How to install one linux distribution over another - bootloader issues

[sirlou]

Hi there. I am just getting my toes wet in the linux world and I have a question before I try switching distros.

I am currently running Fedora Core 1 and MS Win XP on two separate drives, and I use the Fedora GRUB Boothloader. I ask before I do anything because I bothged things horribly in attempting installs or reinstalls of prior versions of linux over the last ten years, which is what kept me away from it again until now.

I really like fedora core and I am enjoying ti a great deal - but since it is not supported anymore I thought I would try out one of the other distros. After running Fedora now for about two months and getting used to running Linux, I've decided that I want to try out Mandrake and Suse. Here's my question...

Can I just install the new distro over the old distrobution and install a new bootloader through the installation process? Is that all that is required.?

Thanks!

Louis

[bsm2001]

Yes. During the install of mandrake it will install a new bootloader for itself.

[sirlou]

Awesome, thanks. I know it was a silly question, but I'd hate to botch things again and get discouraged.

BTW Just bought a book about Linus and it's great reading. Feeling like I did about Macs in 1984. ; )

Louis

[JohnT]

I am currently running Fedora Core 1 and MS Win XP on two separate drives, and I use the Fedora GRUB Boothloader. Where do you have Grub installed? If to the MBR of the same drive with Windows I would repair that before continuing. Return it to its original form.

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by sirlou

I really like fedora core and I am enjoying ti a great deal - but since it is not supported anymore I thought I would try out one of the other distros.

It isn't? I thought only Redhat was not supported. :confused:

[sirlou]

Uh, well, as a newbie I am definitely not an authority and I am purely going on limited information I have read in articles about choosing the right distro for the new user. But I think I get your point...

Redhat is no longer supported as the company decided to focus on business (enterprise?) buyers.

But Fedora is supported by the community - just not Redhat the company. Is that correct?

[sirlou]

Originally posted by JohnT
Where do you have Grub installed? If to the MBR of the same drive with Windows I would repair that before continuing. Return it to its original form.

I did not install GRUB in the MBR b/c I had read about how WIN XP caused lots of problems with that type of an install. I installed in on the first sector of the first partition.

So that should be alright to replace with a Mandrake bootloader, right?
Louis

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by sirlou

Redhat is no longer supported as the company decided to focus on business (enterprise?) buyers.

But Fedora is supported by the community - just not Redhat the company. Is that correct?

http://fedora.redhat.com/ explains.

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by sirlou
I did not install GRUB in the MBR b/c I had read about how WIN XP caused lots of problems with that type of an install. I installed in on the first sector of the first partition.

So that should be alright to replace with a Mandrake bootloader, right?
Louis

If the original distro had the bootloader installed in the mbr of the primary master HD, then you will first need to reset the mbr back to it's original state (pre OS) by using

fdisk /mbr (from a Win9X bootdisk)

or

fixmbr (from XP's recovery console)

and then set the partition you now installed the bootloader as the active partition.

Same as I do as /boot is the first partition on the P/M HD of which Grub is installed and set as active. Nothing has ever been installed in the mbr in any of my HD's.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by sirlou
I did not install GRUB in the MBR b/c I had read about how WIN XP caused lots of problems with that type of an install. I installed in on the first sector of the first partition.

So that should be alright to replace with a Mandrake bootloader, right?
Louis If you mean the first sector of the first partition of your Linux drive/partition.

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by JohnT
If you mean the first sector of the first partition of your Linux drive/partition.

Hopefully that is not the Windows system partition.

[frimann]

It is allso a great opinion to make a boot floppy to boot your linux os and leave the mbr untouched, then windows stays untouced.
I sometimes have 3 oses on my computer, grub starts windows and 1linux and the 2linux uses a boot floppy, and things stay simple.

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by frimann
It is allso a great opinion to make a boot floppy to boot your linux os and leave the mbr untouched, then windows stays untouced.

I sometimes have 3 oses on my computer, grub starts windows and 1linux and the 2linux uses a boot floppy, and things stay simple.

:confused:

Why would you have Grub installed and only booting Windows and one Linux while using bootdisks for the other? You could just setup Grub to boot all operating systems.

:confused:

[frimann]

I see now that the second half of my post should have been better thought out, my 2lLinux os gets replaced alot like every 2 week and I am lasy, but if you have windows and only one linux os it is still a good opinon to make a boot floppy and leave the mbr untouched, specealy it you are trying to find what distro suets you, that way windows is in lalmost no danger.

[sirlou]

Thanks for all the great advice people! I really appreciate it. And you have all made some good points.

I think that I shall go and get both Suse and Mandrake and then install them both on separate partitions on my second hard drive.

Again, apppreciate all the help!

Louis

[XiaoKJ]

Do not be rash.

Their comments are based on the assumption that you are going to use grub and you know all abt it.

In fact, if you install mandrake, its default bootloader is lilo, which may cause problems with other linux distros.

Firstly, to make sure, you must tell us all the hard disk partitions you have.

For example, I think you have the following:
/dev/hda1 -- Fedora
/dev/hda2 -- windows xp

If not, you must clarify!

If it is, you will have to do this -- make /dev/hda1 contain only the /boot partition. all linux distros will then point to it as the /boot partition. make sure it has some space.

then install the linux distros you want to try out and remember to specify grub in the installer. Remember to keep the old grub.conf or menu.lst in place for reference later.

Then you will have to add Fedora's booting option to the newly installed grub from the old one.

In overall, you will then have the following partition info:
/dev/hda1 -- universal grub /boot partition for all your linux distros
/dev/hda2 -- your safe old Fedora partition
/dev/hda3 -- your old windows xp to be neglected
/dev/hda4 -- mandrake or SuSE...

Make sure you know grub by hard or something to do this as you will need to edit a lot!

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by XiaoKJ

If it is, you will have to do this -- make /dev/hda1 contain only the /boot partition. all linux distros will then point to it as the /boot partition. make sure it has some space.

/dev/hda1 -- universal grub /boot partition for all your linux distros
/dev/hda2 -- your safe old Fedora partition
/dev/hda3 -- your old windows xp to be neglected
/dev/hda4 -- mandrake or SuSE...


If you are planning to install more than one Linux distro, only install the first distros bootloader (Grub/Lilo) in /boot (hda1) and then install the remaining distros bootloader in their own root partition.

i.e.

/dev/hda1 (/boot) owned by Fedora and Grub installed

/dev/hda4 ('/' - root) install the bootloader for Mandrake/SuSE here.

Add Mandrake/SuSE to the Grub config of Fedora.

You only need a 20-30mb /boot partition.

[frimann]

The best way to try different linux distros if you are unsure of youre skills, is to get another computer and your main computer is 100% safe, there are a lot of P3 out there which are fine for that purpose and you can get them for almost noting.