running linux without GRUB

[compgeek]

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Hi,
I have installed fedora 4 core but i haven't installed Grub boot loader ,and now when i start my pc,i directly boots windows and there is no option for linux,pls help so that i can run linux........

[Tango_Down]

Well, if you still have the install CD/DVD you can pop it in and do a rescue boot. You do this by inserting the disk and typing <Linux Rescue> at the boot prompt. Once it is booted type <chroot /mnt/sysimage> and then <grub-install /dev/hda> that should overwrite the windows bootloader. Note that if you have a SATA or SCSI hardrive, it might be sda instead of hda.
Once in Linux you can add the windows partition by opening a terminal and typing: gedit /boot/grub/grub.conf
That should give you a text file, if none of the titels are windows or something like that you can add it by appending

title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hdx,x)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Where the x's are the drive and partition number that windows reside. Do not put any spaces between it and any other entry in the file. You can open a terminal on the accesories menu in GNOME and KDE. Also through CTRL+ALT+F1.
Goodluck, Godspeed.

[compgeek]

i want to know that if i follow this procedure as u said,i will have an option before booting between linux and windows?????????

[kelseyfox]

The thing that controls whether you get a terminal prompt or a GUI prompt (runlevel 5) when you boot the system is the /etc/inittab file. You should see something like
id:3:initdefault:
in your /etc/inittab file which means your default runlevel is 3. So when you can boot up your computer, replace that line with
id:5:initdefault:
this will set the default runlevel to be 5, see if it works. Good luck.

ps: I'm a linux newbie myself, so I can't guarantee what I said is absolutely correct.

[devils casper]

hi kelseyfox !!!

id:3:initdefault:
id:5:initdefault:
this will set the default runlevel to be 5, see if it works.

compgeek didnt install boot loader... init doesnt matter here........

i want to know that if i follow this procedure as u said,i will have an option before booting between linux and windows?????????

hi compgeek !!!

yes !! you will get option to install either windows or FC....
follow the steps recommended by Tango_Down !!!

boot up through FC installation CD/DVD... type

linux rescue

after a while you will get prompt again..... type

chroot /mnt/sysimage
grub-install /dev/hda

if you have SATA disk... use /dev/sda instead of /dev/hda

press Ctrl+D
again press Ctrl+D
machine will reboot and you will get boot loader screen..... select OS you wanna boot...

thats all !!!

<=== { casper } ===>

[kelseyfox]

Hi, devils_casper. Thank you for correcting me here.