows 95.
          B. Windows 95 is installed on Drive C.
          C. You have successfully installed Linux.
          D. You know what partition Linux is installed on.
          E. LILO is NOT installed on your hard drive.
          F. If you are using Windows 95 OSR2 (version 4.00.950b), you
          have carefully read the Windows95 OSR2 FAQ.

  3. Items you need before you start:

          A. A bootable floppy disk with DOS 5.0 or DOS 6.x system files
          (io.sys, msdos.sys, command.com) and a config.sys file. If you
          are using a DOS 5.0 boot disk, you will also need an
          autoexec.bat file. If you are using Windows 95 OSR2 (version
          4.00.950b), you will also need to create a file called
          Winboot.sys with a text editor and place it in the root
          directory of Drive C. Winboot.sys can be an empty file, just so
          long as you have the file.



   _NOTE:_ If your hard drive already contains the autoexec.dos,
   config.dos, io.dos, msdos.dos, and command.dos files, then you will
   not need the floppy. You can check by typing: _dir __and__ dir /ah_ at
   the root of Drive C. Also, if you installed the Upgrade version of
   Windows 95, then it is likely that you have them.

          B. The Loadlin.exe program file.
          C. Your kernel image file, usually zImage or vmlinuz. (See the
          FAQ for INFO).
          D. A simple text editor, such as Notepad.

  4. Getting Started:

          A. Determine what version of Windows95 you have. Boot your
          computer to Windows 95 and right click on the My Computer icon.
          Now left click on Properties. On the General tab, look under
          the "System:" line. There you will see the version number.



   _NOTE:_ If you have Windows 95 version 4.00.950b, _make certain you
   are __not__ using the FAT32 file system_. Double click the My Computer
   icon, then right click the Drive C icon. Left click on Properties. On
   the General tab, the "Type:" line will indicate whether or not you
   have a FAT32 file system. _If you are using the FAT32 file system,
   then go directly to _Section 9.Otherwise, continue with letter B.

          B. Run the Windows Explorer file manager program.


          C. On the Menu Bar, click on View, then click on Options. On
          the View Tab, make sure that the "Show all files" radio button
          is marked. Also, make sure that the line with "Hide MS-DOS file
          extensions for file types that are registered" is unchecked.
          Click on the OK button.



   _NOTE:_ If your hard drive already contains the *.dos files mentioned
   in the "NOTE:" of section 3A, then skip to the "NOTE:" between letters
   F and G. Otherwise, continue with letter D.

          D. Insert the DOS 5.0 or DOS 6.x bootable floppy into Drive A.
          Click on the Drive A icon so you can see the contents on the
          floppy disk.

          E. Rename each file to a .dos file extension. You can do this
          by single clicking on a file, pressing the F2 function key, and
          typing in the new name. Do not worry if you need the bootable
          floppy to work properly, just rename the files back after you
          are finished with this procedure.

          F. _EXTREMELY IMPORTANT:_ Make sure you rename the files on the
          floppy _BEFORE_ you copy them to Drive C. Otherwise you will
          overwrite your Windows 95 system files. _You have been warned_.
          Now, copy all files to the root directory of Drive C. One
          method is to click on the Drive A icon, press CTRL+A, press
          CTRL+C, click on the Drive C icon, and press CTRL+V.



   _NOTE:_ If you _do not_ have Windows 95 OSR2 (version 4.00.950b),
   please skip Section G.

          G. If (and only if) you have Windows95 version 4.00.950b, make
          sure you have a file named Winboot.sys in the root directory of
          Drive C, as stated in Section 3 above._Failure to have
          Winboot.sys in the root directory of Drive C will result in a
          system lockup should you attempt to boot to an earlier version
          of DOS._



   _NOTE:_ If you are using a DOS 6.x boot disk skip to section 5,
   otherwise continue with letter H.

          H. Open Notepad. On the Menu Bar, click on Open. Change "Files
          of type" to "All files (*.*)". Change "Look in:" from Desktop
          to Drive C. Now open Config.dos by double clicking on the
          filename. Delete all the contents. This will create a 0K
          file...I will explain later. Save the file.


