Multiboot Linux

[sskraju]

I'm completely linux newbie. I got a PC(32 bit) from my friend that has Fedora & Ubuntu on single HDD.Now I need to install Suse on the same HDD without destroying other distros.Please let me know what are the prerequisites for this? & how to do this step by step.

I'm not sure how the before installation is done?? I'm not sure about grub editing/tweaking.Plz guide me clearly.If you need any additional information plz let me know.At present installation of SUSE is very important

Ubuntu 10.04
Fedora 13
OpenSuse 11.3


Thanks in advance
Raju

[rcgreen]

First check how much hard drive space is being
used by the operating systems that are already
installed. Modern partitioning programs, often
included on the installer, can resize your existing
partitions, but you must have space available
if you expect to reduce the existing partitions.

In fact, the installation CD may tell you if it finds
that the partitions can give up enough space
to install SuSe. Boot it up and see what it tells you.

[sskraju]

sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40016019456 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0004944b

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 25 200781 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 26 662 5116702+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 663 793 1052257+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 794 1538 5980161 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 794 806 97280 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 806 1414 4881408 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 1414 1538 999424 82 Linux swap / Solaris

[Segfault]

Currently you have two swap partitions, you need one. Even if you have 100 Linux'es installed you still need just one swap.
You could use sda3 for Suse ... how much space Suse needs?

[sskraju]

default options what i got for partitioning in suse is

/dev/hdc2 (4.8G) for /home with reiserfs
/dev/hdc6 (4.8G) for / with reiserfs

/dev/hdc3 as swap
/dev/hdc7 as swap

will these settings erase previous distros??? how to proceed

[yancek]

Curious that you have only one hard drive and Opensuse sees the drive as the third, hdc?? Also surprised you have reiserfs, did you choose that?

It is probably suggesting the swap as what you already have and as stated above, there is no point in having more than one swap partition.

will these settings erase previous distros??? how to proceed

I believe so, at least partly. sda1 is small so is most likely the Fedora boot partition and what you show as hdc2 probably the Fedora root partition but it could be the Ubuntu root. hdc6 is probably a root partition. Can't really tell from the information you have posted.

[devils casper]

Partition structure of your Hard disk is not good. It looks like you have created two /boot partitions too. There is no need to create /boot partition in Desktop machine unless you are using LVM.
If you change partition structure now, other distros might not boot at all. You have to edit /etc/fstab and a few other conf files too.

Post the output of df -h command too.