Multi Linux Boot - NO M$

[n1n31nchn41l5]

ok simple question - all tutorials say 1st partition is primary - M$ i WONT be running M$ so do i make 1st partition a Linux swap and the rest of the drive extended ans install from there - instead of preformatin primary with ubuntu and 3 more partitions for other os's??? - i thin thats what tutorials are saying - am i right???

[bugman]

other way around

swap at the end

[n1n31nchn41l5]

other way around

swap at the end

why end not first - not questiong just to - wanna learn

[erikson]

ok simple question - all tutorials say 1st partition is primary - M$ i WONT be running M$ so do i make 1st partition a Linux swap and the rest of the drive extended ans install from there - instead of preformatin primary with ubuntu and 3 more partitions for other os's??? - i thin thats what tutorials are saying - am i right???

AFAIK (at least for some Windows versions), if you want to run Windows, then it must be on the first partition - simply because it doesn't boot from any other partition.

If you don't intend to run Windows, the partition sequence is pretty much up to your own liking. Just make sure that MBR or grub, or whichever other bootmanager you're using, points to the correct partitions.

[n1n31nchn41l5]

ok simple question - all tutorials say 1st partition is primary - M$ i WONT be running M$ so do i make 1st partition a Linux swap and the rest of the drive extended ans install from there - instead of preformatin primary with ubuntu and 3 more partitions for other os's??? - i thin thats what tutorials are saying - am i right???

AFAIK (at least for some Windows versions), if you want to run Windows, then it must be on the first partition - simply because it doesn't boot from any other partition.

If you don't intend to run Windows, the partition sequence is pretty much up to your own liking. Just make sure that MBR or grub, or whichever other bootmanager you're using, points to the correct partitions.

thats my problem ill get ubuntu loadeda nad customized add puppy no grub and edit /boot/menu.lst to add /dev/hda6 where puppy loaded and then nada no load - just grub error 15

[erikson]

thats my problem ill get ubuntu loadeda nad customized add puppy no grub and edit /boot/menu.lst to add /dev/hda6 where puppy loaded and then nada no load - just grub error 15

First check (from Ubuntu) if hda6 indeed corresponds to your Puppy partition.

If so, check if the "big four" are there (vmlinuz, initrd.gz, pup_whatever.sfs, xdrv_whatever.sfs).

If so and still nogo, you probably have some syntax error or typo in your menu.lst (hint: list it here).

[n1n31nchn41l5]

thats my problem ill get ubuntu loadeda nad customized add puppy no grub and edit /boot/menu.lst to add /dev/hda6 where puppy loaded and then nada no load - just grub error 15

First check (from Ubuntu) if hda6 indeed corresponds to your Puppy partition.

If so, check if the "big four" are there (vmlinuz, initrd.gz, pup_whatever.sfs, xdrv_whatever.sfs).

If so and still nogo, you probably have some syntax error or typo in your menu.lst (hint: list it here).

I'm doing a recovery from past mistake made a 7,36G partition (primary) for ubuntu. Six different 750MB Partitions (not primary or extended - the one in between logical) and then a 6,3G data logical patition for pup_save files etc, of course each puplet distro save file will be named according to the OS name and a 51MB linux swap - comp has 256MB of ram and actually runs ubuntu with compiz better than plain xubuntu. it just finished scanning all devices as i type this so here goes the first install - ubuntu

[erikson]

I'm doing a recovery from past mistake made a 7,36G partition (primary) for ubuntu.

Okay... good luck!

Six different 750MB Partitions (not primary or extended - the one in between logical)...

Please make sure you understand the basics of disk partitioning. A hard disk may contain up to four primary partitions. One (and only one) of these may be configured as an extended partition, that may be subdivided into multiple so-called logical partitions. See e.g. http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/file/str ... ons-c.html

... and then a 6,3G data logical patition for pup_save files etc, of course each puplet distro save file will be named according to the OS name

IMHO it is not a good idea to collect the save files of several puppy distros into one partition. For each distro, keep the save file together with the corresponding "big four" files.

I don't know if logical partitions can be made bootable, so (due to the four-primary-partitions limit) you may have a problem with multiple Puppy distros. I think it's best to put all Puppy distros into one normal (not extended) primary partition (that should be made bootable), with each distro in its own separate subdirectory (i.e. not in separate logical partitions).

... and a 51MB linux swap

That's small. Most advice I've seen on the forums recommends a swap size of 1 to 2 times physical RAM.

[bugman]

other way around

swap at the end

why end not first - not questiong just to - wanna learn

it is true you can do whatever you want

but generally it is done this way

you mentioned ubuntu

in my limited experience it is a mthrfckr when it comes to booting multiple distros

and user-friendly [not in a good way] enough to expect things to be normally laid out

i don't see any advantage in confusing the big brown distro, do you?

