Dual linux boot

bizzarem1ke · 09-01-2005, 08:44 PM

My friends run Gentoo and told me i should switch, but i like FD4 so is there a wayy i can do a dual boot. so i can have 2 linux distros running, my friend also suggest if i do this, i use GRUB. so if you can do this just let me know.

DaneM · 09-01-2005, 08:59 PM

It is entirely possible to do this--and not too terribly hard either. First you should install Gentoo on a second partition and install the boot loader (GRUB) to the ROOT PARTION of the Gentoo installation. DO NOT install it to the MBR! Then boot into Fedora and mount the Gentoo partition. Open up Gentoo's "/boot/grub/menu.lst" file and copy the boot entry into the bottom of Fedora's "/boot/grub/menu.lst". It should look something like this:

Code:

# Color Scheme
#color light-gray/blue black/light-gray

# By default, boot the first entry.
     default 0

# Boot automatically after 30 secs.
     timeout 30

# Fallback to the second entry.
     fallback 1

# Splash image
splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/bike_gua.xpm.gz
#splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/slack_nalug.xpm.gz

# For booting Linux
     title  Fedora
     kernel (hd0,0)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.12.5-ck6 root=/dev/hda1 vga=791 initrd=/boot/whatever

     title Gentoo
     kernel (hd0,1) /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.12.4-ck5 root=/dev/hda2 vga=791 initrd=/boot/whatever

Keep in mind that I don't use Fedora or Gentoo (anthough I've done some tinkering with Fedora), so while this *should* work, you still might want to ask someone who knows the distributions better than I do.

I hope that helps.

--Dane

saikee · 09-02-2005, 09:14 AM

Or if you are lazy and want one set of command to boot them all just replace

title Gentoo
kernel (hd0,1) /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.12.4-ck5 root=/dev/hda2 vga=791 initrd=/boot/whatever

with

Title this is another distro in hda7
root (hd0,6)
chainloader +1

Remember Grub counts from zero and hda7=(hd0,6).

Apply this to DOS, Win3x, Win9x, Win2k/XP, any Linux, FreeBSD and Solaris. Feel the might of Grub.

Mind you for Linux systems you need to tell every Linux to put its bootloader in root partition (its own partition). That is all.

Lastly don't use the word "dual boot" as I got a laugh out of it every time.