A Short History For Beginners About Dual Boot With Windows
The Origin of Dual Boot
Ever since Werner Almesberger introduced the LILO boot loader, in the 1990’s, PC owner have had the ability to “Multi Boot” different operating systems on our computers.
Although originally developed as a “Linux Loader”, LILO allowed users to choose between more than one operating system.
The most common use among PC owners was to allow both Linux and Windows to co-exist on the same computer. We refer to this as a “Dual Boot” system.
Although LILO development ceased in 2015, it is still found in use today.
It has been supplanted by GRUB as the most common boot loader used.
GRUB2 is the default boot loader for mainstream Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu.
Early Linux Users
In the beginning, Linux users were on their own. So, where did that leave us, the adventurist PC user who wanted to try something that was not Windows or Mac?
Installing Linux in the early days was a daunting task for someone who was just learning about PC's.
It involved partitioning your hard drive manually. If that hard drive was fully occupied by a Windows partition, then you had to get creative.
GNU parted made that easier, in 2002. It is a CLI (Command Line Interface) program. Then gparted was born in 2004. It is a front end for GNU Parted.
The Gnome partition editor allowed you to "Shrink" your MS partition, and create room for Linux, using a graphical interface. Dual Boot systems had become even easier to make.
Some of us would buy clones, other’s would build their own. Most of us would already have a PC, that came with Windows.
Book stores offered thick and heavy volumes about Red Hat, Slackware, &c. They came with a CD inserted in the back cover, that had a copy of Linux on it.
It did not take long though, for users to discover the online and open source distribution of Linux. Debian, Slackware, and Red Hat were all available online.
You could download the .img files from your local BBS, and create your own install disks.
Support groups were springing up, providing help for “newbies” to set up their Dual Boot systems. When the Internet became accessible to the general public, user groups became online forums.
Linux Live Operating Systems
When Klaus Knopper introduced “Knoppix” in 2000, it started something that revolutionized Linux. A live CD that could be used on any computer!
Unlike it’s predecessor, Finnix, it was more than a rescue disk. It was a full blown OS, with all the software included.
The Live CD, and it’s offspring, the Live USB, did not spell the doom of the Dual Boot system.
In fact, it increased the demand for it.
The live systems allowed users to try Linux, before investing any time or hardware into the system. Live Linux began to become easier to test, and easier to install.
Today, all mainstream releases of Linux are available as a Live USB that can be used as a trial run, portable OS, or permanent installation source.
So, who needs a dual boot system, if you have a Live CD/DVD/USB to run?
Even with faster USB 3.0, the real time lag of running a live system is slow, compared to a permanent install on a hard drive.
My Aspire 3 i5 notebook, with a Samsung 980 1TB SSD is less than 24 seconds from power on to login screen. So, yes, running off of a USB stick would be slow, and a CD/DVD even slower.
I switched in 2000 to Linux. The fact that I could run Open Office, GIMP, and other software for free, was a big attraction. I no longer needed to spend big bucks on programs that only ran on Windows. It is even more expensive, today, to maintain an up to date PC using only Microsoft products.
However, like a lot of other people, I still had a lot of programs that needed Windows. I had too much money tied up in them. I had just purchased AutoCad 2000, and a plotter that required a Windows driven interface. So I needed dual boot to run them.
Today, Linux has reached mainstream acceptance. Although not as popular in the US where Microsoft still has influence, it has become the “Go To” for many governments and large institutions around the world.
In the interest of compatibility with it’s world wide partners, even NASA installed Linux in some of the equipment on the International Space Station.
More and more hardware manufactures are producing Linux drivers to support their products.
Graphics, audio, and printing devices have Linux drivers available for almost all new devices.
What About Dual Boot Today?
The Virtual Machine is slowly replacing the old dual boot system.
With Virtual Box, you no longer have to reboot to switch operating systems.
Windows is now just another window, in Linux.
I can run my old AutoCad program in a virtual Windows environment, and simultaneously run all my Linux software.
Every once in a while, though, I find I need a native Windows environment, for some older piece of hardware, and even some newer stuff.
So, Dual Boot is still here, and still being used.
If you are using Dual Boot, there are some nice tweaks you can use for your GRUB menu. They are in the Linux Tutorial section.
Cheers!
Naught 
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