info: REMOVING Linux distros

[ahhaa]

I've just trialed XANDROS on one of those old tiny Gateways; the onboard video didn't work out, and I decided to ditch it. Typically, there are no 'official' uninstall instructions available, and while googling around I happened on this old (2002) MS KB info:

How to Remove the Linux LILO Boot Manager

Article ID : 315224
Last Review : February 7, 2002
Revision : 1.0 This article was previously published under Q315224

SUMMARY
This article describes how to remove the Linux LILO boot manager from the master boot record (MBR).

MORE INFORMATION
If Linux is installed on your computer, Linux allows a dual boot by loading a boot manager called LILO directly into the MBR. To remove LILO, follow the appropriate procedure.
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If Linux Is Still Installed
At a command prompt, run the lilo command and use either the -u or the -U option. The device name must be the second parameter. The only difference between the two options is that -u checks the time stamp on the current MBR and on the backed-up MBR, and -U does not check the time stamp at all. • If LILO is installed to the MBR of the master drive on the primary IDE controller, type

lilo -u /dev/hda

where dev is the device directory, hd indicates an IDE hard disk, and the a option indicates the master on the primary IDE channel.

• If you want to use the command on a SCSI drive, type
lilo -u /dev/sda
where sd indicates a SCSI drive and a indicates the first drive in the SCSI chain.

• If the drive has multiple partitions, indicate the partition from which you want to uninstall LILO by adding the number that corresponds to the partition number on the drive, starting the count at 1 (not 0). For example, to remove LILO from the first partition of the first SCSI drive, type:
lilo -u /dev/sda1
Note that sda is not related to the SCSI ID number.

If Linux Is Not Still Installed
NOTE: The following procedure is not supported by Microsoft and is performed strictly at the discretion of the user. Microsoft assumes no liability for lost or corrupted data. This procedure should be performed only as a last resort.

IMPORTANT: Running fdisk /mbr removes the disk signature from the MBR. If the drive is a member of a Windows fault tolerance set, the drive is no longer recognized as a member of that set.
1. Boot to MS-DOS, and then type the following: fdisk /mbr
2. Restart your computer.

APPLIES TO
• Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition
• Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition

Keywords: kbinfo kbsetup kb3rdparty KB315224

This relates to the common method of using a startup disk for fdisking the Master Boot Record, but I notice GRUB isn't mentioned. Many distros now are LiveCDs, but the XANDROS was not; and many distros do not make it obvious from the dual boot screen which they are using (or for my use, how you'd go about installing multiple distros under the same boot tool.

I did find a lot of newbie pain in various posts- why is installation still such a rite of passage for folks who'd like to end their Windwoes?


Q: Can anybody explain what this sentence means?
"If the drive is a member of a Windows fault tolerance set, the drive is no longer recognized as a member of that set."

Q: anybody tried out dual boot with Vista?

[RabidDog]

Yeah good point .. I have installed Some linux'es (linii?) and have found various hardware incompatibilitys requiring further downloads from the net ..However linux dont support winmodems or speedtouch! . Uninstall instructions are very thin on the ground. Backup b4 and reformat or just use Repair from win CD maybe?. I think the fault tolerance is referring to RAIDed drives or mirrorred drives. Vista is just an expensive shiny XP.

[ahhaa]

RD- I like Linii! Yeah, its a kick when you're advised to download ndsiwrapper or something on a machine that won't download anything.

The xandros re-partitioned the hd, with an onscreen message saying 'this could take several hours'. It didn't, but I can imagine the paranoia that trial users get from many distros- flying screens of FAILED from Madriva for example. I think Puppy is the best trial Linux, as long as you have a conextant modem or Cat5 connect.

Triviod: For a long time Vista was LongHorn, a wordplay on Microsoft, until Bill finally got it...