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dual boot for multiple linux distros

i'd like to use my second hd to "play" and try different distros. goggling around to see how to properly configure the grub configuration file i found out different positions. some says to skip the grub installation step during the distro installation and then go and configure grub. others says to install grub but in first partition of the second hd. who is right?

I'd install it on the MBR and share the /boot partition with all the distributions. Just make sure you do all your grub configuring manually so none off the distro's tools screw it up.

i think that if i install grub of the second distro on the MBR it will overwrite the first one and i will not be able to boot the fist distro installed. isn't it?

Only install grub from one distribution, don't install a boot loader at all for the others.

Use the same /boot partition for all the distributions (so that one copy of grub can see all the different kernel images) and just use different root partitions.

EDIT:
Actually, you don't have to even use the same boot partitions. So long as grub is installed correctly it can access any ReiserFS, EXT2, or EXT3 partition.

i still don't get it. now i have fc3 installed on my first hd and i want to install another distro on the second hd. how should i go on? install the new distro skipping the grub installation and then...?

hi.
yes, skip bootloader installation for other distros. just install it (or them) to second hdd. after installation edit grub.conf of fc3.

i have fc3 as main distro and others are slack 10 and centos 3.3
this is my second HDD:

Code:

Device Boot    Start      End    Blocks  Id  System

/dev/hdb1  *      1      979  5863725  83  Linux  --->/ of centos

/dev/hdb2          980      1709  5863725  83  Linux --->/ of slack

/dev/hdb3          1710      2491  6281415  83  Linux --->i will install another one ;)

all of distros have their own / partition. there is a swap partition which is /dev/hda7 is common for all distros. i dont have any /boot partition.

here is my grub.conf

Code:

title Fedora Core 3

        root (hd0,1)

        kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.10-1.737_FC3 ro root=/dev/hda1

        initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.10-1.737_FC3.img

title CENTOS 3.3 (2.4.21-27)

        root (hd1,0)

        kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.21-27.0.2.EL ro root=/dev/hdb1

        initrd /boot/initrd-2.4.21-27.0.2.EL.img

title slack 10

        root (hd1,1)

        kernel /boot/vmlinuz ro root=/dev/hdb2

i hope this helps u.
good luck.