          I. Use Notepad to open and edit Autoexec.dos and type in the
          Loadlin command. The Loadlin command must be in the following
          syntax:

Loadlin DriveLetter:\LinuxKernelFile root=/dev/LinuxBootPartition ro

          Here is my Autoexec.dos file as an example:

Loadlin f:\vmlinuz root=/dev/hdc2 ro



   _NOTE:_ The kernel, as well as the Loadlin.exe, file may be anywhere
   on your hard drive as long as you reference the correct path. For
   example, if your kernel file was located in the directory
   e:\linux\kernels and Loadlin.exe was located in the directory
   c:\utils, you would use:

c:\utils\loadlin e:\linux\kernels\vmlinuz root=/dev/hdc2 ro

          Save the file.



   _Please skip section 5 and go to _section 6_._
     _________________________________________________________________

  5. *** Use this section ONLY if you are using a DOS 6.x boot disk. ***

          A. Open Notepad. On the Menu Bar, click on Open. Change "Files
          of type" to "All files (*.*)". Change "Look in:" from Desktop
          to Drive C. Now open Config.dos by double clicking on the
          filename. Delete all the contents. Now, you will need to enter
          the shell command with the following syntax:

shell=loadlin.exe LinuxKernelFile root=/dev/LinuxBootPartition ro

          Here is my Config.dos file as an example:

shell=f:\loadlin.exe f:\vmlinuz root=/dev/hdc2 ro



   _NOTE:_ The loadlin and kernel file may be anywhere on your hard drive
   as long as you reference the correct path. For example, if your
   loadlin file was in the directory f:\utils and the kernel file was
   located in the directory e:\linux\kernels you would use:

shell=f:\utils\loadlin.exe e:\linux\kernels\vmlinuz root=/dev/hdc2 ro

          B. Save the file.


     _________________________________________________________________

  6. Almost Finished...

          A. One last file to edit and then you are finished. Use Notepad
          to open and edit Msdos.sys. Go to the [Options] section. Look
          for a line that has BootMulti=. If you do not find one then add
          it and set the value to 1. It should look something like:

[Options]
BootMulti=1

          B. There may be other items listed. Just leave them. Now save
          the file.

  7. You are Finished!



   Now all you have to do is reboot (Don't forget to remove the floppy
   disk). When you see "Starting Windows 95...", press the F4 Function
   Key and Linux should boot right up.

  8. How It Works:



   Windows 95 has a built in Boot Menu. By default you do not see it at
   startup (although you can change that if you wish), but you can get to
   it by pressing the F8 Function Key when you see "Starting Windows
   95...". On the menu you will see several options. The last option is
   "Previous version of MS-DOS". Instead of pressing F8 and then
   selecting "Previous version of MS-DOS", you can use the F4 shortcut by
   pressing F4 when "Starting Windows 95..." appears on the screen. When
   Windows 95 boots to the previous version of MS-DOS, it uses the files
   that end in the .dos file extension. This is why it is important to
   have a 0K Config.dos file if you are initiating Linux from the
   Autoexec.dos file. If Windows 95 does not find the files with a .dos
   extension while trying to boot the previous operating system, it will
   load the Windows 95 startup files. Therefore, if you do not have a
   Config.dos file, Windows 95 will load all the drivers in your
   Config.sys file. While this will not prevent Linux from loading, it
   will take longer. Having a 0K Config.dos file prevents Windows 95 from
   reading your Config.sys file while booting to the previous version of
   MS-DOS.

  9. Alternate Methods for Auto-Booting Linux, Especially for Users With a
  FAT32 File System:



   This section will work for all versions of Windows 95 to date,
   regardless of whether you have a FAT32 file system. There are two
   methods I will discuss in this section. First, I'll start with the
   simplest.

    Method 1



   This method uses the Autoexec.bat file to call (or execute) another
   batch file named Linux.bat, during boot up.

