How to Install a Dual Boot Red Hat 9

Level of difficulty: Intermediate

A dual-boot system is often used to enable two different Operating Systems to operate and share a single computer. Each Operating System can be used on the computer separately but not simultaneously. An example is when the user wishes to initially use the Red Hat Linux Operating System and subsequently another system on the computer.

Materials Needed:
- Red Hat Linux program
Step 1
In a Windows Operating System, the system must be repartitioned to provide room for the Red Hat Linux. This will enable a dual-boot system. To initiate repartition of the system, insert the Red Hat Linux CD #1 into the CD drive then reboot the system.
Step 2
Run the Linux CD to gain entry and access the parted system in a rescue form. Edit the BIOS settings in the event the CD does not initialize during startup.
Step 3
A boot prompt will appear upon successfully running the CD. Type 'linux rescue' on the boot prompt to launch the program in the rescue mode. Another prompt appears once the rescue mode program has been launched to allow the user to select the preferred language and keyboard preferences. In choosing the values, the user could use the values used in the installation of the Red Hat Linux as a guide.
Step 4
A screen appears informing the user that the program will try to search for a Red Hat Linux installed in rescue form. The user may prefer to skip this screen by selecting the 'Skip' button.
Step 5
Once the 'Skip' function has been chosen, the user is then provided with a command prompt that can be used to access the partitions that would be repartitioned. Type 'parted/ dev/ hdX or 'parted/ dev/ sdX at the command prompt to identify the drive that would be repartitioned. The letter 'X' denotes the hard drive’s partition number.
Step 6
With the 'print' command, the user can view the current partition table to identify the number of the targeted partition including the partition’s beginning and end points. Remember that the used space for the resized partition must never be greater than the latest size.
Step 7
With the 'resize' command, the user may resize the partition followed by other valuable information namely, partition number, starting place of the repartitioning in megabytes, and the ending place also in megabytes. An example of the command prompt is 'resize 3 1024 3048'.
Step 8
Once the resizing has been completed, the confirmation of the correct partition may be conducted with the use of the 'print' command. After a successful repartitioning, type 'exit' to shut down the system.
Step 9
Reboot the entire system automatically or manually. Install the Red Hat Linux program.