I want to update fedora core 1 with core 6. I have a multi-boot system and want to preserve my current grub boot loader. The current configuration is:
Win98
Suse 10.0 64 bit
Suse 10.0 32 bit
Fedora core 1

Will installing the new core 6 in the existing fedora core 1 partition kill the grub boot loader that Suse installed?

If suse's bootloader is in /dev/hda (mbr) than install fedora's grub in fedora's root partition and add it to suse's menu.lst.

Ok, I remember now that I had to edit the suse grub loader for fedora core 1 to be listed in the menu. I am assuming that when I install fedora core 6 that the installer will detect the existing fedora partition and ask if I want to format it. Is it also correct to assume that fedora will not install its boot loader unless I specify it to do so?

I have a copy of fedora for dummies for core 1 and starting on page 42, gives a detailed description for installation. My choices are:
1. remove all linux partitions on this system
2. remove all partitions on this system
3. keep all partitions and use existing free space

Assuming that core 6 works the same way, how do I tell the installer to let me force it to use an existing partion to overwright? And how do I make the grub loader install in the core 6 root partition?

You may have to delete the partition you want to install fc6 in, that will create the free space. If you don't want fc1 then delete that partition and then start fc6 install, it should see the free space.

When times come to install grub, tell it to install it in fc6 root partition. Do be very careful on which partition you're deleting. I haven't used redhat/fedeora since fc3.

Ok, I will try that. One last question: How is a partition deleted? Thank you for your help.

That should be easy using fdisk , or qtparted. You have to type 'm' for help in fdisk . Similar help should be there in qtparted.

I found fdisk docs for gentoo linux. Can I assume that fdisk works the same in any distribution? I have four boot partitions on the hard disk now. Is that the limit or can I install a fifth partition (the easiest since I have some unformatted space left over). Will the suse grub loader text file indicate the proper root and boot partitions to delete? Can Fedora use existing swap space? Do I need to delete extended partions?

fdisk should work the same with most distros.

You can have four primary partitions but if you make one of the four a extended partition, then you can have as many as you want, as much disk space you have.

I'm not sure what you mean about suse text file, but during the installation of FC6, you should be able to delete FC1 and then use that space to install FC6 as mention above.

You can use the same swap space for all distros installed. I do.

By text file, I meant the suse grub loader. Every installation of Linux used its grub loader to supercede the current loader. To get all my partitions to boot, I had to edit the grub loader from the latest install so it would list all the bootable partitions. Which brings me to an important point; at which point am I prompted during the installation to tell the fc-6 installer to put its grub loader in its own root partition and not mess with the suse loader? I read my fedora book and could not find any info on that detail.

Ok, I'm in the process of installing FC6 using the gui install.

It picked up all my current partitions. I wanted to install to /dev/hda3, so I had to do a custom partition or whatever it's called. I made sure it chose hda3 and reformat, chose root on it and continued the install.

You don't need to manually remove the partition you want to install fc6 into. It should do it for you.

When time for grub, I had to choose 'don't install grub', meaning I will use my Debian's grub.

I will have to edit debians grub's menu.lst file to add fc6.

That's basically how it's done.

That is very good news about the install. I will follow the steps listed in your post and post back my results.

I did the install for Fedora core 6. I was surprised to see that one option was to do an update. I chose that, and instead of using my better judgement, I let it update the existing grub. Big mistake. First, core 6 could not load x and it is using the fedora grub menu. I am able to get into my existing partitions and edited my suse menu.lst grub to its original state, but I want to remove the fedora grub. I can get to the login prompt in fedora, but it does not let me log in in text mode. The user may have been wiped out. I remember having to manually add a user with suse 10.1 on another box. Is there a way to add a user in fedora so I can log into that partion? I then want to remove its grub.conf if that will let it boot like before. To use suse's grub, I am using super grub disk that will let me boot using the menu.lst.

An update, I fixed the grub bootloader using super grub disk. I chose to manually fix the bootloader, first picking the partition where the mbr resides, then selecting the partition that contains the bootloader that fedora wiped out, then select the boot hard drive (hda). That took a few hours to figure out. I would recommend super grub disk even if you have only one os on your box. Now I am back to the problem of getting core 6 to boot. It will not let me log in using the previous user name and password.

I think I might need the long answer to format a specific partition. The fedora installer gives the user the option to edit a partition. I was unsure what effect it would have to delete the hda3 partition, so I did the upgrade option. I then edited menu.lst and received an error that it could not find the file. Here is the menu.lst listing for Fedora:
title Fedora Core (2.6.18-1.2798.FC6)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-1.2798.FC6 ro root-LABEL=/ rhgb
initrd /iinitrd-2.6.18-1.2798.FC6.img
title DOS
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

The drive is a maxtor 4r120L0 size 117240 kbytes

My partitions are:
/dev/hda format size
/dev/hda1 vfat 20003
/dev/hda2 ext3 102
/dev/hda3 ext3 20003
/dev/hda4 extended 77132
/dev/hda5 swap 1992
/dev/hda6 reiserfs 20481
/dev/hda7 reiserfs 54659

boot partitions are: hda1, hda3, hda6 and hda7
In the partition list, if fedora is using hda3, what is hda2 used for? Should that be deleted as well? And, if I choose custom installation, can I delete a partion in the custom installation menu that lists the hard disk partitions and let the installer do the rest of the work? I did not see where I could reformat a specific partion using the fedora installer. Or can I use Suse linux to fdisk hda3? Would that be under yast boot loader? I never used it...