          A. Creat a Linux.bat file using a simple text editor such as
          EDIT or Notepad. The contents should be similar to the
          following:

@echo off
cls
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
choice /t:y,5 "Do you wish to boot Linux? "
if errorlevel 2 goto End
c:\loadlin c:\vmlinuz root=/dev/hdc2 ro
:End

          This batch file script clears the screen, adds four blank
          lines, displays the text in quotes + [Y,N], then waits 5
          seconds for you to press a key. If you do not press a key
          within 5 seconds, it defaults to Y and runs Linux. If you
          select Y or N, the batch file determines what option you
          selected, then executes the selected option. For example, if
          you select 'N' then the batch file terminates and continues to
          process your Autoexec.bat file, which loads Windows 95. If you
          select Y, then of course Linux will load.

          If you do not want four blank lines before the text, modify the
          number of lines with _echo_. If you do not want the screen to
          clear, then remove the line with _cls_. The _/t_ switch tells
          the choice command to wait 5 seconds and, if no key is pressed,
          to default to Y. Change the _y_ to an _n_ if you want Windows
          95 to boot after the 5 second timeout: _choice /t:n,5_. Also,
          you can change the amount of time to wait from 0 to 99 seconds.
          For more information on the _choice_ command, change to the
          c:\windows\command directory and type: _choice /?_ at the
          command prompt.



   _NOTE:_ You will have to modify the line that boots Linux to match
   your configuration. Please see Section 4.I for examples of how to
   configure Loadlin to boot to Linux.

          B. Next, create an Autoexec.bat file (if you don't already have
          one) with a simple text editor. Then, on the _first_ line, add
          the following:

call c:\linux

          If Linux.bat is in another directory you will have to reference
          the correct path. For example if Linux.bat is in a directory
          called C:\batch, you would add:

call c:\batch\linux

          to the first line of your Autoexec.bat file. Save and exit the
          file. Now all you need to do is reboot. You should be prompted
          on whether you want to boot Linux.

    Method 2



   This method is a bit more involved, but offers the greatest
   flexibility. What this method does it create your own custom boot
   menu, though it does not replace the Windows 95 boot menu. You will
   need a Config.sys and an Autoexec.bat file.

          A. First you will need to define a Startup Menu in Config.sys
          (my comments to you are in parenthesis):

[menu]
menuitem=Linux, Boot to Linux  (This defines a Menu Block and gives it a descri
ption).
menuitem=Win95, Boot to Windows 95
menucolor=15,1  (This gives a blue background with bright white text)
menudefault=Linux, 15  (This sets the default menuitem and waits up to 15 secon
ds for input).
[linux]
shell=f:\loadlin.exe f:\vmlinuz root=/dev/hdc2 ro (Please see Section 5 for exa
mples and syntax).
[win95]
(Include the normal contents of your config.sys file here. If you did not have
 a config.sys file before now, then leave this section blank).

          Save and exit your Config.sys file. If you want, you can use
          this Config.sys template to get started.


          B. Next, edit your Autoexec.bat file (my comments to you are in
          parenthesis):

goto %config%
:linux
(Leave this area blank. It's just here because it was defined in Config.sys).
:win95
(Include the normal contents of your autoexec.bat file here. If you did not hav
e
 an autoexec.bat file before now, then leave this section blank).

          Save and exit your Autoexec.bat file. If you want, you can use
          this Autoexec.bat template to get started. That should do it.
          The next time you reboot, you should get a Start Up menu with
          the option to boot to Linux or Windows 95.


     _________________________________________________________________

  Frequently Asked Questions:

    A. Q: Where can I find more information on using Loadlin?



     _A:_ The Slackware 96 CD contains a file named loadlin.tgz in the
     \slackware\A5 directory. Unarchive the file and look in the \docs
     directory for a file named manual.txt. I do not know about earlier
     versions of Slackware.

     The RedHat 4.2 CD contains a file named loadlin16.tgz in the
     \dosutils directory. Unarchive the file and look in the \docs
     directory for a file named manual.txt. RedHat 4.1 does not seem to
     have this archive. The manual.txt is also available for download at:



     ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/u/p/praxis/manual.txt.



