How to Build Your Own PC - Save A Buck And Learn A Lot  9  Chapter 11: Installing A Dual Boot Operating System (Linux And Windows XP)

Additional Steps 1 Working With and Modifying the GRUB Bootloader

In summary, it’s important to note that the installation of a dual boot operating system went smoothly because we installed each operating system to its own partition. And, we never deleted or removed an existing partition when we added the new operating system. We ran the Linux Installer, and it left Windows XP intact, because we chose not to remove non-Linux partitions. Then, the Grub bootloader recognizes that we have two bootable operating systems on our hard drive, and it gives us the option to boot from either.

For this dual boot installation, we installed Windows XP first. Then, the Linux bootloader recognized the existing operating system and it allowed us to install the dual boot operating system. That’s the purpose of a bootloader. It lets us choose between different operating systems at startup.

Congratulations! You’ve now installed a dual boot operating system on your new PC!

Additional Steps 1 Working With and Modifying the GRUB Bootloader