Re: 2nd Linux installation
On Thu, Nov 18, 1999 at 05:41:50PM -0600, RRPotratz wrote
> I'm a relative newbie to linux with a working Red Hat 6.0 system, but I would
> like to migrate to Debian. To do so I would like to install to a second hd,
> and keep my Red Hat until I've felt out Debian, but I have a
> few questions.
>
> One of the things I use the linux box for is an FTP server for my LAN, and I
> was wondering if it is okay to share the /home/ftp/pub directory between the 2
> distros so that as it gets modified in one distro the modifications will be
> updated in the other. For example if my partitions are:
>
> hda
> /dev/hda1 /boot
> /dev/hda2 /
> /dev/hda3 /usr
> /dev/hda4 swap
>
> hdb
> /dev/hdb1 /boot
> /dev/hdb2 /
> /dev/hdb3 /usr
> /dev/hdb4 swap
> /dev/hdb5 /home/ftp/pub shared between both distros
>
> will this work?
>
Sure, should be no problem.
> I should be able to boot the second distro through the existing lilo file on my
> mbr of hda correct? I need to edit lilo.conf but then what is the rest of the
> proceedure for that?
When you install Debian, make a boot floppy (just in case) but do *not*
ask Debian to make your hard disk bootable. After you've installed
Debian, add a section for the Debian system to RH's lilo.conf, like maybe:
image=/mnt/vmlinuz-2.0.36
label=Debian
read-only
root=/dev/hdb2
Then mount /dev/hdb1 on /mnt so that Lilo can see the kernel you want
to boot:
# mount -t ext2 -o defaults,ro /dev/hdb1 /mnt
and run Lilo.
The 'image=' line must point to the kernel you want to boot Debian with;
it doesn't matter if it doesn't have the same path as when the Debian
system boots - Lilo just needs to find out what sectors to load.
At boot time, you should be able to tap the shift key at the LILO prompt
to get a 'boot:' prompt, and then type 'Debian' to select the Debian
system.
>
> One other question for now. The second hd is a 15.2 gb Ibm which is
> autodetected in the bios, are there any problems with that, or are there boot
> parameters I should have in Lilo?
>
Many people have reported difficulty getting the screen-based cfdisk that
the Debian install uses to recognise hard disks over 8Gb. To avoid using
cfdisk, either create all your partitions under RH before installing, or
swap to an alternate vt when you get to the "Partition a hard disk" step by
pressing (e.g.) Alt-F2 and then press enter; you will get a root prompt, and
you can run the line-oriented "fdisk" program here which is a little less
friendly, but should work OK. Press Alt-F1 when you're done to return to
the installer, and select your partitions just as you would if you'd used
cfdisk.
John P.
--
huiac@camtech.net.au
john@huiac.apana.org.au
"Oh - I - you know - my job is to fear everything." - Bill Gates in Denmark
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