Can Windows 98, Puppy and Ubuntu coexist?

[puppyLUVER1234]

I was wondering, Can windows 98, Puppy linux, and Ubuntu linux coexist together because Windows 98 is not installed yet, Puppy linux is, and im installing ubuntu. I dont want to nuke my installation of pupy linux with either.

[Flash]

Well, I've never bothered to install Puppy on a hd, but the essence of Puppy is experimenting. If you're really worried about nuking a Puppy (or Windows) install, you could back them up first.

[Lobster]

They can coexist.
That does not mean they will.

It depends how knowledgeable and careful you are.
I tend to prefer one OS per hard disk. Others are quite safe running several OS in different partitions or in virtual machines.

I am sure many users here are running such a configuration and perhaps can advise you.

[puppyLUVER1234]

NOW ive gotten myself into an mess. Which GRUB should i use because the one that ubuntu uses dosent have Puppy Linux listed but when i tried the Puppy Linux one neither boots. Im re-installing Ubuntu right now but i need help on how to get puppy linux onto the list of operating systems in the Grub for ubuntu.

[puppyLUVER1234]

bump

[d4p]

I guess, no problem.
My suggestion: Install ubuntu at last

I've triple boot: XP, Puppy and kanotix.

[Sit Heel Speak]

NOW ive gotten myself into an mess. Which GRUB should i use because the one that ubuntu uses dosent have Puppy Linux listed but when i tried the Puppy Linux one neither boots. Im re-installing Ubuntu right now but i need help on how to get puppy linux onto the list of operating systems in the Grub for ubuntu.

I triple-boot Win98SE, five flavors of Puppy, and two flavors of Gentoo.

1. Are the disks cabled, jumpered, partitioned, and formatted correctly? Anything unusual about them, e.g. scsi or sata?

2. Post here the grub config file, either grub.conf or menu.lst, whichever one Ubuntu grub uses. I don't use Ubuntu but would guess it puts grub.conf or menu.lst in /boot/grub.

3. Tell us which OS you are trying to place on which partition.

[puppyLUVER1234]

NOW ive gotten myself into an mess. Which GRUB should i use because the one that ubuntu uses dosent have Puppy Linux listed but when i tried the Puppy Linux one neither boots. Im re-installing Ubuntu right now but i need help on how to get puppy linux onto the list of operating systems in the Grub for ubuntu.

I triple-boot Win98SE, five flavors of Puppy, and two flavors of Gentoo.

1. Are the disks cabled, jumpered, partitioned, and formatted correctly? Anything unusual about them, e.g. scsi or sata?

2. Post here the grub config file, either grub.conf or menu.lst, whichever one Ubuntu grub uses. I don't use Ubuntu but would guess it puts grub.conf or menu.lst in /boot/grub.

3. Tell us which OS you are trying to place on which partition.

Well, im using one hard disk, partitioned into 7 partitions. I couldnt fing an grub.config or an menu.lst. Here is my detailed Partition specifications:

Partition Filesystem size notes

/dev/hda1 fat 16 2.00 gb Want to install Win 98 onto here
/dev/hda2 ext 2 2.93 gb Puppy linux verson 2.17 installed
dev/hda3 extended 3.70 gb
/dev/hda5 lin swap 966.66 mb Linux swap partition
/dev/hda6 fat 16 1.95 gb
/dev/hda7 fat 16 789.94 mb

/dev/hda4 ext3 4.88 gb Ubuntu linux installed here

[puppyLUVER1234]

Here is my menu.lst:

Code: Select all

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#            grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
#            and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default		0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout		3

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line)  and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
#      password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title		Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root		(hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader	+1
#
# title		Linux
# root		(hd0,1)
# kernel	/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/hda4 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,3)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##      alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##      lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery mode) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
##      howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
##      memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386
root		(hd0,3)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hda4 ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
savedefault
boot

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386 (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,3)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hda4 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
boot

title		Ubuntu, memtest86+
root		(hd0,3)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin 
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

[puppyLUVER1234]

bump

[cagliostro]

Can Win 98, Puppy, and Ubuntu co-exist?

Short Answer: No.

A computer designed for Win 98 won't be able to run Ubuntu in any usable form. A couple of years ago I read many reviews of Ubuntu that said it was great on modern computers, but would be too sluggish on an older 800 MHz machine. Well, I have a 2001 computer: 850 MHz, 320 MB RAM, 20 G drive. When I upgraded it to a fast 120 G hard drive I was able to install and run Ubuntu at a workable speed, but it wasn't exactly responsive. Any computer that is older than mine can't run Ubuntu. (Indeed, I read a rant--I mean review--at Desktop Linux, where the author tried running Ubuntu on an old 600 MHz laptop, and then screamed that Linux was worthless and that his test proved it. Since all other reviews indicated that he shouldn't have even attempted this, I wondered what the point was.)

Is your computer eight years old? And how fast is it? After all, you have Win 98. And the size of your hard drive suggests an older machine. Such a machine isn't fast enough for Ubuntu. Win 98 and Puppy are fine.

Xfce is designed for older computers. This would mean trying Xubuntu or SAM-2007 (SAM is PCLinuxOS with Kde replaced with Xfce). But even here you need at least a 450 MHz machine.

These days Puppy has many derivatives. TEENpup has lots of added programs. Or how about NOP (Nearly Office Puppy)? And Lobster has done up a couple of releases, something about Shard and Prism (haven't read up on them yet). If you want something more, you might try running these with Win 98.

From your partitions:

I never used Win 98, but can't it handle vfat32? Fat 16 goes back to DOS, and it will produce a larger cluster size, meaning lots of wasted hard drive space.

Do you really have 512 MB of RAM, as indicated by your swap partition?

[puppyLUVER1234]

Ok, here is my computers specifications:

Computers designed operating system: Windows XP
Processor: Intel Celeron 1.2 GH
Memory: 256 MB
HD: 19 GB
Other drives: 1 CD RW drive and one CD rw/ DVD rom drive.
Floppy Drive included.

All of the parts listed here have been upgraded from factory default except the processor.

PS: the reason those are not formatted for fat32 is because Fat 32 seems to corrupt every computer that i have re-partitioned, or at least in my case.

[Sit Heel Speak]

Just above ### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
put:

title Puppy Linux 2.17 on hda2
# if root (hd0,3) doesn't work, try (hd0,1)
root (hd0,3)
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 PMEDIA=idehd PHOME=(hd0,1)
#no need for an initrd line on normal hdd install, since is no initrd.gz
boot

The commented-out "chainloader" part for Win 95/98/etc. --if uncommented-out, should start Win 98 after you install same; however, you may need to reinstall Grub (from Ubuntu) first, since installing Win 98 will probably overwrite the mbr--which is where I presume Ubuntu places grub.

HTH,
SHS

[puppyLUVER1234]

How do i re-install GRUB? Do i re-install Ubuntu?

[Sit Heel Speak]

What I mean is, you may have to reinstall grub *after* you install Win98.

The most convenient way would be by using WinGrub, from the grub website.

But, let's go one step at a time. When you boot, does grub now give you the option of booting Puppy?

Does choosing the Puppy option, indeed cause Puppy to boot?

[puppyLUVER1234]

Well, i installed Win 98 on the first partition, then re-installed GRUB the hard way. I re-installed Ubuntu! Then i added that piece of boot code that you supplied, and everything works fine. Thanks for your help, it really helped me work out my problem. Now ive got one tricked out desktop! Now when i get that other hard drive and memory....

[jonyo]

Nice job