Six operating system how to set it up?

[Coreyjames25]

Ok so I'm trying to learn the more about proggaming in linux and in dos.
I need some help thoygh how can I set this up and in what order do I do it.
I don't care if I have to delete everything as long as I can set it up.
I prefer it to be on one bootloader
I need to install
OpenSuse linux
Fedora linux
Arch linux
Vista
Xp
Dos

But if it looks like this its ok
Opensuse linux
Fedora linux
Arch linux
Windows (vista bootloader)
Vista
Xp
Dos

I have heard that dos needs to go first than xp than linux(s) than vista.
Is this true because I don't wanna waste the rest of my week on nothing can someone help me out?

Thanks

[glennzo]

Install DOS, XP, then Vista, then install all the Linux distros. Since I'm a Fedora fan I'd install Fedora last and let it's grub handle the booting. It's easy to twist grub to make it do what you want. Before you install anything you need to create partitions for all the OS's. You need 7 partitions and you should have a swap partition of 2x your ram. If you have 1GB memory, make 2GB swap. 2GB is probably as large as you need no matter how much ram you have. I'd recommend at least 20GB per OS, and about 1TB for Vista since it seems to be so space hungry.

Install DOS and then XP. You should get the option to boot either. Install Vista and you should be able to boot any of the three. Start installing Linux OS's. Each succesive Linux install should, but doesn't always, add any already install Linux OS's to it's boot loader. If not, no big deal. We can sort that out easily. What you will probably end up with is Fedora's boot loader offering all of the Linux OS's and one Windows option which will be the boot loader for all of the MS OS's. When you choose Windows you will likely see the option for Vista, XP and DOS. That can be changed too. Have fun.

[Coreyjames25]

Sounds like a plan. I have 1.25 gigs of space
On two hard drives
1 1tb
1 250 gigs

I'm thinking of the 250 as my root partions and swap
And the tb as my /usr /home /data (music and movies (at least 300 gigs)) and my progeam files for xp and vista which will use the same programs (install twice for the registry to work once on xp once on vista)

So 60 gigs for vista
20 for xp
2 fo dos
40 for each linux distro
2 for swap (I have 4 gbs of ram)
And a partion for the grub loader how large should that be

Now the tb
300 for music and movies (/data)
200 for program files
80*3 for each /usr file
65*3 for each /home file

[Silpheed2K]

You'll simply have to edit your boot loader file to load the partitions... if you want to install XP on a secondary drive and not a primary, you will have to unplug your other drives and then use the map trick in GRUB to map it as a main drive when it's loaded. [this way windows wont complain and make you waste partition space]
I recommend partition the drive(s) out ahead of time... and then pick which partition you want to use and then format over it with the install disk of whatever OS you want to.
[you can do that using gparted]

I have 4 OSes installed.. one of them XP, the other is OpenSUSE.

you will need to edit /boot/grub/grub.conf to make it all work together and it may take a little while but everything should work.
You may need to re-install GRUB once or twice to get everything straightened it. Other than that you should be fine. (sorry if its not enough detail but you may have to take a little time to look it all up)

[glennzo]

Swap is said to do better on a separate disk if possible, so I'm told. Time to get to work. I'll expect a full report on my desk in the morning.

[taipantoo]

Your swap should be 2 X ram or 8 GB in your case.
Grub will be in /boot which only needs too be about 100 MB.

This is my setup:

[taipantoo@localhost ~]$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x2a0e2a0d

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 5354 43005973+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 5355 5367 104422+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 5368 11741 51199155 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 11742 14593 22908690 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 11742 11996 2048256 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 11997 14593 20860371 83 Linux
[taipantoo@localhost ~]$ sudo cat /boot/grub/grub.conf
# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/sda6
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=15
splashimage=(hd0,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
#hiddenmenu
title Fedora (2.6.27.12-170.2.5.fc10.i686)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.27.12-170.2.5.fc10.i686 ro root=UUID=e84c05f3-2d13-4fd1-9ff6-80052506f4d8 rhgb quiet vga=0x318
initrd /initrd-2.6.27.12-170.2.5.fc10.i686.img
title Fedora (2.6.27.9-159.fc10.i686)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.27.9-159.fc10.i686 ro root=UUID=e84c05f3-2d13-4fd1-9ff6-80052506f4d8 rhgb quiet vga=0x318
initrd /initrd-2.6.27.9-159.fc10.i686.img
title Fedora 10 (2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686 ro root=UUID=e84c05f3-2d13-4fd1-9ff6-80052506f4d8 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686.img
title Fedora 8 (2.6.26.8-57.fc8)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.26.8-57.fc8 ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.26.8-57.fc8.img
title Windows XP Pro
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
[taipantoo@localhost ~]$

I know I'm only running XP, F8, & F10, but I hope this helps.

