[opensuse] multiboot
Hi, SuSE 10.3 KDE is my workhorse but on other partitions I've several other Linux flavors (and MS WinMe). I can boot each OS and frequently add or replace one to explore a new Linux version. Doing so I encountered several problems for which I found no easy solutions. Installing a new Linux usualy changes the MBR and prevents to boot some old Linux's. SuSE 10.3 does a good (not perfect) job in recognising other OSs, but Fedora 8 for instance left me with only Fedora and Windows to boot. Then I try to edit /boot/grub/menu.lst or grub.conf if it exists. If the new Linux uses lilo instead of grub I consider it incompatible with the old ones and delete it. If it doesn't give me root access, or shows the Gnome desktop, I restart. One way out is to boot SuSE with the Boot Installed System option on its installation disk, logon as root, mount the new Linux with YaST Partitioner and try again to edit its menu.lst Another way is to use Mandriva Free 2007 that holds the last boot menu list. Its installation disk features the Rescue System / Re-install Boot Loader option. Then I can boot again all old Linux's and try to add an entry for the new Linux on menu.lst - but unfortunately Mandriva is one of those dreadful distros that doesn't allow root access so again I've to use SuSE to access its menu.lst Still another way is to use Knoppix or SimplyMepis to hack other systems - which seems to render passwords futile ... Moreover there is the problem of different file systems. If I replace a Linux using ext3 by a Linux using reiserfs, and forget to edit /etc/fstab in SuSE for this partition, then SuSE refuses to boot ... Any easier solutions? Robert -- http://rwbest.no.sapo.pt/ -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Dec 13, 2007 1:07 AM, Robert W Best
Hi, SuSE 10.3 KDE is my workhorse but on other partitions I've several other Linux flavors (and MS WinMe). I can boot each OS and frequently add or replace one to explore a new Linux version. Doing so I encountered several problems for which I found no easy solutions.
Installing a new Linux usualy changes the MBR and prevents to boot some old Linux's. SuSE 10.3 does a good (not perfect) job in recognising other OSs, but Fedora 8 for instance left me with only Fedora and Windows to boot.
Then I try to edit /boot/grub/menu.lst or grub.conf if it exists. If the new Linux uses lilo instead of grub I consider it incompatible with the old ones and delete it. If it doesn't give me root access, or shows the Gnome desktop, I restart.
One way out is to boot SuSE with the Boot Installed System option on its installation disk, logon as root, mount the new Linux with YaST Partitioner and try again to edit its menu.lst
Another way is to use Mandriva Free 2007 that holds the last boot menu list. Its installation disk features the Rescue System / Re-install Boot Loader option. Then I can boot again all old Linux's and try to add an entry for the new Linux on menu.lst - but unfortunately Mandriva is one of those dreadful distros that doesn't allow root access so again I've to use SuSE to access its menu.lst
Still another way is to use Knoppix or SimplyMepis to hack other systems - which seems to render passwords futile ...
Moreover there is the problem of different file systems. If I replace a Linux using ext3 by a Linux using reiserfs, and forget to edit /etc/fstab in SuSE for this partition, then SuSE refuses to boot ...
Any easier solutions? Robert -- http://rwbest.no.sapo.pt/
I don't know of any easier solution for you, but what I would do is to choose NOT to install boot loaders from other distros. Then when I reboot, I go to SUSE and make the changes to menu.lst, or use YaST to modify the boot loader menu. Just my 2 cents. Cheers, Chua -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Robert W Best wrote:
Any easier solutions?
