Fedora 8 as a 3 rd operating system
 

I have Mandriva 2007 and Win 32 installed in my machine with dual boot via lilo. And everything is running ok.

I have an almost empty 40GB slave(mounted as slave in the disk controller) disk and I would like to install Fedora 8 as a 3rd operating system. I would like to create the partitions on this slave disk, install Fedora8 in it and change lilo to recognize and allow boot in Fedora 8 too.

Is this possible? If affirmative, is this a safe operation, e.g., I can't lost everything installed in computer due to a disastrous tentative.

May you give me your opinion and, if possible, a list of the steps I must follow to obtain the desired result without risks? Specially how I change lilo and what is the correct lilo entry needed.

Greetings from Sao Paulo - Brazil

Ricardo

The easiest way to do this is to simply run the Fedora installer, direct it to install Fedora on the slave disk, and allow it to set up the bootloader (it will install GRUB). It will automatically detect Windows and configure for booting it--it might even do the same for Mandriva.

Regardless of what method you choose, I recommend GRUB--mainly because there are more people around that can help with it.

assuming that all your data is backed up, installing Fedora should be no more risky than other changes you might make.

Depending on your system configuration, consider leaving some of that 40GB empty (unpartitioned) for future changes.

It can be set so Fedora is giving an option to boot into Mandriva,but then Lilo has to be installed on Mandriva's partition,otherwise OP wan't be able to boot into Mandriva unless he do some changes.
As I remember,Mandriva gives you an option to choose between Lilo and Grub,so I would choose Grub and install it on Mandriva's partition,then I would install Fedora with Grub on the MBR.Also,when I used Fedora it didn't recognize any Linux partition I had,so I had to add them manualy.

I disagree. Regardless of whether Fedora detects the Mandriva installation, it will not be necessary to install LILO--not will it be necessary to install anything on the Mandriva partition.

For OP (and anyone else): If you look in /boot/grub/menu.lst you will see the following generic entry:

title name of distro
root (hdx,y)
kernel /boot/kernelname root=/dev/xxxx
initrd /boot/initrdname

To set up GRUB to boot another system, you simply need the correct parameters for that system.

See the "booting" link below for more.

I disagree.If OP (and anyone alse) would do as you suggested then they wouldn't be able to boot into Mandriva simply because Mandriva's boot loader was overwriten with Fedora's boot loader.It's not possible to boot another OS from main OS if boot loader of another OS is not installed on the root partition.

I like so much the discussion about grub.

You forgot the principal matter. I STILL HAVE MANDRIVA 2007 PLUS WINDOWS IN DUAL BOOT UNDER LILO.

As nobody answers my question, I thank you. And I give up.

Perhaps I ask again some days later... Maybe someone answer my questions...

Just in time: I was not asking anything about grub because I already have lilo installed.

Cheers

Ricardo

To install another OS and use LILO:

Run the installer, but do not allow it to install a bootloader.
Re-boot into Mandriva
Go to /mnt and mount the new Linux (Fedora) partition. cd to boot and read the names of the kernel and initrd files.
Edit your LILO config file (in the Mandriva directories) according to LILO documentation.

Alternative: When installing Fedora, put the bootloader on a floppy and do not disturb the existing LILO setup.

To avoid frustration and unhappiness:
recognize that LQ members will often try to give you the best advice they can--based on all factors. In some cases, that advice will go beyond a specific question. In this case a paucity of LILO help is perhaps consistent with my earlier suggestion of one reason to move to GRUB.
Patience will get you a lot here.....

That's good.

I didn't forgot that.

Your question has been answered,you just don't understand the answer.

Maybe.

Grub is easier to configure,I think that's way pixellany and me was talking about it.