     Additional info. is available at:



     http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/BootPrompt-HOWTO-2.html#ss2.2

    B. Q: I am not sure what partition Linux is installed on. How do I find
    out?



     _A:_ At a Linux shell prompt, run the fdisk utility and press "p".
     From there you should be able to tell. If you need additional help
     using fdisk, please consult the man pages.

    C. Q: Where do I find the kernel image file and how do I copy it to my
    MS-DOS partition?



     _A:_ To find your linux kernel file type:

find / -name vmlinuz



     at a Linux shell prompt. This will search all Linux partitions for
     the vmlinuz file. If you have multiple vmlinuz files, then make sure
     you use the correct one. If you are not sure, then the safest bet
     would be to use the most recent one.

     To copy your linux kernel file to your DOS partition, you need to
     make your DOS partition visible to Linux, then mount the partition
     if it is not already. Generally, this should have been set up when
     you installed Linux. All you need to do next is change to the
     directory the vmlinuz file is in and copy it over to DOS using the
     cp command.

     However, if Linux was not set up to recognize your DOS partition,
     then copy vmlinuz to a floppy. Take any DOS formatted floppy (with
     enough disk space to hold your kernel image file) and insert it into
     your floppy drive. Type:

mount /dev/fd0 /tmp



     at a Linux shell prompt. Then change to the directory your kernel
     image file is in and type:

cp vmlinuz /tmp



     This will copy vmlinuz to your floppy disk and it will be readable
     by DOS. Shutdown Linux, boot to DOS, then copy vmlinuz to whichever
     directory you choose. If you recompile your kernel, do not forget to
     copy the new kernel image file to your DOS partition. This will
     overwrite your old file, so it might be a good idea to rename the
     old file first just in case the new one does not work properly.

    D. Q: Does it matter if I install Linux or Windows 95 first?



     _A:_ Technically no. However, it would be _much_ simpler to install
     Win95 first. That way it is easier to setup Linux to recognize your
     DOS partition(s) as you can usually do this during the Linux
     installation..

    E. Q: What if I already dual boot between Windows 95 and Windows 3.x, and I
    want to boot to Linux using this method?



     _A:_ Frankly, if you want to do this I would recommend using LILO.
     However, if you really do not want to use LILO, you will have to
     boot to Win 3.x first, then issue the Loadlin command. (Make sure
     Windows 3.x is NOT running, but that you are in DOS 5.0 or 6.x).

    F. Q: Is it possible to initiate Linux from the Windows 95 desktop?



     _A:_ Yes. First create a batch file called linux.bat. For example,
     edit the file to contain a Loadlin command such as:

loadlin f:\vmlinuz root=/dev/hdc2 ro



     Now save the file in the \windows\desktop directory. Next, right
     click on the Linux.bat icon, then left click on Properties. Now
     click on the Program tab, then click on the Advanced button. Click
     on the box next to MS-DOS mode and make sure the box next to "Warn
     before entering MS-DOS mode is checked". Click OK, then click on OK
     again. Now when you double click on the Linux icon, a warning box
     will appear before going into MS-DOS mode. If you click on Yes, then
     Windows enters MS-DOS mode and executes the Linux.bat file.



   _NOTE:_ You must be in MS-DOS mode in order to use Loadlin. Please see
   the manual.txt file mentioned in question A of this FAQ for more
   information.

    G. Q: Where do I get a plain text version of this document?



     _A:_You can get a plain text version of this document at:



     ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/u/p/praxis/loadlin.txt


     _________________________________________________________________

Credits:



   _A special thanks to Fred Harris and Norm Jacobowitz for helping me
   sort out the Windows 95 OSR2 issues and for helping me improve this
   mini-HOWTO._
     _________________________________________________________________



   Questions, comments, and suggestions are welcome.

   _Contact information:_
   Chris Fischer
   Protek Computer Solutions
   [e-mail] or [e-mail]
     _________________________________________________________________



   Copyright ⌐ 1997 Protek Computer Solutions.