The multi boot configuration handbook the extensive and easy to follow guide to optimum multi-operatin sustem performance (book/CD)

Introduction.
Who Should Buy This Book? How This Book Is Organized. Whats on the CD. Conventions Used in This Book.
Text Conventions. Special Elements.
I: OVERVIEW.
1. The Trials and Triumphs of a Multi-OS Computer.
Getting Started. The Desire and Need for Multiple OSs.
Gaining Access to Additional Software. Using the Right Tool for the Job. Transitioning from One OS to Another. Learning About New OSs.
Avoiding Potholes on the Road to Multi-Boot.
Know Your Hardware. Know What to Expect of a New OS. Give Yourself Adequate Time. Expect a Learning Curve. Assemble OS-Specific Documentation.
Nessus: The Eight-OS Computer.
The Hardware. The OS Players. Disk Partitioning. Boot Management. Data Sharing Arrangements.
Summary.
2. Operating Systems for x86 Hardware in 2000.
Your OS, Please.... DOS.
Varieties of DOS. Best Uses for DOS. When to Ditch DOS.
Windows 95 and 98.
The DOS Heritage of Windows. Uses for Windows. When to Consider Alternatives.
Windows NT and Windows 2000.
Microsofts New Technology. When to Use NT Rather than 95 or 98. Limitations of NT.
OS/2.
The Second OS for the PC. The Three Faces of OS/2. Limitations of OS/2.
BeOS.
BeOSs Macintosh History. BeOS as a Multimedia Platform. Limitations of BeOS.
Linux.
A Free Reimplementation of UNIX. Linux as a Server and on the Desktop. When Not to Join the Bandwagon.
The BSD Variants.
A Free Evolution of UNIX. BSD as a Server and on the Desktop. When to Use Other Versions of UNIX.
Commercial Versions of UNIX.
The Forking of the UNIX Heritage. OSs for Servers and High-Performance Computing. Do You Need a Commercial UNIX?
Summary.
II: THE BOOT PROCESS.
3. The x86 BIOS: Its Limits and Capabilities.
BIOS History and Design Theory.
16- and 32-Bit Code. The BIOS as Driver for DOS. Modern Uses of the BIOS. What BIOS Do You Have?
Add-On Card BIOSs.
Video BIOSs. Boot BIOSs for SCSI and Networking. Additional BIOSs.
BIOS Updates. EIDE and SCSI Hard Disk Handling.
Understanding CHS Geometry Limits. Getting Around the 1024-Cylinder Limit. Common BIOS Disk Utilities.
The Handoff to the OS. Summary.
4. Boot Loaders: Simple and Complex.
The Post-BIOS Boot Process.
The Job of the Boot Loader. Partition Hiding. The 1024-Cylinder Limit Revisited. Multi-Disk Arrangements.
Single-OS Boot Loaders. Designs for Multi-OS Boot Loaders.
Floppy-Based Boot Loaders. MBR-Based Boot Loaders. Boot Sector-Based Boot Loaders. Dedicated-Partition Boot Loaders. Booting from a Running OS. Chaining Boot Loaders.
Common Boot Loaders.
Windows NTs OS Loader. IBMs Boot Manager. Linuxs LILO. PowerQuests BootMagic. V Communicationss System Commander
Summary.
III: PARTITIONING AND PARTITION MANAGEMENT.
5. Hard Disk Partition Basics.
The Need for Partitions.
Breaking Data into Manageable Chunks. Isolating OSs from Each Other. Improving System Performance.
Partition Types.
Primary Partitions. Extended and Logical Partitions. Softwares Varying Approaches to Partition Types.
Filesystem Codes.
Identifying a Partitions Format. When Codes Collide.
Summary.
6. Tools for Disk Partitioning.
Partitioning Mechanics. MS-DOSs and Windows 9xs FDISK.
Creating FAT Partitions. Deleting Partitions. Understanding FDISKs Limitations. Variant FDISKs in Other DOS Versions.
Windows NT Disk Administrator.
Creating Partitions. Deleting Partitions. Adjusting Partitions Disk Labels.
OS/2s FDISK.
Creating Partitions. Deleting Partitions.
Linuxs fdisk.
Creating Partitions. Deleting Partitions. Advanced Operations. Linux fdisk Variants.
PartitionMagic.
Creating Partitions. Deleting Partitions.
Additional Partitioning Software. Dealing with Large Hard Disks. Partition Formatting.
Low-Level and High-Level Formatting. When to Format a Partition. Tools for Disk Formatting.
Summary.
7. Tips for Optimizing System Performance.
Optimizing Performance. Minimi