Multi-booting

A multi-boot system is a computer that has two or more operating systems are installed in parallel. A computer installed with two parallel systems is also referred to as a dual- boot system.

The operating systems are either installed on different partitions of a hard drive or multiple hard drives. In most multi-boot systems, a boot loader such as LILO or GRUB displays immediately after the system startup list, from which the currently desired system can be selected. To select the operating system, a boot manager such as Acronis OS Selector can be used. Modern laptops and netbooks offer separate Anschaltknöpfe, each boot another operating system.

• 2.1 AMD and Intel ( except Apple Mac) based systems
• 2.2 Apple Mac with Intel processors
• 2.3 Multi-Boot USB stick

Reasons for the establishment

Security

Linux is for various reasons a very secure operating system. It is basically set up a limited user account for daily work in all of the widely used distributions. This makes it difficult for potential attackers to access from outside into the system, for example via malicious software. There is very little malware compared to Windows. Even if Windows is used with limited access rights and is by continuous updates on the current security state, the residual risk to infect with viruses, the system is higher than that of a Linux distribution remains.

Those who use online banking, but many Windows programs has in use, can make the hits on the bank access on Linux with a multi-boot system. Knoppix is ​​a distribution that can be used as a live system or installed version. Hard disk access is blocked until the user explicitly releases the write access to one or more storage media. If used the internet exclusively through a secure Linux distribution, malicious programs have almost no chance. The risk when opening emails is minimized because most viruses are programmed for Windows.

Experimental system

A multi-boot system can consist of different operating systems or it can, for example, more of the same Microsoft Windows versions are installed side by side in parallel. For example, to carry out experiments with different registry settings.

Diversity

Variety of application software

Also, an operating system with different version numbers can be constructed as a multi - boot system. So Windows 7 can be installed with Windows XP on a computer to use older software on.

Often a multi-boot system is set up to be flexible in selecting the application software. Some programs are limited to a platform or a few operating systems, as provides a multi-boot solution more choice. The selection of common, commercial products for the Windows operating system is very large, so that Linux users have more choices through a multi - boot system. For Linux, for example, there are many free, well-functioning application programs and games, often with open source code.

Wide range of applications

It will be offered with pre-configured multi -boot systems in the commercial PC systems. Notebook with preinstalled Windows can optionally also with another operating system, which was also pre-installed, to boot. Frequently here is a simple, fast -booting Linux version for use to provide a quick solution for smaller tasks such as retrieving emails. The extensive configured the main system can be booted for more demanding, more complex tasks. For this solution is often the possibility of separate Einschaltmöglichkeiten is chosen for each system.

A further possibility is to use a notebook or netbook for different applications. At home can serve an appropriately configured system, for example as a hardware firewall or as a print server, while another operating system can make the same device on the go for mobile Internet PC.

Speed

Virtual solutions can quickly bring your computer to its limits and run slow especially with not so powerful hardware, because in addition to the actual operating system, the system also demands high performance in the area virtually installed. A multi -boot system, can there be a better choice depending on the application and hardware requirements.

Creation

AMD and Intel ( except Apple Mac) based systems

Should be installed next to a Microsoft Windows version to another Betriebsstem should first Windows installed (often pre-installed ). In the second step, another operating system such as GNU / Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, etc. installed. If multiple versions to be installed from Windows, you should be starting with the oldest.

Each operating system is installed on a separate partition. For installation of all systems on a hard drive partition required is either applied prior to the installation or, depending on the installation tool used, also be created during installation. Then an existing hard drive partition is reduced. The partition for the planned installation can also be located on a different hard drive. In many modern distributions such as Debian GNU / Linux, Mandriva, Fedora, Pardus, openSUSE sharing the hard disk is suggested by the system. This proposal is implemented automatically on request or can be manually adjusted to your needs.

The automatic recognition of other operating systems is often, but not always. Unrecognized operating systems can be added to the boot loader after installation in openSUSE using the configuration tool YaST.

Often operating systems are installed that require different file systems to install, such as Windows XP and Linux. Care must be taken that to be shared partitions are formatted with a support of both systems file system to be accessed by both systems on it.

Apple Mac with Intel processors

With the Apple Boot Camp software can be installed on Apple Mac computers with Intel processors various Microsoft Windows versions. Officially only supports a dual-boot option, so a Windows version alongside Mac OS X. Also, a multi-boot version with more than two operating systems is possible. After Windows is installed, an installable from Windows Linux distribution such as Ubuntu can be installed using Wubi. If selected after the start of the Boot Camp Windows menu can be selected in another menu between Windows and Ubuntu. In addition, several more versions of Windows can be installed in parallel, because the Windows boot works as usual NTLDR or BOOTMGR.

Multiboot USB Flash Drives

USB flash drives are also suitable to install them on different operating systems simultaneously. This is any computer that is booted from such a USB flash drive, temporarily to a multi-boot system. However, a prerequisite for the use of a (multi- ) boot USB sticks that the PC can boot from USB.

Such a USB stick can - depending on the desired application area - ready hold different systems to boot:

• System Administration: Diagnosis: Hardware test (eg main memory: memcheck )
• Troubleshooting: correct disk errors, for example,
• Virus protection
• Configuration: eg disk partitioning (eg gparted )
• Systems to attempt to restore lost close ganger or unavailable passwords

• For playback of music and movies optimized multimedia operating systems
• Emulators

Many other scenarios are conceivable.