Installing linux

deceit

Hi, i'm looking to instal linux on a 400gb partition on my hard-drive. I would be looking to instal two versions ubuntu and suse. Would anyone be able to suggest what would be the the best way to set it up. Would like to have space where can share files between both of them and space the can share files with vista and windows 7 that i have installed also.

An Fear Aniar

Sounds a little complicated. I don't know exactly what's best but would make some points:

Install Windows first and make your new partitions in Windows, it just makes things simpler that way when you're later installing Linux.

It's a good idea to have a seperate root (/) and home (/home) partition in Linux, as well as a small swap partition. So you would have:

Windows
Suse root / (about 10Gb)
Suses /home - whatever size
Ubuntu root / (about 10GB)
ubuntu /home - whatever size
Linux swap ( I think both Suse and Ubuntu can use the same swap partition - check it out first).

Probably best to install Suse first, then Ubuntu. This means you will have the Ubuntu boot loader pointing to all your different OSes.

Windows won't be able to see the Linux partitions, but the Linux partitions will be able to mount and look inside and write to the Windows partitons.

Get more advice though, it's a big job and worth researching a lot more and looking at how-to's on the internets.


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bluplr

Don't complicate things, have a partition for each. Partition your drive 1st using the partedmagic livecd. Then install the operating systems. Your problem will be with your bootloader. You should initially try to use the windows bootloader to boot your OS's, so when prompted to install grub, don't. Look up google on how to configure the windows bootloader, if things are working properly it should be fairly easy. If you can't use the windows bootloader, you can install and configure grub from a livecd. It can be difficult to get your menu.lst file perfect though, so look up plenty of documentation and feel free to ask for help if you get stuck.

Khannie

deceit wrote: »

I would be looking to instal two versions ubuntu and suse.

Why? If you want to try out either / both, I'd suggest using a (pre-built and downloadable) VM to save yourself hassle.

For file sharing, just use an NTFS partition. You can mount that in linux or windows.

Johnboy1951

so when prompted to install grub,

Do install Grub ..... but install it to the root partition of each Linux OS you install.
With Grub on the OS partitions it will be easy to multiboot.

Alternatively, keep your Win OSs on one HDD and the Linux OSs on another. Set the BIOS to boot from the Linux drive and place Grub on its MBR.
When the Lin drive is booted it will have options to run Win as well as the Lin OSs.
Should anything happen you can always change the boot disk to the Win disk and boot that.

Capt'n Midnight

An Fear Aniar wrote:

Windows won't be able to see the Linux partitions, but the Linux partitions will be able to mount and look inside and write to the Windows partitons.

www.fs-driver.org to read ext3 partitions in windows
though it won't read those with an inode size over 128 bytes or in English it may not read newer ubuntu partitions


wubi on the newer ubuntu cd's makes it so easy to have a dual boot, no partitioning needed !

if your PC is up to it then VM's are a great way to go, for one thing you can look up problems on the interweb when the guest OS is having problems

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ext2fsd may read larger inodes

deceit

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

www.fs-driver.org to read ext3 partitions in windows
though it won't read those with an inode size over 128 bytes or in English it may not read newer ubuntu partitions


wubi on the newer ubuntu cd's makes it so easy to have a dual boot, no partitioning needed !

if your PC is up to it then VM's are a great way to go, for one thing you can look up problems on the interweb when the guest OS is having problems

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ext2fsd may read larger inodes

I never taught of vm, i've been looking for a reason to try it out. Would be a perfect situation. Cpu is only a e6400 so not sure if will affect it but the rest of the pc is up to-date 4gbddr3, 4870 ati 160 gig raptors * 2 for vista and 1500gb hd for windows 7 and linux. Will try suse through vm and if runs fine will keep them like that.

An Fear Aniar

bluplr wrote: »

Don't complicate things, have a partition for each.

It's a really good idea to have a seperate / and /home partition though, especially with a new Ubuntu being released every six months it makes things a whole lot easier when upgrading.

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