Post Installation of a booter

[alex <radsky@ncia.net>]

I plan to install 4 Linux systems but don't want to install a boot
loader (LILO or GRUB) with any of the systems but instead  rely on boot
floppies because I always had reliable performance with floppies in the
past.  However, LILO or GRUB is more convenient and faster so I would
like to at least give them a try.


How can LILO or GRUB be installed after the Linux systems have been
installed and working?   I couldn't find any info about
installing them after the systems are installed.  How would you create a
menu to include all 4 Linux systems plus Windows?


And, in the event I decide to remove the boot loader later, how can this
be done safely?


The reason for my not wanting to include boot loaders during the Linux
installations is, I had a BIG problem once when
I made a mistake near the end of a Linux  installation and couldn't
correct it.  So, I halted the installation to try to restart it.

GRUB  had already been installed and it wouldn't let me to do a
reinstallation but it insisted on trying to boot the incomplete Linux
and nothing else, not even DOS,  could be booted.   It's a long story,
but I ended up reformatting the Windows partition and reinstalling
everything.

Using boot floppies is as reliable as wearing a belt and suspenders but
both are inconvenient and slower.