Ralph Winslow wrote: > The Debian distribution is very large - you're far better served to > install > the base system only for an initial installation, and then choose e few > packages > at a time to install. If you take this approach, your chances of > success will > improve ... vastly.
Sounds like very good advice. Since I don't have a backup system for the Win95 partition, I have to move very, very carefully. I think if I can once determine 1) the best boot method for this system, and 2) figure a way to install a bootable Win 3.1 system into the second primary partition, and 3) determine just where these various boot programs and sectors are located, I'll be in a much better position to move ahead with adding more packages. > When next you install Debian, have it install lilo and during your first > re-boot > edit /etc/lilo.conf (I'll attach a copy of mine) and re-run lilo. Where does it install Lilo? It appears to install in the front-end of the 1st partition, where the Win95 boot setup is located, and I've read that Win95 has a cow if it's boot setup is messed up. However Partition Magic's Boot Manager installed very nicely in a partition at the high end of the drive and I was able to boot into win95 from there and also the successful RedHat installation where I didn't allow it to set up lilo. By the way, I didn't see your copy of lilo.conf in your last post. :) It sure would be neat to see it and perhaps even comments of what each line does. *(Not asking much, eh? <grin>)* This > will allow you to boot either WinBloat95 or Linux (or NT or OS/2 or > whatever - run man lilo > for details). The man pages I think are only available after linux is installed, unless I'm mistaken. I've been digging around for web or ftp-based docs. Any good suggestions? > > Lots of people do that and like the results. I prefer to let lilo > manage things, > but of course YMMV. I think it's cleaner to the the boot manager (lilo) > manage > booting and each OS manage its slice(s). I think I'd be happy to let lilo replace the Boot Manager, *if* I could trust and know what it's doing and where its files are located. > > In any case, as long as your e-mail is functinal, I think you'll find > that the response of this list will get you running and keep you running > better than any > other resource (other than a personal Guru) that I can think of. I sure hope so. There have been lots of good posts there and the archives, except for lacking a multi-month search capability seem to be the best I've seen, at least within a particular month. > Besides this > list is smarter than even my old Guru. Something to do with collective > mind. When we were using Macs, the internet cooperation John (?), the author of Disinfectant had with multiple world-wide testers and other helpers was the first I'd seen of an internet-wide cooperation. Now to see the same cooperation with the Debian developers is very heartening. :) Dave -- --David E. Scott Ohio Administrative Services [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] .