I am planning to install in the following way:

In these partitions ona new hdd (laptop with brand new 7200rpm hdd I am upgraded from 5400rpm 60G)

1. WInXP partition 30Gig NTFS
2. Data 40G FAT32
3. 3 linux partiitions
a. 500MG for SWAP (common swap for 3 distro's)
b. 9.5G for Ubuntu Dapper ext3
c. 10G for Susu Linux 10.1 ext3
d. 10G for FC5 ext3

My questions is what order should I install the Linux distros.
How to manage the GRUB boot loader: will the successive Linux install "pick-up" other linux and set the boot loader correctly? Where do I install the GRUB for each successive linux install.

In the past I tried installing more than 1 linux distro with many heaaches regarding GRUB; I have failed to achieve my objectives. If anyone has a simple easy to follow instructions I will be very happy to hear there suggestions.

My specs of hardware: HP compaq nw8240 15.4" Widescreen ATI Mobility FireGL V5000 graphics card 915 Chipset Intel Centrino M SpeedStep Wireless

My suggestion would be to install in this order:

1. Windows
2. Ubuntu or Fedora Core
3. Ubuntu or Fedora Core
4. Suse

Suse will pick up the other installations and setup grub for you (it's quite intelligent about this). Also, which ever Linux distro you install first, let it make the swap partition. The others will just start using it.

I regularly test several distributions at a time, and have my test systems set up with 14 partitions. Suse will correctly detect each other partition, what is installed on it, and what the boot parameters are for that distro. Plus you get a really nice looking boot menu.

Thanks GrueMaster. So that would mean installing the respective 2 and 3 GRUBS in their root directory, and not in the MBR? or this does not matter, because when I install SUSE it will just overwrite the GRUB in the MBR?
As you will note I am planning ahead, these version are not release yet. I am happy with the dapper F4 and I see FC5 will be released next week. SUSE is taking its sweet time, and I am not happy to install the bets releases for now. So I intend to
1. FC5 first
2. Ubuntu Dapper F4
3. Blank..wait for SUSE 10.1 to be released.

How about Grub now that SUSE wont be installed as yet?

Thanks,
Best Smiley

If you are going to wait for Suse, then you should probably install FC Last (although it won't be finalized for 2 more weeks). I'm not really familiar yet with Ubuntu (started working with it last week). What ever you install, make sure grub gets installed on the MBR from one of the distros. You can edit the grub menu later to add the other os's. Suse will just pick them all up at once.