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From: kwb@betasvm2.vnet.ibm.com (Ken Borgendale)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Installation, partitions, master boot
Message-ID: <9106281500.AA12861@grape.ecs.clarkson.edu>
Date: 28 Jun 91 14:43:01 GMT
Lines: 29

OS/2 1.x will only install and boot from the C drive.  This is the
first partition on the disk in HPFS or DOS primary format.  If you
already have the partitions defined, and the disks formatted before
calling OS/2 install, and tell it not to do so as part of install,
then the partition table and master book record will be unchanged
as the result of the OS/2 install.

If you have DOS 5.0 on your C drive before installing OS/2 1.2 or
OS/2 1.3, dual boot will be enabled, which allows you to select
DOS or OS/2 by running a program before booting.  (Personally I
leave my system in OS/2 mode and boot DOS from a diskette, but
that is a personal preference).

OS/2 1.x works fine with the Coherent master boot record.

OS/2 2.0 will come with an optional multi-boot capability.  If you
select this option, it will rewrite your master book record.  Thus
you will probably not be able to boot coherent after selecting this
option.  However, if you select this option, you can boot OS/2
from any drive.

This is similar to the problems between Coherent and SCO Unix who
both update the master book record.  Perhaps the various PC
operating systems can get together to produce a multi operating
system master boot record which also allows each of them to
load their bootstrap.  This was the original aim of the partition
table with the active bit.

Ken Borgendale (standard disclaimers since I am only a little obnoxious)