setting up a multi-boot system

[Malixon]

it is possible to set up a multi-boot system using a couple of LINUX and UNIX distros on the same hard drive?



I want to set up a muti-boot system with OpenBsd, Freebsd and 2 linux distros such as Centos and Fedora just to see if it could be done.

my question is can the grub bootloader and the LILO bootleader be installed on the same hard drive since both want to have control of the MBR.

[LocoCoyote]

You can put as many OS's on your hard drive as you have space for. The trick is to partition before you install anything. Some things to keep in mind:

1) Linux OS's can share the same swap file and the Linux swap file is on a separate partition.

2) Other *nix OS's (freeBSD, Solaris, etc) will set up slices within the partition you dedicate to them. The swap will be one of them.

3) You can only have 4 primary partitions per hard drive. You can use extended partition and logical drives, but if you do, only put your Linux distros on them. It gets quite complicated if you try the other *nix's on anything other than a primary partition. I recommend against extended partition

4) Pay careful attention to what each OS calls each partition; you will need to know what is installed where in order to get your boot loader pointed in the right direction.

5) Install one of your linux's last. A good distro will go a long way toward setting up your boot loader for you. SUSE does an excellent job of this.

You can set up multiple boot loaders....one in the MBR and the others in the first sector on the OS's partition...but this is a foolish way to do it. A single boot loader (GRUB is by far the best) in the MBR is the best way. Some of the *nix's install their own boot loader. Avoid this if possible.


I hope this helps.

[faulkner132]

Additionally, If you are going to install Windows... make sure you do that first. The Windows installer can't handle a disk with more than 3 partitions already existing (will error out) and it isn't very friendly with existing OS' on the drive.

Linux distro's will accomodate an existing Windows installation just fine.

[Ind-PC_student]

That is prety easy depends on disk size

partition to your needs PRI/ exten partitions
install SBM in a floppy http://btmgr.webframe.org/ very easy to use
Install GRUB or LILO for each o/s on their own /root partition
start the system with the prepared floppy pess the tab key on system settings menu select scan drivers and rescan partitions

for each installed grub, lilo and Ntloader will display
primary 1
primary 2
primary 3
primary 4

you can rename these to their appropriate distro names and/or o/s's

in my case primary 1 = windows xp
primary 2 = S.U.S.E 10.0 OSS

almost forgot you should consider to buy a second HDD much easier

[LocoCoyote]

Originally Posted by Ind-PC_student That is prety easy depends on disk size partition to your needs PRI/ exten partitions install SBM in a floppy http://btmgr.webframe.org/ very easy to use Install GRUB or LILO for each o/s on their own /root partition start the system with the prepared floppy pess the tab key on system settings menu select scan drivers and rescan partitions for each installed grub, lilo and Ntloader will display primary 1 primary 2 primary 3 primary 4 you can rename these to their appropriate distro names and/or o/s's in my case primary 1 = windows xp primary 2 = S.U.S.E 10.0 OSS almost forgot you should consider to buy a second HDD much easier

That would work, but why make it so difficult? It seems to me to be a bit like walking around to the back door insted of using the front!