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Dual Boot Windows and Linux Single and Multiple Hard Drives

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Copyright 2005 Majella.us

The internet is full of technical articles, many of which are way too complicated for the average computer user who just wants to solve a simple problem. If you pay close attention, the internet is also a place where the “gurus” spend a lot of time yelling for help in discussion boards and forums. So don’t feel bad, nobody has all the answers.

So you want to dual boot Windows and Linux on the same computerit is really quite easy. I only have enough room here to tell you the most common way to do this on a single hard drive or using multiple hard drives. Obviously then, there are many ways to get the job done, but there are some critical things you should know. Let’s start with some critical information.

Windows and Linux: Same Hard Drive

The windows operating system MUST occupy the master boot record (MBR). Linux, on the other hand does not have to. In this scenario, you must install windows first! After Windows has been successfully installed, then you can install Linux. This is critical! The Linux “boot loader” is called GRUB. When you install LinuxMAKE SURE YOU DO NOT INSTALL THE LINUX BOOT LOADER TO THE MBR.

Configure the Windows Boot Loader: A Two Step Process

It is also possible to use GRUB to dual boot Windows and Linux on the same drive but this is a bit more complexthe Windows boot loader will get the job done. In the following commands, you will create a copy of the Linux boot sector and then save it in a file in the top level directory under Windows (C:).

Step 1: Linux

From the shell in your Linux installation (boot from your installation disks):

Execute the following shell command, replacing /dev/hda3 with the location of your Linux boot partition.

shell# dd if=/dev/hda3 of=/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1

Copy the new filebootsect.lnxto a floppy disk and reboot to Windows.

Step 2: Windows

Copy bootsect.lnx to C: in Windows. Then execute the following command at the DOS prompt.

C:> attrib -H -R -S boot.ini

Edit boot.ini so that the first two lines are:

[boot loader]

timeout=30

After the last line, add:

c:bootsect.lnx=”Start Linux”

That’s it, you are done! Reboot your machine and you will see a menu allowing you to select either Windows or Linux. Congratulations.

Windows and Linux: Two Hard Drives

This is also quite easy. In this case, you will boot to the Linux drive. We will add Windows to the Linux boot loader (i.e., GRUB). GRUB is my favorite boot loader.

Edit the /boot/grub/grub.conf file. One of the very first lines should contain:

timeout=30

After the last line add:

title Start Windows

map (hd1) (hd0)

map (hd0) (hd1)

rootnoverify (hd1,0)

makeactive

chainloader +1

Reboot your machine to the Linux drive and you will see a menu allowing you to select between Linux or Windows. Nice work!

This article is obviously short and does not include any explanations of how these commands work. There are variations on what I have shown here depending on your hardware setup, but I believe that these are the most common and should get the job done nicely. I would be happy to direct you to additional resources if this does not work for you.

——

David Picella is a Family Nurse Practitioner and PhD Student at UW Milwaukee. You can find additional technichal resources for this article in the technology section at: http://www.majella.us

Why Your Website Needs Managed Linux Hosting

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Managed hosting is a type of outsourcing to ensure that your business websites function correctly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Outsourced hosting is a necessity for many commercial organisations, as IT knowledge is usually minimal and the costs are significantly higher to host in-house and therefore outsourcing is essential to guarantee that server uptime is almost one hundred percent.

There is a large number of hosting companies offering managed hosting to various clients from all over the world. Many hosting companies provide their services through dedicated servers and the server uptime is almost one hundred percent. Leased servers are also available from some of the hosting companies exclusively for many businesses that require dedicated applications or database applications. Hosting service providers also manage hardware maintenance and network security, bandwidth and site monitoring.

Websites generally require managed hosting for smooth functioning of the website and any application or email traffic that is necessary.

There are generally two types of hosting – one is Windows hosting and other Linux hosting. There are several advantages of managed hosting and depending on the requirements, suitable hosting can be selected for a specific website. Generally a team of professionals looks after the managed hosting and it is good for you to find a reputable and honest company that offers their outsourcing services at the most cost effective rates. Many new companies are coming up in this high growth sector area and you have to ensure that you balance price with professionalism and server infrastructure.

A commercial, managed hosting company provides detailed IP addresses of website visitors during the entire month as well as also providing visiting trends, anti virus, spam control and daily backups. Website statistics or analytics are very useful, especially for commercial websites. Many Windows and Linux hosting providers offer full database support and this is vital to the stability of your websites applications.

Linux hosting provides many features and many people prefer it to Windows hosting. All commercial service providers generally have twenty four hour customer support through phone or email and provide a personal control panel for easy and efficient administration.

Service providers have support in almost all areas such as Perl, PHP, MySQL, CGI bin, SSH access and Python. Some additional features such as POP, SMTP, Webmail, Anonymous FTP connections and FrontPage extensions may also be provided to the customers.

Service providers have dedicated IP addresses and excellent database support and therefore in our opinion Linux hosting provides many additional features. So, it is necessary for large commercial organizations and business houses to go for managed hosting as it provides not only hosting in a dedicated server, but all types of customer support that is required for smooth running of the website. Although Windows and Linux hosting are available, in our opinion Linux hosting is a better option.

Linux Disk Recovery After Disk Structure Corruption

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Linux is an open-source operating system that has various distributions, which include Fedora Core. It is an OS, which enables you to access latest open source applications. The OS uses a disk structure similar to various other Linux distributions and may face the same problem of corruption as others do. Corruption makes it inaccessible and unbootable, causing severe data loss. In such critical situations, you are required to opt for Linux data recovery solutions to get your valuable data back.