first, always install (when possible, it is for openSUSE, any version) the boot loader *on the root partition*. When possible, use a separate disk for your main linux. of course, you will have to install *also* the main system on the mbr, but this install can be deleted, on a windows install, for example. with this system it's enough to have a chainloader menu entry in any grub to boot all the other systems (you have two boot menus one after the other). You can even boot with windows as main, changing a line in the c:\boot.ini file... jdd -- http://www.dodin.net -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Robert W Best wrote:
One way out is to boot SuSE with the Boot Installed System option on its installation disk, logon as root, mount the new Linux with YaST Partitioner and try again to edit its menu.lst
Robert
Not to hijack this thread or anything, but I have a question regarding this. When I use the Boot Installed System off the install disk, most things don't work, like eth0 etc. Why is this? I'm not up to speed on the boot options, and I understand things like resume or such does not work, but why doesn't ethernet lan work in this case? I do have another option on recovering a hosed grub, that is "supergrub". I've used that in the past with some success, and it is pretty good at figuring out what OS is installed where, and what to boot. Its not perfect, but actually pretty good. You loose the nice splash screens from opensuse however, but this is superficial. I suppose you could use the list it creates and modify it with the opensuse splash. Jim F -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 2007/12/12 17:07 (GMT) Robert W Best apparently typed:
SuSE 10.3 KDE is my workhorse but on other partitions I've several other Linux flavors (and MS WinMe). I can boot each OS and frequently add or replace one to explore a new Linux version. Doing so I encountered several problems for which I found no easy solutions.
Installing a new Linux usualy changes the MBR and prevents to boot
Changing the MBR is usually rude. Linux shouldn't be doing it just because M$ does it, or for most other reasons. http://en.opensuse.org/Bugs/grub
some old Linux's. SuSE 10.3 does a good (not perfect) job in recognising other OSs, but Fedora 8 for instance left me with only Fedora and Windows to boot.
IIRC, Fedora/RedHat have always ignored other installed distros when configuring their own boot loaders. Anaconda probably has a feature/option that permits you to direct it to add particular additional entries. I wouldn't know, as I never use its grub to boot anything else.
Then I try to edit /boot/grub/menu.lst or grub.conf if it exists. If
Does anything other than Fedora/RedHat use /boot/grub/grub.conf? ...
Any easier solutions?
Install standard (windoz compatible) MBR code. Create a modest sized primary ext2 partition on the first HD. Size it according to whether and how many kernels and initrds you want to place on it. (I put installation kernels/initrds on it and do network installs, so use a fair amount of space on mine, which I make 200 MiB of late.) Install a standard Grub on it (i.e. not Fedora's). Set it to be the active partition. Once installed and functional, do not set it to mount as /boot in any fstab. Once you've done it, you can chainload doz or any distro with a working bootloader installed on its / partition, and for those distros with boot/bootloader problems, you can manually boot them from the grub prompt. It can be mounted anywhere you please as and when required for your own personal/manual maintenance of its menu.lst, though technically it doesn't need a menu.lst if you're good with the grub prompt and don't boot too often. Make sure not to set makeactive on anything other than the one you actually want active (Grub's as long as you've not configured anything else to routinely get Linux started). These are very simplified sample partition layouts for small disks with few operating systems: http://mrmazda.no-ip.com/share/disk20G-multiboot.txt http://mrmazda.no-ip.com/share/sample-multiboot-partitioning-doz+linuxwithgr... http://mrmazda.no-ip.com/share/sample-multiboot-partitioning-doz+linuxwithgr... A more complex partitioning arrangement, including OS/2, doz, the IBM OS/2 Boot Manager, and a bunch of Linux distros: http://mrmazda.no-ip.com/tmp/dfsee/gx1509b4-suse102.txt A boot.ini file that enables doz bootloader to chainload to a Linux bootloader: http://mrmazda.no-ip.com/share/sample-with-comment-boot.ini Two web pages about partitioning/multiboot/installation that might be helpful: http://mrmazda.no-ip.com/partitioningindex.html http://mrmazda.no-ip.com/install-doz-after.html -- " Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 Felix Miata *** http://mrmazda.no-ip.com/ -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
participants (5)
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Chee How Chua -
Felix Miata -
jdd -
Jim Flanagan -
Robert W Best