<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <title>Installing a Bootloader</title> <meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.73.2"> <link rel="start" href="index.html" title="Mandriva Linux Installation Guide"> <link rel="up" href="index.html" title="Mandriva Linux Installation Guide"> <link rel="prev" href="addUser.html" title="User Management"> <link rel="next" href="setupX.html" title="Graphical Interface Configuration"><style xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/transitional" type="text/css"> <!-- body { font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px } table { font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px } --></style></head> <body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"> <div class="section" lang="en"> <div class="titlepage"> <div> <div> <h2 class="title"><a name="setupBootloaderBeginner"></a>Installing a Bootloader </h2> </div> </div> </div> <p><a name="BIdNEW-setupBootloaderBeginner-pa5"></a>This step only shows if there is a Linux bootloader already on your system. </p> <a class="indexterm" name="BId-setupBootloaderBeginner-it1"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="BId-setupBootloaderBeginner-it2"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="BId-setupBootloaderBeginner-it3"></a> <a class="indexterm" name="BId-setupBootloaderBeginner-it4"></a> <p><a name="BId-setupBootloaderBeginner-pa1"></a>A bootloader is a small program which is started by the computer at boot time. It's responsible for starting up the whole system. Normally, the bootloader installation is totally automated. <span class="application">DrakX</span> analyzes the disk boot sector and acts according to what it finds: </p> <div class="itemizedlist"> <ul> <li> <p><a name="BId-setupBootloaderBeginner-pa2"></a>If a <span class="application">Windows <sup>®</sup></span> boot sector is found, it is replaced by a <span class="application">GRUB</span>/ <span class="application">LILO</span> boot sector. This way you are able to load either <span class="application">Linux</span> or any other <acronym class="acronym">OS</acronym> installed on your machine. </p> </li> <li> <p><a name="BId-setupBootloaderBeginner-pa3"></a>In any other case it asks you where it should place the boot loader. Generally, the <span class="guilabel">First sector of drive (MBR)</span> is the safest place. </p> </li> </ul> </div> <p><a name="BId-setupBootloaderBeginner-pa4"></a>Choosing <span class="guilabel">Skip</span> won't install a bootloader. Use this option only if you really do know what you're doing. </p> </div> </body> </html>