The user wanting to add Sun Solaris to an existing machine will probably also want to try Linux, because it is a much more user-friendly version of Unix, and has much greater hardware compatibility. Furthermore, with Linux you get a free bootloader program. But this requires special precautions. Still, one advantage of Solaris over Linux is the ability to get a version of Internet Explorer that will run on it -- currently the software giant only makes IE for Windows, Mac, HP-UX and Solaris.

The problem is that Solaris partitions use the same system ID (82) that is used by Linux swap partitions. So when running Linux you need to be sure that Linux does not destroy Solaris partitions. First thing -- STAY AWAY FROM REDHAT 6.1 unless you first go to the Sun website and read their precautions. The best thing is to not have 6.1 on the same machine as Solaris or to PHYSICALLY swap the hard drive.

But with RedHat 6.0 or other versions of Linux, all should be well as long as you put Solaris on a different physical hard drive than Linux.

So my current recommendation for a triboot using any version of Windows, linux (other than RH above 6.0) is as follows:

Before proceeding, have available a system floppy for Windows-95B or 98, that contains the files FDISK.EXE and FORMAT.COM

STEP 2 - Preparing the second hard drive
Solaris MUST boot to an active partition AND in many cases MUST also be able to see a VTOC. To accomplish this, do one of the following:
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND ARE AFRAID OF LOSING DATA, GO DIRECTLY TO STEP 2b
Step 2a- If the second hard drive has never been used AND you have a BIOS that can switch the boot hard drive set it to boot to D: then A: Then insert your boot floppy and start. You have fooled the OS into thinking the second hard drive is C: From your A: drive execute FDISK, allocating the entire drive to one partition and making it active. Restart and then format C: (Don't worry, it won't destroy any data). Restart and (in BIOS) reset the boot order to a normal A: then C: Then proceed to step 3

If your disk has NO partitions and NO operating system installed and your BIOS can control the boot drive you may proceed as above.

Step 2b- If your disk has been previously used OR your BIOS cannot boot to D: (prinmary slave) or you are fearful of losing data the safest course is to shut the machine off and temporarily decable your first hard drive and temporarily rejumper the second drive to master. Then turn the machine on and execute FDISK (remember to make the partition active), then restart and FORMAT C: Then turn the machine off and recable the first drive, and rejumper the second drive to slave.

STEP 3 - Install the Solaris Operating System
Boot to the Device Configuration Assistant floppy, and install Solaris to the second hard drive. (c0d1 in Solaris' lexicon)

STEP 4 - Add Solaris to the LILO menu
NOTE THAT THIS ONLY WORKS FOR SOLARIS 7. Solaris 8 uses (for the boot partition) a new file system that Linux can't understand, so your best options with 8 are to either use the BIOS to select the boot drive or a commercial bootloader.(I have not tried the NT boot method with Solaris, but it should work.)
Add the following lines to the /etc/lilo.conf file
other=/dev/hdb1
label=sun
table=/dev/hdb
loader=/boot/chain.b

Then execute lilo to add sun to the boot menu.

STEP 5 - Fix Solaris so it knows to boot from the second drive
The first time you use LILO to boot Solaris, you'll get an error message. To fix it, merely continue and run the device configuration assistant (blue screens) to autoboot from the second HD (F4 boot options). On subsequent Solaris boots you won't get the error message.

YOU'RE DONE!