[NTLUG:Discuss] Win2K & Linux (Was: Tcl/Tk)

[Steve Baker]

alh wrote:
> 
> > My Linux went dead when my son convinced me to
> > upgrade to Win98 and I haven't been able to restore
> > Linux yet.
> >
> 
> did you make bootdisk during your linux install before the 98 upgrade?
> 
> if so
> use it to book to linux
> then login as root and simply run
> lilo
> 
> this will re read the lilo.conf and re install lilo onto the mbr
> of course you need to also be using lilo for this to work

Since we are talking about this...A friend of mine (Dan) needed a new
computer - so we took a trip to Fry's together and picked out
all the latest goodies.  When we got it together, I installed
Linux and his old WinNT 4.0 and all was well.  Later on, he
had some kind of problem with WinNT (I guess we hadn't installed
all the right stuff) - and he went out and bought a copy of
Win2k.  When he tried to install it, it complained that the hard
disk was dead and refused to install. Linux still booted OK though.

Repeated attempts to fix this failed and he eventually returned the
drive to Fry's who tried to do a reformat (it failed) and a low
level format - which worked.  We installed Win2k without problems
but I messed up the re-partitioning when I put Linux back on and
wiped out some of Win2k.  When we re-installed Win2k, it again
complained that the disk was broken.  We since tried (carefully)
with a new drive - with much the same results.  Installing
WinNT on the exact same drive partition always works and installing
Win2K on a bare drive always works.  It looks suspiciously as if
Win2k is refusing to install on a drive that contains Linux (or
perhaps just LILO). 

If I install Win2k on a low-level formatted drive - and THEN
install Linux - all is well. Can anyone confirm this experience?

Dan eventually returned his Win2k to Microsoft and is
demanding his money back. (Good luck!)

Also...

After I gave him a guided tour of the six gigs of 'stuff' that
comes with SuSE, Dan now believes he only needs Windoze
in order to run his tax software - and since he won't need
to do THAT again until next year, I think we have a new Linux
convert.  So does anyone know of any US Tax preparation software
for Linux?   I've seen a couple of projects that look like they
may eventually produce something...but not soon.

-- 
Steve Baker                  http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
sjbaker1 at airmail.net (home)  http://www.woodsoup.org/~sbaker
sjbaker at hti.com      (work)