1.1. Why use this method?

I'm a big fan of things that aren't Microsoft, so when I got my new computer I had it come with Linux preinstalled. It's a great desktop machine, but I've been sorely missing my Windows games, and the GIMP just isn't cutting it. So I finally gave in and decided to make the machine dual boot. When I looked for instructions on how to accomplish this, all I found was directions on how to install Linux if you already have Windows installed and how to boot with Loadlin. Unfortunately, because Loadlin runs from under DOS, the Loadlin method of making your system dual boot requires that you have Windows installed on the first partition of your first hard drive, due to the fact that Windows believes it is the center of the universe and all your other operating systems should revolve around it. This is a problem if you already have Linux on that partition and you don't want to wipe out your system to install Windows.

This is where GNU GRUB, the GRand Unified Bootloader comes in. It differs from bootloaders such as LILO in that it can lie to Windows and make Windows believe that it's installed on the first partition even if it's not. So you can keep your current Linux system where it is and install Windows on the side.

1.2. Copyright and License

Copyright (c) 2002 Joel Rosen. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with the no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license may be found here.