OOOPs,
sorry, i forgot to attach the attachment....
here it is
mark wilson wrote:
Hello Gary, Hello everyone,
There seems to be a fair bit of traffic lately about multiple distributions on
a single machine. I've attached a file to this mail describing how i did it for
anyone who cares. Unfortunatly, i don't have a web site where i can upload it.
I hope it will be of help to some of you.
--
mark wilson
----------------------------
visit this site and help someone
who needs you today.
http://www.thehungersite.com
-----------------------------
this message sent using S.u.S.E. Linux
--
To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com
For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com
Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq
--
mark wilson
----------------------------
visit this site and help someone
who needs you. Today.
http://www.thehungersite.com
-----------------------------
this message sent using S.u.S.E. Linux
How I installed multiple distributions of Linux on one machine.
by Mark Wilson
Please read this entire document before doing anything, particularly the
disclaimer found at the end. Your feedback is important.
Step 1.
create a /boot partition somewhere on the bootable section (below block 1024) of your first hard drive.. In my case it looks like this:
Filesystem 1k-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda2 22578 3387 17987 16% /boot
My /dev/hda is a 4.2 GB EIDE drive and all of it resides within the 1024
limit. Lucky me. As you can see, only 16% of this 22Mb partition is being
used. It contains 6 different boot images for 3 different Linux distributions.
Presumably, that answers the "How big should it be?" question.
After this, it doesn't matter where your '/' partition is. Only the boot image (i.e. vmlinuz) must reside within the 1024 limit.
Note: The root partition '/' is NOT the same as '/root'.
Step 2.
I installed lilo in the MBR of the first EIDE drive. This may or may not be the best solution but it works and i have had no problems what so ever with it there. If it is possible to install lilo within the /boot partition that may be a better way. However, someone else will have to offer suggestions on that subject.
For the rest of this document, i am assuming that lilo is in the MBR. Make whatever changes are necessary if you have it else where.
Step 3.
Now let's say that you have a single version of Linux installed and perhaps Win98 or something as well. Your fstab may look something like this:
/dev/hda5 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/hdb5 / ext2 defaults 1 1
/dev/hdb9 /home ext2 defaults 1 2
/dev/hda2 /boot ext2 defaults 1 2
/dev/hdc /cdrom iso9660 ro,noauto,user 0 0
/dev/fd0 /floppy auto noauto,user 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts defaults 0 0
/dev/hda1 /dos vfat noauto,user 0 0
---------end----------
And your lilo.conf will have only two entries:
<-------snip-------->
#
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hdb5
label = suse
#
other = /dev/hda1
label = dos
table = /dev/hda
<------end-snip------>
Notice that '/' is on the second EIDE hard drive outside of the bootable
limit. Once again, this is not a problem because the bootable image
"/boot/vmlinuz" is safely within the prescribed limit. Well enough. Now we
want to add another version of Linux some where on /dev/hdb, the second EIDE
hard drive.
** Have you noticed that i keep insisting on EIDE drives?
That is because i have no experience with SCSI drives and i beleive there are
some other considerations, when using SCSI drives or a combination of both.
Again, i'll have to pass the buck on this one to someone else.
Step 4
Partition your drive(s) and do what ever you need to to install the new Linux
version. Only don't make a separate /boot partition. Just ignore it and it
will be installed as a sub-directory beneath '/'. This will, in most cases,
leave the new installation unbootable but that is fine. We will correct it
later. Just get your stuff installed and make a boot disk while you're at it.
Once that is done, use the new boot disk to boot into your new distro and see
that things are okay. There is no point continuing if the install didn't work
so check it first and know that the boot disk is okay too. Safe is safe.
Now, you may find that lilo is corrupted. Again, not a problem. You DO have a
boot disk for your original Linux install, right!
I prefer to do the following configuration under my default system (SuSE
6.4), but you can do it either from the new installed system or the originall.
For the sake of this explanation, i will assume we are doing it from the
default system. Boot into it now.
Step 5.
First we want to edit the /etc/fstab file
$ cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.orig #make backup of the original (always, always and forever and ever)
$ pico /etc/fstab #use whatever editor you like
add something like:
# 2.0GB for other OS #this is a comment to remind you of what you did
/dev/hdb1 /RedHat ext2 noauto,user 1 2
This says that i have installed RedHat on the first primary partition of my second EIDE drive.
If you don't understand the format of an fstab entry, RTFM :). It's not too
difficult. If you repartitioned your drive, you will have to make the
appropriate changes to this file. Be careful!
Now, create the directory /RedHat:
$ mkdir /RedHat
... and mount it:
$ mount -v /RedHat
.... go to it:
$ cd /RedHat
... enter the boot directory of you new installed system:
# cd boot #note the lack of the leading '/'. If you were to include it,
you would find yourself way back to your default system's boot partition. Not
where you want to be!
Do a pwd to be sure that you're in the right place:
$ pwd #should read /RedHat/boot NOT /boot!!!
Now copy your Redhat boot image to your bootable boot partition:
$ cp -v vmlinuz /boot/RH #DON'T FORGET TO RENAME IT!! or you will
trash your default systems boot image. If your at all uncertain, then copy it
under a new name in the present directory before you send it to /boot:
$ cp -v vmlinuz RH
$ mv -v RH /boot #this time you can move
since the original is still intact in the original directory. Notice that this
time we are using /boot (not just boot). And remember, we are doing this from
the default installation. Otherwise, things would be reversed (i.e. cp -v
/SuSE/boot/vmlinuz /boot/suse).
Now, we can configure lilo to recognize the new boot image.
Step 6.
if you are using SuSE as your default system you can configure lilo quite
easily with Yast. I prefer to do it by hand. Yast is self explanitory so i
will show you how i do it with an editor - pico 'cause i'm no unix geek.:))
$ cp -v /etc/lilo.conf /etc/lilo.conf.orig #remember your promise,
"always, always and forever and ever"?
$ pico /etc/lilo.conf
Add a new section in the same format as the ones which are already present:
# # a comment line
image = /boot/RH # tell lilo where to find the boot image. This is how we named it in our example
root = /dev/hdb1 # tell lilo where to find the '/' partition. Look at what you wrote down during the install. It's all there, right!! Don't forget, this is the 'root' partition not '/root'. Got that?
label=rh # this is what you want to type in at the lilo prompt. Be creative. It's one of the few places where you say whatever the @*#^ you want.
Save your changes and exit your editor. There is only one more step.
Step 7.
run lilo:
$ lilo # it doesn't matter what your pwd is to run this
The output should be something like:
Added suse *
Added dos
Added rh
This tells you that when you start up lilo the next time you will have these three options to boot.
You can repeat this set up sa often as you like. Well, just about. Lilo can handle quite a few boot maps. One day i'll RTFM and find out for sure how many.
I hope this has been of some help to you. If there is any thing that you didn't understand, read it again. If you still have questions, send them to .
DISCLAIMER
I will be happy to support any further questions. However, keep in mind that
i am by no means a guru. As a matter of fact i know very little about about
computers at all. If you are at all in doubt about what you are about to do,
or about the validity of my suggestions; i strongly recommend that you contact
a more advanced user before doing anything. In the end, it's your system that
you will get trashed if something goes wrong. What i have learned has been
through trial and error with the help of the SuSE mailing lists and the
kindness of the Linux community in general. <wildbill> Bill Turner at
linuxrenegades.com, Johannes Drechsel-Burkhard, and Lawrence at
www.linuxdot.com in particular. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
--
To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com
For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com
Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq
