Installing Linux on large (1 gig) IDE drive

[mikebw at bilow.bilow.uu.ids.net (Mike Bilow)]

vcocco wrote in a message to Mike Bilow:

 v> I understand that Linux's root partition has to boot from
 v> under the 1024  cylinder limit.  Knowing this, it seems as
 v> though I'll have to  repartition my harddrive.  Does
 v> DOS/Windows have to boot under the 1024  limit also, or can
 v> I put all of my DOS stuff on the other half of my IDE 
 v> drive, i.e. on the second 500 mg partition if my drive is
 v> split in two? 

All operating systems use the BIOS to get themselves loaded initially.  If your
BIOS supports LBA access to the drive, then there may not be a limitation
involving the 1024-cylinder boundary for operating systems other than DOS. 
However, DOS definitely cannot boot from a partition of which any part is above
the 1024-cylinder boundary.
 
-- Mike