[ltp] linux on my T43p

[Igor V. Rafienko]

on Sep 7, 2006, 22:16, Pino Giaquinto wrote:

[ ... ]

> 1) disable "IBM Predesktop Area" (in the BIOS Security category) *
> 2) boot my T43p using linux DVD (Slackware 10.2 using 2.6.13 kernel)
> 3) save the MBR on my USB Pen Drive using:
>    dd if=/dev/sda of=/usb_pen_drive_mount_dir/MBR.backup bs=1 count=512 **
> 4) delete /dev/sda1 (NTFS partition)
> 5) create 3 parititions: /dev/sda1 for swap, /dev/sda3 for /home and 
> /dev/sda4 (bootable) for / ***
> 6) install lilo in MBR of /dev/sda
>
> What do you think?


0) Take a copy of the "factory state" (WinXP and everything) on 2 DVDs.
    This way you'd be able to "roll back" the laptop to the factory
    state, should anything go very wrong.


> *       Can I see the hidden partition using fdisk /dev/sda?


Yes.


> **     Can I 'tomorrow' delete the linux partitions, recovery MBR from USB 
> Pen Drive and re-install WinXP using a bootable CD?


Yes. You need 2 DVDs for storing the image that would roll your T43 back 
to the factory state. You can even have WinXP parallel with the linux 
distro of your choosing.


>        'Access IBM' button still works after the recovery of MBR?


Yes. If not, IBM has released an MBR "fixer" image. You can boot from that 
image, and voila -- the original MBR would be back.


> ***   Is the Hidden Partition /dev/sda2 or what?


Yes, but you cannot miss in the partition table -- there are just 2 
partitions.





ivr
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