Mouse won't work...

[admiral_danielsben]

Why are you running 98 anyway... it's a POS?

Anyway, if the problem is GRUB, have you tried LILO?

Linux doesn't reside in the first 1024 cylinders of the HD so no. The 11 gigabyte disk has like 15,000 cylinders, and Win98 is 'first'. And Red Hat doesn't have 'loadlin' or any other such thing.

And I'm running '98 because it came with 98 and i'm too cheap to pay megabucks for something more (even an upgrade to ME would cost $$$, let alone XP, plus it's an old computer - 500 mhz, 188 megs RAM - that would just fit XP but would be kinda slow. And also, i have DOS games, as well as some Windows games - like Starfleet Command -which don't work on the new computer). As it is, i got my version of Red Hat digged out from "Linux for Dummies" - which i got for $20.

I've considered the following:

- buying or downloading Mandrake Linux, or another 'painless' brand, preferably one with WINE and dosutils (so I can transfer files from place to place). Red Hat would be nice, but the full 5-cd version is pretty pricey by Linux standards.
- paying the #@@#%$#%$@ lisencing fee for BootIt (it's a damn fine boot editor, but i'm cheap). Or maybe buying Partition Magic / boot magic.
- Wipe out the multi-boot, and get the system to only boot Windows from the HD, and use my boot floppy to boot Linux in hda3.
- Try re-installing Linux, just to see if that works.
- Configure Linux to boot to a command prompt, so that I can troubleshoot more effectively w/o a mouse.
- In a year or so (When i'm off to college), I'm considering selling the machine, to get some money down for a new (or newer) computer. Or maybe my Dad will buy a brand new machine (unlikely) and I'll take the current 'new' one to college. So i could just leave it the way it is until I'm about to get rid of it, and then wipe out Linux and get Windows to take up everything for the sale.
-End the "Linux" experiment and decide to try another OS, such as one of the BSD's or BeOS.

BTW, is there any other way to get rid of BootIt besides putting in another multi-booter? An uninstall procedure?

[Vertigo1]

You can use the Windows boot loader to load Linux, but it's a bit more complicated. Also, GRUB should'nt be doing anything with the mouse.

Maybe you can get a serial mouse on e-bay?

I knew there was a reason why I kept this link in my bookmarks.

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/mini/Linux+NT ... .html#toc3

Yeah, but i have Windows 98, not NT.

I know that, but the principle applies. What do you think your 98 CD uses to generate that nice text boot prompt when you boot off of it?

[admiral_danielsben]

I knew there was a reason why I kept this link in my bookmarks.

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/mini/Linux+NT ... .html#toc3

Yeah, but i have Windows 98, not NT.

I know that, but the principle applies. What do you think your 98 CD uses to generate that nice text boot prompt when you boot off of it?

... like when I hit the 'ctrl' key or 'f5' when booting? But that doesn't cross partitions, merely shows 'regular', 'text only', or 'safe mode'.

[Vertigo1]

... like when I hit the 'ctrl' key or 'f5' when booting? But that doesn't cross partitions, merely shows 'regular', 'text only', or 'safe mode'.

No, I'm talking about the menu that you get when you have the options to:

1. Install windows.
2. Start with CD-ROM support
3. Start without CD-ROM support.

You don't have to have NT/2000/XP to be able to use NTLDR. Your biggest problem is installing it onto your hard drive's MBR. Unfortunately, I haven't had to do that in years so I'm a bit out of practice.

[Pu-239]

Why are you running 98 anyway... it's a POS?

Anyway, if the problem is GRUB, have you tried LILO?

Linux doesn't reside in the first 1024 cylinders of the HD so no. The 11 gigabyte disk has like 15,000 cylinders, and Win98 is 'first'. And Red Hat doesn't have 'loadlin' or any other such thing.

And I'm running '98 because it came with 98 and i'm too cheap to pay megabucks for something more (even an upgrade to ME would cost $$$, let alone XP, plus it's an old computer - 500 mhz, 188 megs RAM - that would just fit XP but would be kinda slow. And also, i have DOS games, as well as some Windows games - like Starfleet Command -which don't work on the new computer). As it is, i got my version of Red Hat digged out from "Linux for Dummies" - which i got for $20.

I've considered the following:

- buying or downloading Mandrake Linux, or another 'painless' brand, preferably one with WINE and dosutils (so I can transfer files from place to place). Red Hat would be nice, but the full 5-cd version is pretty pricey by Linux standards.
- paying the #@@#%$#%$@ lisencing fee for BootIt (it's a damn fine boot editor, but i'm cheap). Or maybe buying Partition Magic / boot magic.
- Wipe out the multi-boot, and get the system to only boot Windows from the HD, and use my boot floppy to boot Linux in hda3.
- Try re-installing Linux, just to see if that works.
- Configure Linux to boot to a command prompt, so that I can troubleshoot more effectively w/o a mouse.
- In a year or so (When i'm off to college), I'm considering selling the machine, to get some money down for a new (or newer) computer. Or maybe my Dad will buy a brand new machine (unlikely) and I'll take the current 'new' one to college. So i could just leave it the way it is until I'm about to get rid of it, and then wipe out Linux and get Windows to take up everything for the sale.
-End the "Linux" experiment and decide to try another OS, such as one of the BSD's or BeOS.

BTW, is there any other way to get rid of BootIt besides putting in another multi-booter? An uninstall procedure?

