multiple OS on one hardisk

**Lexis** · 06-18-2005

Have anyone tried to install winxp, solaris 10, freebsd and suse on the same harddisk? If yes, please give me a step-by-step guidelines.

Which one should I install first?

What should I do when suse, freebsd and solaris ask me to install their boot loader?

How to edit the grub configuration?

Should I use OSL2000 Boot Manager? I have never use it before.

Thanks....

***Dapper Dan*** · 06-18-2005

I have six OS's on my drive. I always use grub when given the choice as I find it to be the best choice for me for several OS's. I install the first one. Then the second, installing grub to the MBR. Then copy the entry for the previous OS's /boot/grub/menu.lst, and paste it into the new grub menu.lst. Then, the next distro, copy the preceeding two into the newer /boot/grub/menu.lst, and so on. Each time you do this, you are telling the boot loader where to find the right files to boot into the chosen OS. Here's a copy of my present /boot/grub/menu.lst to give you an idea of how it's done...

Code:

# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Sat Feb 19 10&#58;43&#58;11 2005


color white/blue black/light-gray
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu &#40;hd0,7&#41;/boot/message

title Slackware at hda10, kernel 2.4.26      
kernel &#40;hd0,9&#41;/boot/vmlinuz-ide-2.4.26 root=/dev/hda10 ro 
initrd &#40;hd0,9&#41;/boot/diag1.img
savedefault

title Slackware at hda10, kernel 2.6.10 
kernel &#40;hd0,9&#41;/boot/vmlinuz ro 
initrd &#40;hd0,9&#41;/boot/initrd.gz
savedefault 

title Slackware at hda10, kernel 2.6.11.7 
kernel &#40;hd0,9&#41;/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.11.7 ro 
initrd &#40;hd0,9&#41;/boot/initrd.gz
savedefault 

title Vector at hda14, kernel 2.6.11.7      
kernel &#40;hd0,13&#41;/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.11.7 root=/dev/hda14 ro 
initrd &#40;hd0,13&#41;/boot/bitmap/boot.bmp
savedefault


title		Beatrix, kernel 2.6.7 
root		&#40;hd0,11&#41;
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7 root=/dev/hda12 ro ramdisk_size=100000 lang=de apm=power-off hda=scsi hdb=scsi hdc=scsi hdd=scsi hde=scsi hdf=scsi hdg=scsi hdh=scsi nomce vga=0x317 quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.7
savedefault
boot

title MEPIS at hda5, kernel 2.6.7
kernel &#40;hd0,4&#41;/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7 root=/dev/hda5 nomce psmouse.proto=imps quiet splash=verbose vga=791 
initrd &#40;hd0,4&#41;/boot/initrd.splash 
savedefault

title MEPIS at hda5, kernel 2.6.9
kernel &#40;hd0,4&#41;/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9-2-686 root=/dev/hda5 nomce psmouse.proto=imps quiet splash=verbose vga=791 
initrd &#40;hd0,4&#41;/boot/initrd.img-2.6.9-2-686 
savedefault 

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier&#58; Original name&#58; linux###
title SuSE Pro 9.1
    kernel &#40;hd0,7&#41;/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda8 vga=0x317 splash=silent desktop resume=/dev/hda6 showopts
    initrd &#40;hd0,7&#41;/boot/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier&#58; Original name&#58; windows###
title Windows XP
    root &#40;hd0,0&#41;
    chainloader +1

One good thing to remember with grub is... think a number behind. hda1 is (hda0,0). hda3 is (hda0,2) and so on.

**budman7** · 06-18-2005

think a number behind. hda1 is (hda0,0). hda3 is (hda0,2) and so on.

Probably a typo DapperDan..

hda1 is hd0,0, and hda3 is hd0,2

Wouldn't want to mess a newbie up.

***Dapper Dan*** · 06-18-2005

Originally Posted by budman7

think a number behind. hda1 is (hda0,0). hda3 is (hda0,2) and so on.

Probably a typo DapperDan..

hda1 is hd0,0, and hda3 is hd0,2

Wouldn't want to mess a newbie up.

I stand corrected. Thanks budman 7.

**a thing** · 06-18-2005

Install XP first. XP must be the master (and it automatically overwrites the MBR IIRC).

**toffycoffy** · 06-27-2005

hey dapper dan,
I installed win XP, then did Fedora core 4 and tried to install Vector Linux. Vector uses LILO and for the first try, i asked it not to write anything to the MBR. when i restarted i got the grub> prompt. i rebooted with the vector cd and installed LILO since i have no clue how to use the grub prompt. now i know i have fedora but can't use it because there is no option to boot it. I want to install SUSE and freebsd too.
I have reinstalled Fc4 and grub. i deleted all the partitions of vector. i left a huge chunk of free space on the harddisk to install the other os'es i.e. vector,suse and freebsd. Now, currently all i have is winxp and fc4 and grub. please advise as to how i should proceed.

**budman7** · 06-27-2005

Try this link.

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/top...ight=multiboot

**toffycoffy** · 06-27-2005

now that i have installed the bootloader to the root of the vector installation. i can get into fedora but not vector. i am sure thats what u meant will happen. should i type the commands in the fedora terminal? also my vector root is located on hda10 or (hd0,9) how shud i configure the grub to start vector? please help me.

**budman7** · 06-27-2005

This is my entry in Suse for Vector linux

Code:

title Vector
kernel &#40;hd0,4&#41;/boot/vmlinuz-sata-2.4.29 root=/dev/hda5

You will have to edit it for your needs
hd0,4 to hd0,9
the sata line to whatever your kernel name is.
hda5 to to hda10

I don't know why it says sata in the kernel line. I don't have a sata hard drive.

The file you will have to edit is in Fedora.
/boot/grub/grub.conf

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