[SOLVED] Change distro, keep dual boot capability

[Andy2]

I have a dual boot system - about 2 gigs for Win98SE and the remainder for Xubuntu. I've not been too happy with Xubuntu lately and want to install another distro. In the past, I've reloaded Windows, downsized it with Partition Commander, and loaded whatever linux distro I found interesting at the time in the free space. After having done it this way about a half dozen times, I'm finally starting to think that this is a lot of trouble and that there's probably a better way to do this. Can someone please tell me a simple (it has to be simple) way to (1) do away with my linux partitions (2) without affecting Windows that will (3) allow me to install a new distro and (4) still be able to dual boot? Or point me in a direction where I might find the information? Thank you.

[Parcival]

After having done it this way about a half dozen times, I'm finally starting to think that this is a lot of trouble and that there's probably a better way to do this.

Yes, there is:


Boot from the new distro's installation CD.
When it comes to partitioning, choose manual partitioning.
In the manual partitioning screen, point your future / to the existing Linux partition with the old distro in it.
All current distros should automatically detect an existing Windows installation. If it doesn't automatically do that, add it manually (see below).


For the following example, set the correct path in rootnoverify according to your harddisk layout - if Windows is the first partition on your first harddisk, this would be hd0,0. For further information, google the web or search this forum for tutorials on GRUB.

# The next four lines are only if you dualboot with a Windows system.
# In this case, Windows is hosted on /dev/hda6.
title=Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,5)
makeactive
chainloader +1

[saikee]

I can't offer a solution better than Parcival. Just another alternative.

Since you are using Win9x chances are you will have a floppy drive so I would recommend you to make a bootable Grub floppy in accordance with the Section 3.1 of the Grub Manual. Such a Grub floppy is unattached to an operating system and as such it can boot any operating system that has even been invented on a PC.

Let's say you have Win9x installed in the first partition and a Linux in the second partition. These will be known to Grub as (hd0,0) and (hd0,1) respectively as it always counts from 0.

Win9x will forever be bootable, regardless of if there is Linux or not and whatever type of boot loader residing in the MBR, from the Grub floppy by command
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
boot

If you Linux has Grub installed it will be fired by in a Grub prompt (after boot up the Grub floppy) by
root (hd0,1)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst
If your Linux is from the Red Hat family and you have allowed its installer to iput Grub in a separate /boot partition, say in the second partition, then the red bit in the above should be omitted.

If your Linux uses Lilo then read Task G2 in the last link of my signature.

The above will work even if the MBR has been completely trashed resulting none of your systems boots .

[Andy2]

Parcival, the change went without a hitch. My new distro replaced the old, leaving both Windows and the swap partitions intact. I'll be checking out other distros more often in the future.
Saikee, I wanted to make a Grub floppy as you suggested in case I ran into a boot problem, but my floppy drive no longer reads or writes. I thought of a Grub CD, but apparently there's more to making one than just a change of media, so I skipped it this time around (and got lucky).
Thanks to both of you.