[Coreyjames25]

im gonna sound like a complete idoit but thats ok.
i compleltly forgot that my computer dosent have a floppydrive and i cant find any info on this
but is their a way to install dos using a flash drive or a dvd?

besides that im ready to go.

ok im gonna use freedos beacuse of drivers and it has most of the apps i want preinstalled. and it works on a dvd/cd
thanks
that report is comming.

[Coreyjames25]

ok so im getting a little pissed i cant get xp to install.....
i get to the install screen and it dosent show my partions i have a fat and ntfs files their and it dosent read ANYTHING.
so now i am at the point were i could go dos and vista.
i than get this error from xp

"the promblem seems to be caused by the following file: setupdd.sys

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA"

good old microsoft

[Coreyjames25]

i have 5 oses running (i dont have dos beacuse i can run it in a virtual machine and their is no need to make it as a independent os)

i will be adding mac leapord osx tmrw when my download finshes XD
you shoud install in this order

XP
vista
linux distro's

I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU INSTALL A DEBIAN LINUX DISTRO LAST.
so that it can auto pick up all the distros running without any grub.conf editing
i am going to install mac last if any promblems arise i will post how to solve it.

my grub conf looks like this


title opensuse (some-version.i686)
root (hd0,6)
kernel /vmlinuz-some-version.i686 ro root=UUID=????????????_?????????rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-.(some-version.i686).img


title WindowsXP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

title WindowsVista
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader +1

title sabayon
rootnoverify (hd0,4)
chainloader +1

title fedora
rootnoverify (hd0,5)
chainloader +1

to make programs work on vista and xp make a seprate partion named programs.
open up vista and install all the programs to the "programs" partion. than restart and do the same for xp.
to make programs partion your deafult progam files open up regedit
do as directed BE CAREFULL ONLY DO WHAT I SAY
I DO NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILLITY IF YOU F*** UP!
(THIS IS VISTA)
google how to do it for xp i may post later

click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SOFTWARE
MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
double click CurrentVersion

edit these files

CommonFilesDir
to *insertprogramspartionletter*:\Program Files\Common Files

ProgramDilesDir
to *insertprogramspartionletter*:\Program Files

if you need any help post here i may make a guide later on.

[registroid]

Hello
I'm glad someone started this thread. Lotta good tips.
I too multiboot with Grub. I have 14 partitions on a 200g drive. I can have many linuxes to play with plus XP and a 30g partition for data I don't want to lose if Windows gets blown up.
My main grub menu lists all my os's by name and takes me to each one and displays it's stock menu.lst provided with each distro, showing all the options. This keeps the full lists on one page instead of scrolling alot. Each 'submenu' has a back button to get me back to the first/main menu. Grub is pretty slick I think.

The main menu items are this:

title PCLOS
rootnoverify (hd0,11)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst
etc.......

The stock submenus are like this:

# (0) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux
root (hd0,13)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda14 ro vga=788
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

# (1) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux Fallback
root (hd0,13)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda14 ro
initrd /boot/kernel26-fallback.img

title *** Back ***
rootnoverify (hd0,7)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst

By keeping the main menu.lst on the same linux, you only have to install it in the mbr one time. You can edit to your hearts content from then on. You just give the stock menu.lst for that linux a different name(like wolvix_menu.lst) or something like that.

Cheers.

[Coreyjames25]

Originally Posted by registroid

Hello
I'm glad someone started this thread. Lotta good tips.
I too multiboot with Grub. I have 14 partitions on a 200g drive. I can have many linuxes to play with plus XP and a 30g partition for data I don't want to lose if Windows gets blown up.
My main grub menu lists all my os's by name and takes me to each one and displays it's stock menu.lst provided with each distro, showing all the options. This keeps the full lists on one page instead of scrolling alot. Each 'submenu' has a back button to get me back to the first/main menu. Grub is pretty slick I think.

The main menu items are this:

title PCLOS
rootnoverify (hd0,11)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst
etc.......

The stock submenus are like this:

# (0) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux
root (hd0,13)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda14 ro vga=788
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

# (1) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux Fallback
root (hd0,13)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda14 ro
initrd /boot/kernel26-fallback.img

title *** Back ***
rootnoverify (hd0,7)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst

By keeping the main menu.lst on the same linux, you only have to install it in the mbr one time. You can edit to your hearts content from then on. You just give the stock menu.lst for that linux a different name(like wolvix_menu.lst) or something like that.

Cheers.

all i have to say is genius.
the back button plus the sub menu.