Multiple Linux installations

[terpic]

This is not really a serious problem but, I have two hard drives, with Linux and a small windows partition as a back up on my second drive. I would like to try more than one Distro. At present I have SuSE 8.1 with grub bootloader. Can anyone tell me how to partition off part of my Linux partition to install another Distro without damaging SuSE or grub.

Thanks for any help you can give.

[homey]

Not too hard at all! :)

First, you need to make a boot floppy for the existing system so you can get back into it after installing the second system.

Now you can go ahead and install the second system ( Redhat of course ) :):)

You don't need to use a /boot partition in this example as I use the MBR instead.

After you have installed redhat and rebooted into it, go to the file /etc/grub.conf and write down the information.

Now you can use the Suse boot floppy to boot into that system.
Add that information from the Redhat grub.conf to the Suse grub.conf.

Now you need to reactivate the Suse Grub Bootloader.

Type: rdev

At the command type:grub

Then type: root (hd0,1)
Note: change that to match the information you got from typing rdev

Now type: setup (hd0)
Note: that is using the MBR

Now type quit to exit the grub utility.

Here is a sample of the file /etc/grub.conf using the MBR

Peanut Linux is on the 1st drive and 2nd partition
Redhat Linux is on the 1st drive and 5th partition

boot=/dev/hda
default=0
timeout=15
splashimage=(hd0,4)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Peanut Linux
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz ro root=/dev/hda2

title Red Hat Linux
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-14 ro root=LABEL=/ hdc=ide-scsi
initrd /boot/initrd-2.4.18-14.img

[terpic]

Thanks homey

I take it when you say install redhat I put the installation cd in and run it, what stops this from overwriting Suse, do I have to do an "expert install"? also I don't understand what you mean by using the MBR.

also I looked for /etc/grub.conf and couldn't find it.

[homey]

When you install the second linux system, just be careful to create the partitions on free disk space .

The /etc/grub.conf is actually a link to the file which is located in the /boot directory and may be called menu.1st or something like that.

If you want to save some trouble, just use the grub bootloader which redhat creates.

The MBR is just another location to boot from as opposed to using a separate /boot partition.

[Artimus]

Guys, he said he wanted to shrink his linux partition, not overwrite his windows partition. Pay attention. There is a big difference.

I know there are programs out there... Parted is one. Not sure if it can do journalling though.

[Barney_DK]

Hi.

I found this thread in the help files and it actually applies to a question I wanted to ask.

Having just started to get going with linux, I'm very happy to report no hair tugging moments with Suse 9 yet.
However, I would like to take a look at Fedora too on my dual boot system to see which I prefer.

I currently have a small partition for windows (just for games until I get Cedega setup hopefully),
then a partition for Suse (ext3) and one for digital pictures (ext3).
My question is not so much about the installation as I will create a new partition on some free space, but what happens if I decide that I didn't want one of the linux distributions in the future.

I will probably stick with just one of them in the long run, but if I just delete the partition (either Suse or Fedora), wouldn't that mess up the MBR? Is there a safe way to remove one of the installations that will update the boot loader?

Many thanks in advance.

[saikee]

Barney_DK,

You don't mess up with the MBR you only mess up with one of the Linux as its partition number may be shift up by one. You need to check fstab and mtab files and amend the partition references. Lastly you also need to revised the information in the bootloader. It will be /etc/lilo.conf for Lilo and /boot/grub/menu.lst for Grub.
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Terpic,

Artimus is right. You need to squeeze some space out. My FC2 is just under 7Gb large. The swap partition can be common to both or any other Linux. My Suse is well under 5 Gb so there may be scope for you to resize the partition. Never have much luck with resizing myself but you can tar the partition out, delete the Suse partition, recreate a few more and tar the partition back to the same location (with identical partition number).

---------------------------------------

You guys are so cautious. I charge ahead and have 15 Linux in the hard disk now. There are still empty slots in my 28-partition disk to take more.

A modern Linux will pick up all the bootable systems of your hard disk to compile the boot menu. It checks each partition's superblock or boot sector and chainload each one it finds for you automatically. If you want Suse to be picked up by the new Linux just copy the Suse grub bootloader there. I assume you have placed it in the MBR and left the superblock empty at the moment. Assuming it is in hde2 (Suse name my hard disk as hde instead of hda) just grub-install it as a root user

grub-install /dev/hde2

For Lilo the equivalent command is

lilo -b /dev/hda2

or hde2 as the case may be because my Mandrake 10 uses Lilo and follows Suse convention calling my disk as hde. It works for me as I can ask any Linux to go into MBR to boot the rest of systems.

I don't believe a newbie knows the true power of Linux until he/she have a half a dozen distros in a hard drive and each one can boot Windows. He/she should also boot one Linux up and chroot to another to work on the desktop of the second Linux.

In Linux the sky is the limit.

[Barney_DK]

Hi.

Thanks for the information there.
That seems ok actually. I'm "fairly" comfortable messing around with the grub config (if it's just removing the entry for the version I remove). I assume that if I install Fedora, I will automatically update its own grub with the existing Suse installation.. Hope so..

Thanks again

Nigel

[saikee]

barney_DK

There are people advocating the alteration of the boot menu file to include the additional Linux. Actually this is unnecessary if you make sure each Linux has its bootloader inside the partition. The first track of any partition is not used and reserved for the bootloader.

Say if you have a Window and 5 Linux (with bootloaders installed as I suggested) and install your 6th Linux, the new one would check the boot sector of each partition and include it if it is bootable. Thus the new Linux will compile its boot menu with Windows plus 6 Linux.

If you do not place a bootloader inside the existing Linux it will be missed out by the new Linux. There is no advantage not to install the bootloader inside the Linux own partition. It doesn't cost anything but the existence of the bootloader means that Linux can be chainloaded out whenever needed.