Dual boot Linux

[pkd_lives]

HMMMM... another Linux dual boot question. But not answered in the FAQ.

Please tell me if I am wrong or right.

Linux requires a SWAP partion (almost always) and you should create a boot partition, and a home partition and you also require a ROOT partition. Now it was my understanding that all system files get put in the root partition.

Okay that is the basics, and I assuming that that is pretty much correct.

Now I can share any partition with another Linux distributuion.

So here is the crux. Say I want to create a dual (triple, quad, etc...) system.

I can create a swap partition, this needs doing once as I can share it. I create a boot partition, again this would be shared. However here is the problem as I see it. Will the different distros use the same root partiton? If so how do I seperate the different systems? I tried labeling the root, but Diskdruid and diskdrake get really pissed. I have searched google, but they are not neccessarily as informative as I would like. Can I create a root, and then get the systems stored in a different directory of root. I want the distros to be seperate, They can share a home directory that is not a problem, but I do not want RH7.3 to see the system files of Mandrake 8.2. They must not interact, but being able to actually see each other is fine. I am not looking to make them invisible, although knowing how would be good, but they must be non-interoperating.

I want to have Mandrake 8.2, 9.0 and RH 7.3 (and maybe 8.0), and I want to try out others, SUSE, PEANUT, as well as BSDs (if I can do this in Linux then BSD should not be a problem (except that I have to learn it))?

That may be a tall order for a simple reply, but it actually looks simple from what I have read, it's just I need to get the partitoning setup straight first.

[ November 19, 2002: Message edited by: pkd ]

[KernelPanic]

You do not need to do anything special, just make 2/3/4/5... partitions and have all the OS's make that their root partition. In mandrake setup just choose you want and the click the mount button and say mount as /
They should not touch eachother without you asking like winders does. When you are finished you can add your redhat partition to your mandrakes fstab  under /mnt/redhat for example and then you are not isolated one distro and need something from the other. Alternitevely you could have a shared /home or just have  a spare partition for data.

[KernelPanic]

That is very muddled^^^^^

Basically you want to make x partitions when you install the first distro.
Then install this distro on the first partition (lets call it /dev/hdb1), and carry on installing each distro on the next partition along. ( eg /dev/hdb2 for the second distro)
Note down on a piece of paper where each distro is as you go along.
Somewhere along this process you will need to install a bootloader, probably best on the last distro you install. Choose to install GRUB to the mbr, and then you'll be able to oot all your OS's. If GRUB does not get autoconfigured by the distro install, then refer to your piece of paper and then add entries for each distro.

You also only need 1 (or however many you run) swap partitions between the different distros.

[ November 19, 2002: Message edited by: Tux ]

[pkd_lives]

Cheers, I'll let you know if I have issues with it.

[pkd_lives]

That is so good, and makes such good sense, once you get things straight in your head it is so easy to change that into reality (however much of an illusuion that may be). And it was so easy, no incompatable filesystems using the same manufacturers OS, no need to reformat partitions time and time again, no need to paranoically defrag. No strange bootloader reactions, able to edit my bootlog EXACTLY as needed.

I was stupidly getting partitions and filesystems ever so slightly confused, and thanks I just figured it out fstab is filesystem table.  :rolleyes:  that should help out a bit.

Cheers Tux me old China, it's a good day to learn some Linux.

[KernelPanic]

Not a problem