grub loader and linux

nixfriend · 03-26-2007, 08:15 AM

hi

i have windows xp and opensuse on my pc. windows and linux are on one hdd.
i am using grub loader for dual boot. now i added new hdd and i want to install another linux (slackware for server). how can i do it, to keep windows (with grub loader)?

another problem is that i want to remove suse, keeping grub loader with windows (and slackware, too).

if i just format the suse partitions the grub will be removed, right?

hope you understand me. sorry for bad english

[KIA]aze · 03-26-2007, 08:33 AM

If your menu.lst for GRUB is on the Suse partition and you remove Suse, yes, you won't be able to boot directly anymore.

However, if you install a new Linux, it will automatically find all bootable partitions and add them to its own GRUB.

At least that's how it worked for me when I replaced OpenSUSE with Debian on the same HDD.
That's also how I once got a quadri-boot: just install one distro after the other with its own GRUB... ^^
The only OS that's not so friendly is windows which always needs to be installed first...

I can't say for sure that it's the same if you install it on another HDD since I never had a PC with more than one HDD.
However, I am certain that there's a way of doing it. Google around for MBR, GRUB and multiboot or wait for more experienced users.

nixfriend · 03-26-2007, 08:45 AM

ok, thankyou

bigrigdriver · 03-26-2007, 09:38 AM

When you install Slackware on the second drive, pay carefull attention during installation. Select to write grub to the MBR and not to the root of the installation partation. You wil still have a /boot folder with a /grub sub-directory in the installation partition. The first stage of Slackware's grub will be written to the MBR, and the grub boot screen will probably change from the SuSE version to the Slackware version.

Slackware should write a grub config file that will include XP, SuSE, and Slackware.

When you delete SuSE from the first drive, you should also edit the Slackware grub config file to delete the entry for SuSE.

Note: in some distros, the file is /boot/grub/menu.lst. On others, it's /boot/grub/grub.conf. The contents of the files are the same; just different names.