[vox-tech] bootable partition question

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Mark K. Kim (markslist@cbreak.org):

> The partition table has a field that tells whether a primary partition is
> the boot partition or not.

That's the active flag.  It has no defined meaning, at least not in any
meaningful sense:  It's just a flag.  The unnamed Microsoft MBR program
heeds it, branching to the first primary partition that bears that flag.
I know of no other boot utilities that pay any attention to it at all.

> But as I always recommend, leave the MBR alone as other OSes (Windows,
> OS/2, etc.) will write over it like it were a teacher grading your quiz.

OS/2 doesn't (if fading recollection suffices).

Microsoft OSes do, but only when you run their installers.  But that's
when you pull out your boot floppy, boot it, and re-write the MBR the
way you prefer it.

-- 
Cheers,                                      "Reality is not optional."
Rick Moen                                             -- Thomas Sowell
rick@linuxmafia.com