[n1n31nchn41l5]

sorry 512MB swap file - only 1 primary rest is extended then logical. im not gonna screw this one up. and YES i did put Linux Swap at the end : )

[n1n31nchn41l5]

OK - truth time - i have a FULLY customized Ubuntu on primary partition /dev/hda1 a 512MB Linux Swpa file /dev/hda2 and YES it is at the end of the drive and a FULLY customized version of Wobbly Nearly Office Puppy on dev/hda5. the damn box on screen says that if i already have Grub installed on the hd i can chose the grub option and reinstall it with puppy added to the menu. Will that Kill my Ubuntu grub though????????



WHAT TO DO??????

[Bruce B]

Collection of thoughts about SWAP PARTITIONS

• * Linux will use a swap file as well as it does a
  swap partition. Everything equal I prefer a swap
  partition.
  
  * I put my swap partition on a drive where no Linux
  runs, just a data drive. Each drive has its own read
  write heads, if the swap partition is on a different
  drive, it lessens the head movement otherwise
  involved when swap and Linux is on the same drive.
  
  * Old school of thought: Swap partition size is 2X
  amount of RAM
  
  * A different school of thought: Swap partition size is
  2X RAM size but not to exceed 512MB
  
  * Other schools of thoughts available at no extra
  charge
  
  * Hard disk speed - the theory is it's faster on the
  outer edges than the inner edges.
  
  * Amount of RAM relative to location of swap
  partition. I have 2.5GB RAM, Linux doesn't need the
  'paging device' often. I put it on the slowest portion of
  the (second) drive. The main thing is if Linux wants to
  do some paging, there's a device to do it on.
  
  If I had only 256MB RAM - I'd expect a fair amount of
  paging and I'd want to put the swap partition on the
  fastest portion of the drive, the outer edge.
  
  * Contiguous partitions - in the ancient times, about
  three to five years ago, we could count on partitions
  being contiguous. Today with the bigger drives, the
  partitions aren't necessarily even contiguous,
  according to things I've read. If they are or aren't,
  that's out of our control anyway. Just thought I'd
  mention it.

Thoughts about HARD DISK PARTITIONING

Often we see this:

/dev/hda1 primary
/dev/hda2 primary extended partition
/dev/hda5 logical
/dev/hda6 logical

I like this

/dev/hda1 primary
/dev/hda2 primary
/dev/hda3 primary
/dev/hda4 primary extended partition
/dev/hda5 logical
/dev/hda6 logical

That's all folks!

[bugman]

Will that Kill my Ubuntu grub though????????



WHAT TO DO??????

my recollection is that ubuntu's grub kills everyone elses

and that puppy's grub [probably every other grub] is friendly

ubuntu likes to be the boss

THE ONLY BOSS

learn it live it love it

[Bruce B]

Presuming we are installing our GRUBS and LILOS on the
MBR

We can save the MBR prior to installing the next version.
After the installation we can restore the MBR, thus giving us
the last GRUB pointing to the device and menu.lst, and etc
that was used before the install.

Rule: A saved MBR is good as long as the partitioning hasn't
changed. Formatting changes are okay.

In Linux it's very simple to save and restore the MBR using
the dd command. But scratch my head, I've not had 100%
success restoring them.

I have, however, had 100% success using the DOS aefdisk.
For this reason, (success statistics), I will recommend it.

HOWTO

• You will want a DOS bootable floppy
  
  Download aefdk22.zip, extract the contents.
  
  Copy aefdisk.exe to the floppy
  
  Boot with the floppy
  
  Run this command to save:
  
  aefdisk /save:bkup.mbr
  
  (the name of the file is your choice)
  
  To restore, boot again and run this command:
  
  aefdisk /restore:bkup.mbr

---------------

[erikson]

I have, however, had 100% success using the DOS aefdisk.
For this reason, (success statistics), I will recommend it.

Great.

Heh, errr (scratch my head)... is there an equivalent solution for computers without floppy drive?

[n1n31nchn41l5]

I have, however, had 100% success using the DOS aefdisk.
For this reason, (success statistics), I will recommend it.

Great.

Heh, errr (scratch my head)... is there an equivalent solution for computers without floppy drive?

my question exactly bruce i have no floppy. and does this complicate matters - while i was waiting to decide on how to proceed on the puppy grub i was to to ctrl alt bkdpc to clear another problem thus when x restored it asked for NOTHING in puppy grub. thus leaving me a FULLY customized puppy in /dev/hda5 but never giving it a grub. What tdo i need to do differently to make ubuntus grub see it so i can load it back again. Now it just sits there fully decked up bur without any access????

Wondering if i'm learning a little or making steps BACKWARDS now????