[NTLUG:Discuss] Vista & Linux installers.

[Bob Netherton]

On Fri, 2007-04-20 at 10:11 -0500, Stuart Johnston wrote:

> > 
> > Do the traditional Linux installers and dual-boot setups work OK
> > with Vista?  Can I just stuff a copy of SuSE 10 on a new laptop
> > without worrying too much?  Grub and all that stuff "just works"?
> 
> EmperorLinux sells some laptops with Vista/Linux dual-boot, if that 
> helps at all.  It does suggest that it is at least possible.
> 
> http://www.emperorlinux.com/search/?q=vista

We have had a tough time making the Solaris GRUB and Vista play
nicely - at least out of the box.  Apparently our friends from Redmond
require their own bootloader and actually look for it and get upset
if they don't see it.   Came in very late in the process too - like
between RC3 and GA.  Gave a very lame excuse - maybe they have patched
it back so it is no longer a problem.

We found that we can use the Vista bootloader to execute the Solaris
bootloader (like we used to in the old days, usually while walking
uphill to and from school fighting off all the mastodons) - you know
the drill: save the boot sector in a file, copy the file to the
Windows partition, and update the bootloader config file to execute
it as an alternate OS.

See http://blogs.sun.com/moinakg/entry/vista_and_solaris_express_dual
for all the details.


So yes it is possible.   How easy is left up to your own interpretation.


Bob