In a practical instance of the disk structure corruption in Fedora Linux OS, you may encounter the below error message when you reboot the Fedora operating system-based computer after it freezes at startup-

“EXT-fs: dm-0: couldn’t mount because of unsupported optional features (2000200) mount error 22 – mounting ext 3”

Subsequent to the above error message, you might get further error message that says-

“kernel panic – not syncing: Attempting to kill init.”

After this error message, Fedora operating system cannot detect and access Linux hard drive partitions when you try to perform data recovery Linux using Linux Rescue CD. When you try mounting the disk manually, it says that the disk has invalid arguments and thus it cannot be mounted.

Grounds of the problem As stated above, this problem occurs due to corruption to the logical structure of the Linux hard drive. It may also occur if disk data structures, like Superblock and file system, are damaged. Corruption might be the outcome of virus infection, improper system shutdown, operating system malfunction, and other similar reasons.

Resolution Use any of the below Linux recovery solutions to sort out this problem- Boot your Linux computer using the Rescue CD and then run pvscan command for checking the logical volumes. Run fsck -C -y /dev/hdXX command.

If none of the above Linux File Recovery methods work, you are required to format the disk and reinstall operating system.Although, formatting can fix all disk related problems, but it also cause serious data loss. In such situations, Linux disk Recovery software are required to retrieve lost data after formatting.

A Comparative Analysis Between Linux Vps And Windows Vps

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Usually people do not pay attention to the selection or choice of the programs available for web hosting. Normally the VPS hosting is considered as the best one when it regards to the web hosting. A very few programmers and developers understand the difference between the two kinds of web hosting applied by VPS. However it is very important to comprehend and understand the difference between the two modes of hosting. Understanding the differences between these two major kinds of VPS hosting programs is important because only after understanding the functions and pros and cons between these two, one can decide and choose the best program for the specific web hosting. The importance of recognizing and then selecting the best VPS program mode for your web hosting is important because in this way one can cope with the problems coming in the way of web hosting. The best web hosting services are always availed when the right kind of web hosting service is employed. If any wrong service is opted, then the web hosting service may not be run in the right mode. This can be devastating for the website itself. In order to get fully satisfied with the services of the web hosting, it is imperative to choose the best and the most suitable VPS hosting services.

There are two main kinds of the VPS hosting services popularly available. Among the many other services of web hosting services available for VPS, it is important to get the most convenient services. These VPS services are provided by the net hosting services. The developers are just required to select these services from the two most popularly available services of web hosting. The two commonly and most popularly available options are the Linux VPS hosting and the Windows VPS hosting services. These two options are basically offered by the presently best provider of the hosting services.

The windows vps hosting service has many smart features but it is comparatively an expensive one. Another major property of this VPS service is that it is a very secure and fast going service. The Windows VPS service is considered to be the most powerful service for web hosting and it carries very smart features. This service of web hosting also supports another major program of web hosting which is famously known as the ASP hosting service. Further responsibility is also lying upon the web hosting provider to provide the client the best of the services which are made available with the program.

Just like the Windows VPS web hosting service, there are also certain advantages of the linux vps hosting services. This service is usually preferred because it is the most economical service. This service is also made available under the caption of the cheap windows hosting service. It is due to the economical terms and natures of this web hosting service the Linux VPS hosting is considered to be the best possible service. It is also considered a very reliable service because there are minimum possible risks of crashing down of this system and a steady working is ensured.

The Need For Linux Server Management Experts

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The fact that the server is the lifeline of any organization is indispensable. However, the size of the server varies based on the strength of the company and also the needs of the business. Microsoft Windows and Linux are two of the many operating systems that are used for these machines. While Windows is the preferred choice for desktops and other personal computers, it is Linux that takes an upper hand in terms of servers. One of the main reasons for Linux to be the first choice is the flexibility offered by this operating system and also the cost associated to it. But, it is important to note that since this operating system is not as popular as Windows, not many people know how to operate it. This is where the need for Linux server management experts comes into play.

Linux, as an operating system, is not as user friendly as Windows. This is the reason it is not the preferred choice for personal computers. However, in terms of functionality, Linux is aeons ahead of Windows. It is this aspect of Linux that makes it trump over its nemesis, Windows, for server machines. Operating the server that is based on this platform is not an easy task. Only Linux server management experts who have undergone specific training and have been rendering their services in this field for years can help you run these servers efficiently.

Setting up a Linux based server is not the same as setting up a Windows based server. The way in which the applications need to be installed is different from the regular setup that most of us are aware of. Instead of switching over to Windows by compromising on the needs of your business just because you know how to use the operating system, it is wise to hire the services of Linux server management professionals at affordable prices and enhance the functionality of the server. These technical experts will not only help you in setting up the server to perfection without any problems, but will also follow it up with regular monitoring, maintenance and optimization services to ensure the performance does not drop.

Despite extensive maintenance, there are chances of the Linux based servers developing problems without any warning. Any problem with the server can disrupt the productivity of the entire organization since this machine is the storehouse of all important information pertaining to the work being done by the company, its clients and also employees. The loss of even a small fraction of data can have negative repercussions on the repute and the profit margins. Therefore, it is important to always have the services of Linux server management professionals handy since they can resolve even the most complex issues within a short turnaround time, thus minimizing the negative impact.

Most organizations opt for Windows based servers, despite having their reservations since they feel that it is too expensive to hire technical experts who know Linux like the back of their hand. In fact, most of the Linux server management providers today offer their services at affordable prices. Most providers charge their clients on a per issue basis, which works out much cheaper than hiring in-house technical experts either for Windows or Linux. If you are setting up a server for your business, do not think twice about choosing Linux as its operating system since there is help always on hand.