Re: Question on running multiple Linux distributions along with BSD and windows

[Kenneth Macdoald Karlsen <ken@fiona-victor.com>]

On Tue, 2004-04-20 at 10:28, Sanjay Chigurupati wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I have Windows XP and Debian running on my machine, with Lilo as boot
> loader.
> 
> Planning to add FreeBSD and Gentoo.
> 
> 1) Do I need to have a separate boot partition for each Linux version?
> 
> 2) Is there a simple way to manage boot loader, where I could just add
> partitions in the free space and update boot loader?
> 
>  I seem to mess up boot loader, when I add a new Linux install.  Is there a
> solution to work across more than one hard drive. Plannin to add  an
> additional hard drive where I do all the distro trials.
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Sanjay
> 
> 

The easy way to do it:
1. Install the new linux on a different partition and have one
filesystem for / (root).
2. use the swap partiotions you use today.
3. Install lilo for the new linux install on / for that install. VERY
IMPORTANT.
4. reboot old linux/debian and add entry for the new linux install in
/etc/lilo.conf.
5. you are done.

You can put the new linux on any hard drive you wish. For testing i
cannot stress the convenience by using one single partition except for
swap. You can easily mess things up. especially with several /boot.