When I had 5 OS's on my machine (98, 2k, mdk, rh, debian)
for the linux's I just installed them in the above order.
Then made a directory in mdk's /boot for rh and debian
Copied the files from the other's /boot dir to them.
Modified the mdk lilo.conf entries, and all was fine.
I like the Mdk Graphical Lilo screen

Brian D. Klar - CVE
Multimax 
Network Engineer
WPAFB


-----Original Message-----
From: John Richard Smith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Friday, January 03, 2003 7:17 AM
To: Vahur Lokk; NEWBIE 1
Subject: Re: [newbie] help needed for triple-booting


Vahur Lokk wrote:

>�hel kenal p�eval (reede, 3. jaanuar 2003 01:14) kirjutasid sa:
>
>  
>
>>No /boot partition ?
>>
>>your trying to boot both OS's from one kernel, I guess.
>>    
>>
>
>Hmm... I guess I understand the problem a bit better now. About solving the 
>problem: How to repair things without complete reinstall?
>1. Can things work without separate /boot? Eg if I copy needed files from 
>/boot on hda6 to hda7 will it work? What files? What else has to be modified?
>
certainly there is , there is an alternative to having a /boot 
partition,but the disadvantages are
that it is not straight forward and requires post install configuration, 
whereas if you go
to the trouble now of creating a /boot partition , at this juncture ,the 
task of dual linux booting,
and upgrading is a doddle here on after.

So if you don't want to create a /boot partition, you must mount the first
OS partition with entries in fstab, making directories in /mnt directory for
that partition and when you have gained access to the first linux OS you
must copy many files from /boot directory to the second linux OS /boot
directory these files include, the kernel, initrd.image
you must then create fresh new stanzas in lilo.conf to run these
kernels and initrd.image files at boot time, don't forget to run /sbin/lilo

However, I do assure you that despite what it looks it is easier and more
satisfying to create a /boot partition in the first place , run the install
proceedures again for both linux OS's taking particular care with the
lilo install in the second linux OS , so that all the stanzas
you need to boot both linux OS's are included in the scripts, it's
quite easy, drakX provides a very good graphical interface and
the choice of entries for each aspect of the lilo stanzas are
all there to be chosen from dropdown lists, just take your time and
think about the overall look of each stanza group. Make sure that
each kernel and initrd.image version is clearly defined. All the
entries to do this will be there because with a /boot partition
drakX puts all the kernels and initrd.image files in the one /boot partition
whereas without a /boot partition it does not.

>2. If above approach is too messy, it is possible to snip a little more from 
>the end of hda1 and make it a boot partition. Or is it? How big? Again, what 
>has to go in there? What else has to be modified?
>
Of course just use either diskdrake or PM to snip 20-50mb off one of the 
other
partitions. As a rough guide a kernel these days is 13-15mb  the other 
files are negigeable
and so I choose 100mb as being simply ample for future needs including 
experimental
kernels. See this is why it is so easy and best to have a /boot 
partition, if for some
reason you need an updated experimental kernel , just install it, it 
will put itself into
that /boot partition then write another lilo stanza to boot an OS with 
it, no messing
about. Job done , and if it does not work out, deleate it, and the lilo 
entry, and you
still have your old kernel working properly as it ought to. I would not 
set my
linux OS's up any other way than with a /boot partition. Time spent now 
getting
things set up is time and effort saved later on. Then when another mandrake
release comes along I install it in the older of the two linux OS 
partitions, drakX
does it's stuff and puts the kernels and init.rd.image files in the 
/boot partition
for you, you then have a choice of wherether to write a new lilo there 
and then
or use the old lilo to boot to desktop and add a stanza to boot the new 
linux OS
either way works, and I tend to choose do it on dektop if it's a beta 
version, or
do it from drakX lilo install if it is a full release.

>And WTF all these hundred dual boot how-to's handle win/lin question that is 
>actually no-question at all these days and not a word about other options?!
>Because its so intuitive? OK im complete idiot then... or not quite sober yet 
>from the new year party;) If you could point out some docs I would be glad 
>also.
>
Don't feel bad about it we all learnt this stuff the hard way.
The first time I learnt how to do this was one long weekend spent
in the company of my son in law on an old beatup HP with inadequate
memory and a borrowed hard drive, I think we did something between
20 to 30 installs before we got it right, I remember only too clearly
that it was M7.2 and M8.1 and M8.1 was the only installer with the
capability to write multiple boot  lilo stanzas , M7.2's was too basic.
God did we have a time, and the info on the net never was that good.
But we did get there in the end .

>
>Ah, BTW, John, this sound file you suggested me was .asoundrc in your home 
>directory. It is described on alsa home page.
>
I knew there was one there somewhere . Tell me more . I don't really 
understand this
sound configuration stull fully myself. If your've figured it out do tell.

>
>Wahur
>
>
>
>
>  
>


-- 
John Richard Smith
[EMAIL PROTECTED] 




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