I'm trying to install Gentoo on a system that has Mandrake already installed. I'm following the Gentoo how to but I ran into a snag. Since I already have Mandrake installed, it uses 2 primary partitions, I run out of primary partitions to create when I try to create the root "/" partition.

Does this have to be primary? Can I make one of the others a logical partition or can I make root a logical partition?

Any ideas?

Here's my current setup: from fdisk
Disk /dev/hda: 30.7 GB, 30750031872 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3738 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 63 506016 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda2 64 1337 10233405 5 Extended
/dev/hda5 64 700 5116671 83 Linux
/dev/hda6 701 1337 5116671 83 Linux

I tried not having a boot partition, but I got a error that it could not find it when compiling the kernel. Guess it needs it.

It's not that bad really. Just follow the steps. Just need a bit of help with this little snag.

Thanks for the help.

As far as I remember I had /boot on logical partitions and it did work fine.Where you could run into trouble is if you install the boot loader on a logical partition.Don't know whats the latest status is there.In your case I wouldn't install a bootloader with gentoo anyway.Just use the one from mandrake to load you gentoo installation.

I set them all up as logical. I plan to install slackware next. Then maybe debian. I am doing better than I thought though. I'm actually doing it from Mandrake. Not sure how far I'll make it though.

Thanks for the help. I'm diving in.

You'll be ok.Debian is going to be a bitch with your hardware though.

I got it installed and am having problems with the bootloader. I'm trying to keep this in one thread.

I get "kernel panic: no init found" error when I boot to Gentoo.

I'm also have a bit of trouble with setting up the bootloader in general. I'm using lilo. When I go into Mandrake it gives me a error on the gentoo section, can't find file. When I boot from the CD and go through the mount and chroot commands and try to run it from there I get a error that it can't find the init for Mandrake. I assume it's because the other is not mounted. I can't figure out how to get around that. I get this error when I run /sbin/lilo. Here it is:

[root@smoker dale]# /sbin/lilo
Added linux *
Added linux-nonfb
Added failsafe
Fatal: open /boot/kernel-2.4.20-gentoo-r5: No such file or directory
[root@smoker dale]#

Here's the relavent parts of lilo.conf:

image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="linux"
root=/dev/hda5
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="quiet devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=off"
vga=788
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="linux-nonfb"
root=/dev/hda5
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=off"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="failsafe"
root=/dev/hda5
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="failsafe devfs=nomount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=off"
read-only
image=/boot/kernel-2.4.20-gentoo-r5
label=Gentoo
root=/dev/hda9
append="root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc"
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.20-gentoo-r5

I've tried different versions of this lilo. Same error though. The files are there by the way.

When I do /sbin/lilo from the Gentoo OS it likes the Gentoo and errors on Mandrake.

Done google searches. Can't find anything there.

Thanks for the help. I want to see this thing fly.

Did you mount the /boot partition before you run lilo?
My / partition is /hda3 and /boot is /hda1
So I got to mount /dev/hda1 before I run lilo.
Also check with you fstab in mandrake if all the partitions are included there.

Minor set back. Well, actually pretty major. Kind of pi$$ed at the moment. I tried to upgrade to Mandrake 9.2. It sort of hung in the last 10 seconds of the upgrade. Had to do the reset thing. Then reinstall from scratch. Four times. Then I find out that I no longer have a file tool with root privledges. You know, "file manager - super user". Not there. Can't find the thing anywhere. Screwed up something trying to restore mail folder. Reinstall, again.

I feel a rant coming. Not very happy at all. I hope the official release is better than this. aaaaaarrrrrrrggggggg!

I'll be reinstalling Gentoo sometime today, I hope. If it works better than Mandrake, I'm switching.

I did try to mount the gentoo partition from a root term. It wouldn't let me mount it. Anyhow, maybe second time will be better.

Thanks for the help. I'll post back later. I'm sure I'll run into something.

You might have a problem with the mandrake 9.2 install there but I am not a 100% sure.If I remember this correctly the last time I installed mkd with gentoo and others on my box it just commandeered itself and its kernel into the /boot partiton of gentoo.Didn't give any trouble because of it though.
I had all kinds of trouble with recent mkd installs and things missing but I wouldn't vouch for the CD's I used there and didn't investigate either because I am at best mildly interested in mdk.

When I done it I chose expert. You then have to tell it what is what on the partitions. It did fine till the last 10 seconds on the upgrade. It would have been fine, with the upgrade. I told it not to touch the gentoo partitions. Gentoo left the house when I had to reinstall. I put a new partition for /home this time. At least I won't loose everything. I had to let Gentoo go though to make room for the new partition. If Mandrake could have upgraded properly, everything would have been fine.

Anyway, about to start reinstalling all the software. Still can't find that file manager though.

Back later. Thanks for your help. At least someone is on my side. You hold the puter and I'll beat it with a hammer.

Thanks much.



Oh, Mandrake does look a lot better. Not sure about how it works yet.

Nothing wrong with the puter - beat the CD's.

Gotta go and find a new fan for my chaintec card today or I'll have to beat that with a hammer - really!!

I'm going back to Mandrake 9.1. This sucks. I installed lm_sensors and I can't get into the init files to paste the sensor info. I was in the file manager, as root, and it won't let me in there. Then I rebooted and it crashed. I had to go into failsafe and use the feared "rm" command to delete the files so it wouldn't load.

Here comes a bit of a rant, take cover.

If this crap is supposed to be better? They are full of crap. This "update" sucks! Why can't I change a file when I'm in as root? Where is my file manager? I looked everywhere. Can't find it nowhere. Are they nuts? Is this just the "American" version the French done this too. This is not funny! What's the point of root if you still can't access anything.

OK, I'm done; for now.

Still sucks.

Thanks crashmeister. Sorry about the rant.

Back later with Mandrake 9.1.

Just slap gentoo in there and hell with mandrake.

That is a really good idea. I'm back to Mandrake 9.1.
I did get some more CD's yesterday. Check this out.

Mandrake 9.2 3 CDs crap
Gentoo 1.4 for i686 5 CDs 2 for OS 3 for essentials
Open Office.org 1.1rc4 1 CD
Slackware 9.0 3 CDs 2 for OS 1 for updates

Getting kind of busy around here.

I got to go check out my back yard. They're cutting trees like crazy on neigbors property. Noisy.

Thanks for the help. I'll reinstall Gentoo shortly.

Have fun - sounds like you'll have your hands full for a while.

I'm doing the install from Mandrake. I have chroot'ed in there and got up to the lilo thing again. I have mounted the boot and root partition in Mandrake. When I run /sbin/lilo I get this error from the Gentoo side.

localhost / # /sbin/lilo
Added Gentoo *
Fatal: open /boot/vmlinuz: No such file or directory
localhost / #

It don't like the Mandrake part.

When I run it from the Mandrake side with a root term, I get

[root@localhost dale]# /sbin/lilo
Added linux *
Added linux-nonfb
Added failsafe
Fatal: open /boot/kernel-2.4.20-gentoo-r5: No such file or directory
[root@localhost dale]#

It likes Mandrake and not Gentoo.

I looked in mtab. They are listed and mounted but it is kind of different paths since it's in /boot for Gentoo but in /mnt/gentoo/boot for Mandrake. That make sense?

Any way, how do I get past this. Everything went well till now. I want to see Gentoo.

Please help.