Newer versions of LILO do work outside 1024 cylinders. I use LILO though since it's harder to screw up the system, since you don't need to remember to run lilo after installing a new kernel.

Besides, your system is faster than mine, and mine runs Win2k perfectly fine. Currently don't have windows installed though, but will do so later.

[admiral_danielsben]

Why are you running 98 anyway... it's a POS?

Anyway, if the problem is GRUB, have you tried LILO?

Linux doesn't reside in the first 1024 cylinders of the HD so no. The 11 gigabyte disk has like 15,000 cylinders, and Win98 is 'first'. And Red Hat doesn't have 'loadlin' or any other such thing.

And I'm running '98 because it came with 98 and i'm too cheap to pay megabucks for something more (even an upgrade to ME would cost $$$, let alone XP, plus it's an old computer - 500 mhz, 188 megs RAM - that would just fit XP but would be kinda slow. And also, i have DOS games, as well as some Windows games - like Starfleet Command -which don't work on the new computer). As it is, i got my version of Red Hat digged out from "Linux for Dummies" - which i got for $20.

I've considered the following:

- buying or downloading Mandrake Linux, or another 'painless' brand, preferably one with WINE and dosutils (so I can transfer files from place to place). Red Hat would be nice, but the full 5-cd version is pretty pricey by Linux standards.
- paying the #@@#%$#%$@ lisencing fee for BootIt (it's a damn fine boot editor, but i'm cheap). Or maybe buying Partition Magic / boot magic.
- Wipe out the multi-boot, and get the system to only boot Windows from the HD, and use my boot floppy to boot Linux in hda3.
- Try re-installing Linux, just to see if that works.
- Configure Linux to boot to a command prompt, so that I can troubleshoot more effectively w/o a mouse.
- In a year or so (When i'm off to college), I'm considering selling the machine, to get some money down for a new (or newer) computer. Or maybe my Dad will buy a brand new machine (unlikely) and I'll take the current 'new' one to college. So i could just leave it the way it is until I'm about to get rid of it, and then wipe out Linux and get Windows to take up everything for the sale.
-End the "Linux" experiment and decide to try another OS, such as one of the BSD's or BeOS.

BTW, is there any other way to get rid of BootIt besides putting in another multi-booter? An uninstall procedure?

Newer versions of LILO do work outside 1024 cylinders. I use LILO though since it's harder to screw up the system, since you don't need to remember to run lilo after installing a new kernel.

Besides, your system is faster than mine, and mine runs Win2k perfectly fine. Currently don't have windows installed though, but will do so later.

Yeah, but does Win2k run DOS games? and is it cheap?

[Vertigo1]

Win2k DOES run DOS games, but due to the nature of the NT kernel...don't expect to be able to use your joystick or have any audio in them. Do a google on DOSBox.

Just out of curiosity, what DOS games do you play? I know of two that have been open sourced and made win32 compatable.

If you ask me, you're better off with XP Pro. Its slightly more compatable with games. You can get it off of Newegg.com for $84 if you're a student/teacher. (Note: Even though it says upgrade, you can do a fresh install of it. All you gotta do is boot off of the XP CD, follow the on-screen prompts and pop in any previous MS OS back to the original Win98 into your CD tray and let it do its thing. (all its doing is checking to see that you have purchased a legal version of Windows in the past) Then you pop the XP CD back in and you're good to go.)

[admiral_danielsben]

Win2k DOES run DOS games, but due to the nature of the NT kernel...don't expect to be able to use your joystick or have any audio in them. Do a google on DOSBox.

Just out of curiosity, what DOS games do you play? I know of two that have been open sourced and made win32 compatable.

If you ask me, you're better off with XP Pro. Its slightly more compatable with games. You can get it off of Newegg.com for $84 if you're a student/teacher. (Note: Even though it says upgrade, you can do a fresh install of it. All you gotta do is boot off of the XP CD, follow the on-screen prompts and pop in any previous MS OS back to the original Win98 into your CD tray and let it do its thing. (all its doing is checking to see that you have purchased a legal version of Windows in the past) Then you pop the XP CD back in and you're good to go.)

I play SimCity (the original DOS version, as well as the Windows versions of 2k and 3k (and 4, on the new computer) and Football Pro (very old football game, circa 1993). And I know for a fact that SimCity won't work in XP Home, although I don't know about XP Pro.

I like SimCity, all versions. I guess I could give up the original, but sometimes only the original will do. And Football Pro - occasionally i want football but I'm not interested enough to get a newer game. I could do without it, though.

I don't have a joystick so no problem (plus, how would you play SimCity with a joystick anyways?). But i want to keep my sound.

The real problem is $$$. Even $84 is a lot to a 17 year old whose primary source of income is an allowance, as well as whatever gifts. I rarely make purchases over $30, if at all possible. My choices are limited to cheap OSes like Linux (and not even the 'all bells and whistles' versions, which can be expensive and are designed for network features. The old computer doesn't even have internet access let alone a network.). I don't want a pirated OS - even using BootIt past "evaluation period" is giving me qualms.

[Vertigo1]

XP Home = XP Pro with fewer features (some of which should've been put in Home to begin with).

You might have better luck playing them in Linux using Wine then.

[Pu-239]

XP Home = XP Pro with fewer features (some of which should've been put in Home to begin with).

You might have better luck playing them in Linux using Wine then.

You want DOSemu ... anyway DOSemu's compatibility and speed is pretty good. If it doesn't work, try qemu (quite a bit slower though). Too bad it's only available on Linux :p but you are using that anyway.