Prepartitioning, Grub location for Lenny?
I'm preparing to install Debian Lenny on an IBM R40 laptop. My old layout was as follows: hda1=primary=WinXP hda2=primary=Debian Sarge hda3=primary=swap hda4=primary=Knoppix (There's also a hidden partition with WinXP recovery stuff at the end of the drive. I'm going to leave that designated by the BIOS as hidden.) I've wiped the partitions and reinstalled WinXP on hda1. I'll again use Partition Magic under WinXP (or a parted magic live CD) to create a new layout: hda1=primary=6GB=WinXP hda2=primary=10GB=Debian Lenny / hda3=primary=12GB= /home hda4=extended=7GB hda5=logical=1GB=swap hda6=logical=3GB=Test distro (Slax, Slitaz, Knoppix, etc.) hda7=logical=3GB=Test distro (Slax, Slitaz, Knoppix, etc.) In order to get WinXP to boot during the reinstall, I did an install-mbr /hda. After installing Lenny, should I install Grub on the mbr or should I locate it somewhere else (for example, at the beginning of hda2)? --postid -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: Prepartitioning, Grub location for Lenny?
On Sun, 2009-06-28 at 08:22 -0500, postid wrote: I'm preparing to install Debian Lenny on an IBM R40 laptop. My old layout was as follows: hda1=primary=WinXP hda2=primary=Debian Sarge hda3=primary=swap hda4=primary=Knoppix (There's also a hidden partition with WinXP recovery stuff at the end of the drive. I'm going to leave that designated by the BIOS as hidden.) I've wiped the partitions and reinstalled WinXP on hda1. I'll again use Partition Magic under WinXP (or a parted magic live CD) to create a new layout: For the record, You don't have to use special tools. Debian-Installer can shrink Windows partition. (and it can create almost any partition you want) hda1=primary=6GB=WinXP hda2=primary=10GB=Debian Lenny / hda3=primary=12GB= /home I I were you, I wouldn't use a primary partition for /home (you you can use that partition to install another OS) In order to get WinXP to boot during the reinstall, I did an install-mbr /hda. ?? After installing Lenny, should I install Grub on the mbr or should I locate it somewhere else (for example, at the beginning of hda2)? Usually, you should install grub on the MBR. However, in your situation, you could reinstall IBM's rescue tool's boot-loader on the MBR, then install grub on Debian's partition (you need to set Debian's partition as the bootable one, I guess.)... But be prepared it's going to be a tough game. So I recommend you just install grub on the MBR (i.e on /hda). If you ever want to use the IBM's rescue tool, you would just restore the tool's MBR. Franklin -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: Prepartitioning, Grub location for Lenny?
Hi, On Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 08:22:38AM -0500, postid wrote: I'm preparing to install Debian Lenny on an IBM R40 laptop. My old layout was as follows: hda1=primary=WinXP hda2=primary=Debian Sarge hda3=primary=swap hda4=primary=Knoppix I see so far. (There's also a hidden partition with WinXP recovery stuff at the end of the drive. I'm going to leave that designated by the BIOS as hidden.) This is not makinhg sense. Where is this hidden partition. In order to have more than 5 partitions, you need to use extended. I've wiped the partitions and reinstalled WinXP on hda1. I'll again use Partition Magic under WinXP (or a parted magic live CD) to create a new layout: hda1=primary=6GB=WinXP hda2=primary=10GB=Debian Lenny / hda3=primary=12GB= /home This is one possibility. Having all / in hda2 (including /home) is possible. This is just preference issue which installer took choice for you. hda4=extended=7GB hda5=logical=1GB=swap hda6=logical=3GB=Test distro (Slax, Slitaz, Knoppix, etc.) hda7=logical=3GB=Test distro (Slax, Slitaz, Knoppix, etc.) In order to get WinXP to boot during the reinstall, I did an install-mbr /hda. After installing Lenny, should I install Grub on the mbr or should I locate it somewhere else (for example, at the beginning of hda2)? You are using MBR(Niels's one from Debian), I guess. If so, /dev/hda. I think. (I am not quite sure what you wish to do and I am not 100% sure how XP behavs.) Then Grub need to be installed in /dev/hda2 (I am not saying installing Grub in /dev/hda kills system. It should do well too.) See http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-reference/ch03.en.html Osami -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: Prepartitioning, Grub location for Lenny?
Hi, On Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 04:01:45PM +0200, Frank Lin PIAT wrote: On Sun, 2009-06-28 at 08:22 -0500, postid wrote: In order to get WinXP to boot during the reinstall, I did an install-mbr /hda. ?? He must have meant install-mbr /dev/hda After installing Lenny, should I install Grub on the mbr or should I locate it somewhere else (for example, at the beginning of hda2)? Usually, you should install grub on the MBR. This is a new method. But installing Niel's MBR was default too. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: Prepartitioning, Grub location for Lenny?
On Sunday 28 June 2009 09:01:45 am you wrote: On Sun, 2009-06-28 at 08:22 -0500, postid wrote: hda2=primary=10GB=Debian Lenny / hda3=primary=12GB= /home I I were you, I wouldn't use a primary partition for /home (you you can use that partition to install another OS) Why not install /home as primary? I've read that data recovery is easier when done from a primary partition. Is that not so? Or are there other considerations? Unlike Windows, Linux can be bootable even when not installed early on the disk. I was also considering having WinXP, Debian's / and another distro as primary partitions as you suggest, then swap, /home and another distro as logical partitions. Better? Why? I've been trying to understand the primary versus logical issues and frankly the more I read, still the more undecided I am. --postid -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: Prepartitioning, Grub location for Lenny?
On Sunday 28 June 2009 09:13:17 am Osamu Aoki wrote: On Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 08:22:38AM -0500, postid wrote: (There's also a hidden partition with WinXP recovery stuff at the end of the drive. I'm going to leave that designated by the BIOS as hidden.) This is not makinhg sense. Where is this hidden partition. I believe that it's at the end of the drive. I've never toggled it on to see. --postid -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: Prepartitioning, Grub location for Lenny?
On Sun, 2009-06-28 at 10:27 -0500, postid wrote: On Sunday 28 June 2009 09:01:45 am you wrote: On Sun, 2009-06-28 at 08:22 -0500, postid wrote: hda2=primary=10GB=Debian Lenny / hda3=primary=12GB= /home I I were you, I wouldn't use a primary partition for /home (you you can use that partition to install another OS) Why not install /home as primary? If you are a multi-multi-boot guy, you might need a spare primary partition at some-point I've read that data recovery is easier when done from a primary partition. Is that not so? It may help recovering broken partition table, but restoring a backup is the best solution ;) Or are there other considerations? Unlike Windows, Linux can be bootable even when not installed early on the disk. I was also considering having WinXP, Debian's / and another distro as primary partitions as you suggest, then swap, /home and another distro as logical partitions. Better? Why? Yep. I've been trying to understand the primary versus logical issues and frankly the more I read, still the more undecided I am. Usually, the boot partition of operating systems needs to be installed on a primary partition. Multiple operating systems of the same vendor can usually boot from the same boot partition. Regards, Franklin -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Re: Prepartitioning, Grub location for Lenny?
On Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 08:22:38AM -0500, postid wrote: I'm preparing to install Debian Lenny on an IBM R40 laptop. My old layout was as follows: ...bootloader questions... Since you're experimenting w/ bootloader options, you might want to download this and have it ready in case of emergency: http://www.supergrubdisk.org/ It'll help you boot a Windows or Linux partition even if your local bootloader doesn't work, and even if you don't understand Grub. -Rob -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
