Install Reactos without bootloader ?

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proxxx
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2010 7:18 pm

Install Reactos without bootloader ?

Post by proxxx »

Hello,

I got very curious after discovering this project :)
So i would like to give it a go.

I have one burning question to which i could not find an anwser yet.
Is it possible to install the OS without writing a new MBR , in other words without bootloader?

My reason for asking this question is that i dont want te mess up/reconfigure my current bootloading config, it is kinda complex.
Right now i have A triple boot Ubuntu10.04/Fedora 13/Winxp running from GRUB2+BURG.
I'd rather add to my boatloader manually.

Anyone?
mrugiero
Posts: 482
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2010 9:12 am

Re: Install Reactos without bootloader ?

Post by mrugiero »

In fact, it loads a bootloader, but the one ReactOS use has got two... stages, or something like (don't know the right word), one on the MBR, the new installer gives you the option to don't overwrite the MBR and install just the other "stage", but don't install 0.3.11 because that release uses the old installer; in a few days will be the 0.3.12 with the new installer; then, you can install without killing GRUB2, or you can install a trunk build now.
proxxx
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2010 7:18 pm

Re: Install Reactos without bootloader ?

Post by proxxx »

Thnx for the quick and satisfying reply
What a great timing :) , ill wait for the new release than.


Funny actually, I ran XP for years and even going as far as manually hacking the kernel and stripping the whole thing down for performance.
If only I had known about such a project :P, ah wel good learning experience...
My primairy OS is linux and although Wine gives good support for win32 applications it is not the ideal platform for gaming and such.

I really wonder if this will be the final reason for formatting the windows partition and breaking the pirated XP cd :P
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Pesho
Posts: 209
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:16 pm

Re: Install Reactos without bootloader ?

Post by Pesho »

I really wonder if this will be the final reason for formatting the windows partition and breaking the pirated XP cd
Not anytime soon! Right now you'll get much better results from WINE. Reactos doesn't even support 3D hardware acceleration yet.
mrugiero
Posts: 482
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2010 9:12 am

Re: Install Reactos without bootloader ?

Post by mrugiero »

proxxx wrote:Thnx for the quick and satisfying reply
What a great timing :) , ill wait for the new release than.


Funny actually, I ran XP for years and even going as far as manually hacking the kernel and stripping the whole thing down for performance.
If only I had known about such a project :P, ah wel good learning experience...
My primairy OS is linux and although Wine gives good support for win32 applications it is not the ideal platform for gaming and such.

I really wonder if this will be the final reason for formatting the windows partition and breaking the pirated XP cd :P
Would you tell me how did you to hack the kernel and else? That's really something I didn't know you can do in Windows XD
bugboy
Developer
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu May 22, 2008 9:23 pm

Re: Install Reactos without bootloader ?

Post by bugboy »

proxxx wrote:I really wonder if this will be the final reason for formatting the windows partition and breaking the pirated XP cd :P
No, the reason you should format your windows partition and break your pirated copy of XP is because it is a pirated copy. :evil:

Mjmartin
steveh
Posts: 271
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2004 10:02 pm

Re: Install Reactos without bootloader ?

Post by steveh »

Ability to install reactos on a partition, and to do that without breaking the grub bootloader, depends on what is your current partitioning scheme.
You can post here the partitioning scheme of the first harddisk, by using the unix fdisk command below, it can only be executed as root:

root@zuse3:~# fdisk -l /dev/sda

if that don't work (elder linux with oldytyle ide kernel module) then try the hdd name hda

root@zuse3:~# fdisk -l /dev/hda

(Installing reactos will best work on the first primary partition)
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