Linux boot thingy

[PingPing]

Went back to boot from Windows and I now have the Linux boot menu. So it appears it's installed something to my primary hard disk without me asking it to.

It's installed GRUB on the MBR.

why did it get me into this mess and how do I get out of it?

I presume you're using the Ubuntu LiveCD as Ubuntu is where most linux newbies start. Please correct me if this assumption is wrong.
During the installation of Ubuntu from the LiveCD there is an option for you to specify where you want GRUB to be installed (default is the MBR). The problem is that this option is not made plain to the user and you have to hunt for it to find it. It's there, but basically you have to know what you're looking for in order to find it. IMHO this is a design fault with the Ubuntu LiveCD Installer application and not a problem with linux (ie. computers will only do what they're told to do).
To fix your problem I suggest 'you wind back the clock' with respect to the GRUB/MBR problem by reinstalling Windows' bootloader, NTLDR. To do this, boot you PC from the Windows XP install CD into 'rescue' mode (not install mode). Once you're in rescue mode run the 'fixmbr' command at the command prompt. This will reinstall NTLDR on the MBR. Then reboot as per normal and you should be back to your normal Windows experience.

Let me know if you still want to persist with installing linux to your USB drive and I'll help you out with it. But please confirm what distro you're trying to install (Ubuntu, SuSE, Knoppix, etc.).

[pmeswani]

That sounds horribly like it might break everything.

Thanks for the replies. I don't recall any other options in the install, but I probably wasn't paying enough attention.

If you are worried about breaking the Linux Boot up, get a knoppix (or any other live CD) and boot up the system with it and change give the primary drive an MBR. Thereby, you will have 2 Bootable drives. At the end of the day, the primary drive is missing a MBR tag.

[VectraMan]

Run the fdisk tool on Linux and change the MBR from the USB drive to the Windows one and see if that makes any difference. I suspect that the Linux OS has changed the MBR pointer from the primary disk to the USB Book disk.

That sounds horribly like it might break everything.

Thanks for the replies. I don't recall any other options in the install, but I probably wasn't paying enough attention.

[Sysman]

Most distro now use GRUB. Various Linux related info can be found at The Linux Documentation Project. Here is some friendly GRUB documentation.

Thanks, GRUB came a bit later. I'll add that a distinct advantage of my floppy based solution was that reboots would go to the correct system without needing to select from a boot menu (and cursing when you let it time out). I see no reason why you couldn't do similar with a USB stick.

[pmeswani]

I have a spare USB hard disk (i.e. a real disk, not a stick) and decided at the weekend to install Linux on it to play with. I used xubuntu CD, and selected the USB drive to install onto, expecting that I could then choose boot from USB from my BIOS menu to boot Linux, and the normal Windows boot would be untouched.

After the install, choose boot from USB, and nothing. Went back to boot from Windows and I now have the Linux boot menu. So it appears it's installed something to my primary hard disk without me asking it to.

It gets worse. This morning I turned on the PC, and it wouldn't boot at all giving an error number. But the USB drive wasn't switched on, switched it on, reboot, and fine get the boot menu.

So it seems Linux "clever" setup has installed something on my primary hard disk that loads its own loader from the USB disk so that my computer now won't boot at all unless the USB hard disk is connected.

I miss Microsoft.

I'm about to rebuild this system with new hard disks, so it's not too much of a problem, but I'd like to understand: why did it get me into this mess and how do I get out of it?

Run the fdisk tool on Linux and change the MBR from the USB drive to the Windows one and see if that makes any difference. I suspect that the Linux OS has changed the MBR pointer from the primary disk to the USB Book disk.

[Addanc]

Most distro now use GRUB. Various Linux related info can be found at The Linux Documentation Project. Here is some friendly GRUB documentation.

[Sysman]

I'm going back some years now but when I was running a dual boot Winders/Linux system I put the Linux boot loader (LILO?) onto a floppy, Windows on C: and Linux on D:

Insert floppy and it booted to Linux, disengage floppy and it booted to Winders.

You should be able to work out a similar scheme with your USB drive.

[DaveB]

I have a spare USB hard disk (i.e. a real disk, not a stick) and decided at the weekend to install Linux on it to play with. I used xubuntu CD, and selected the USB drive to install onto, expecting that I could then choose boot from USB from my BIOS menu to boot Linux, and the normal Windows boot would be untouched.

After the install, choose boot from USB, and nothing. Went back to boot from Windows and I now have the Linux boot menu. So it appears it's installed something to my primary hard disk without me asking it to.

It gets worse. This morning I turned on the PC, and it wouldn't boot at all giving an error number. But the USB drive wasn't switched on, switched it on, reboot, and fine get the boot menu.

So it seems Linux "clever" setup has installed something on my primary hard disk that loads its own loader from the USB disk so that my computer now won't boot at all unless the USB hard disk is connected.

I miss Microsoft.

I'm about to rebuild this system with new hard disks, so it's not too much of a problem, but I'd like to understand: why did it get me into this mess and how do I get out of it?

It sounds like you missed a config option during the install telling it to use the USB drive as it's primary drive instead of the local hardrive. As a result it put the boot loader on the local hard drive and throws an error when it looks for it's expcted bootable drives and doesnt find them all.

To do what you want to do you need to rebuild it so that the boot loader is not used and the Linux install sees the USB drive at it's primary drive.

[VectraMan]

Why do people still waste time with Linux?

This machine sits there being a subVersion and file server, and to run various VirtualBox VMs for testing and building, and I'm wondering if it'd be better running that on "lightweight" Linux rather than on top a Windows install. It's XP now, and with anti-virus, backup and other crap it's all grinding to a halt, and of course that kills the VMs running on there too.

Windows 7 will be going on my laptop (which is what I actually use day to day), and this desktop will get a native XP install too for when VMs aren't good enough.

Plus half the C++ jobs I see seem to be for Linux these days, so it wouldn't hurt me to learn something about it.

There are some merits to it IMO, but it still has a terrifying file system and most things require bewildering command line fettling, and I certainly wouldn't suggest Linux to any non-techy user.

[Addanc]

Why do people still waste time with Linux?

It was pants 10 years ago and is utter pants now.

Format and put Windows 7 on it.

I suppose there are a lot of very dim Windows users out there ready to be exploited.

[DimPrawn]

Why do people still waste time with Linux?

It was pants 10 years ago and is utter pants now.

Format and put Windows 7 on it.

[VectraMan]

I have a spare USB hard disk (i.e. a real disk, not a stick) and decided at the weekend to install Linux on it to play with. I used xubuntu CD, and selected the USB drive to install onto, expecting that I could then choose boot from USB from my BIOS menu to boot Linux, and the normal Windows boot would be untouched.

After the install, choose boot from USB, and nothing. Went back to boot from Windows and I now have the Linux boot menu. So it appears it's installed something to my primary hard disk without me asking it to.

It gets worse. This morning I turned on the PC, and it wouldn't boot at all giving an error number. But the USB drive wasn't switched on, switched it on, reboot, and fine get the boot menu.

So it seems Linux "clever" setup has installed something on my primary hard disk that loads its own loader from the USB disk so that my computer now won't boot at all unless the USB hard disk is connected.

I miss Microsoft.

I'm about to rebuild this system with new hard disks, so it's not too much of a problem, but I'd like to understand: why did it get me into this mess and how do I get out of it?