First, as an introduction: I've done my daily computing on Sun workstations since 1989 (yes, twenty years.) For many years before that, I was installing O/Ses on various platforms. So I am familiar with the concepts.
Now I need a new computer, and there is no interesting Sun hardware. And if I switch to x386 (PC), I have a lot more options.
I am investigating multiboot Windows/Solaris/Linux.
Current scenario:
1. Buy a PC (suggestions welcome) with Vista (inevitable).
2 Create partitions with
a. Easeus (which package?)
b. reinstall Vista (I'd rather not)
c. any other ideas?
3.1. Get GRUB from www.gnu.org.
3.2. On my old Solaris machine, write a GRUB boot floppy.
4.1. Get OpenSolaris on CD.
4.2. With GRUB, define a Solaris partition.
4.3. Install Solaris.
5.1. Get Linux (WHICH? WHERE?)
5.2. With GRUB, define a Linux partition.
5.3. Install Linux.
All of these steps are full of problems.
Does this seem reasonable?

Post-installation.
- I haven't seen this explained. Can those O/Ses access each others' files? Do they cross-mount partitions? Or is the only communication via an external device?
- What about security? With Solaris, I've never bothered. Do I need separate protection on each file system? (Probably.) Can one infected O/S screw up the others? (Probably.)
- I presume there is no problem sharing devices (CD, printer, floppy, modem.)

Thanks for your help.

Due to a lightning incident, I recently had to
buy a new PC. I was very worried about which
machines would be compatible with what brand
of linux? I lucked out. I bought a Lenovo
IdeaCenter K210.

This hardware was compatible with Fedora Core
8. the only exception being the webcam. I
decided to download Fedora 10. Fedora 10 is
100% compatible, including the webcam.

My only regret is the Motherboard has only
1 PCI slot. I wish I had more.

Nope. Way too complicated.
Vista will be on the box and may occupy the entire disk. Simply resize that to something sensible with for example gparted liveCD. This runs "stand-alone" and can safely modify disk partitions, including Vista NTFS.
Install a Linux distro (Ubuntu is a good general start, or Fedora) and you should have dual-boot built automagically for you.

{Open}Solaris is a problem child that doesn't play well in this scenario. I have found it causes least problems with the partition layout and boot-loader if it is installed as a VM client. That way it sees only a (virtualized) single disk that it can repartition and install a loader to without screwing everything else up. Suns VirtualBox works fine as the VM by the way.
Partitions can be cross mounted - with restrictions. Windoze won't see Linux native partitions without an IFS. Hence you are faily safe from cross-infection. Linux will (now) mount NTFS read/write, but I prefer to have a separate shared partition(s) for that.
Again {Open}Solaris is the problem child - more so if you virtualize it.

Generally all devices can be accessed if drivers exist and are installed properly.

Sandee, get a x86-64 or a 32-bit pc with NO OS.

Make dos partition table

You will be able to install Linux, Solaris and BSD

forget M$

Thanks, that is very useful.
I have to emphasize that I want Solaris, and if I get a PC, which is likely, I get the interesting possibility of multibooting other operating systems. But my main interest is in Solaris. There is a post on the LQ Solaris forum of someone who has done it.
Once I get a PC, I start with Vista, first because it easier to get a PC with Vista installed than to buy them separately, and second because all multiboot scenarios advise starting with Windows, if you want Windows at at all. And I continue from there.

The pointer to gparted (rather the Easeus) is very useful, and so is the reassurance about other things.


A new question:
I hate Windose, of course. Bill Gates is the most successful con artist in the world, having convinced a billion people that the stuff he produces has any value. I want it only because I might need applications that don't run under a real operating system.
So, as a Windows newbie:
What are the other ways to get Windose, except by buying it bundled with the hardware? And would Windows XP be good enough, for the foreseeable future?

Thanks.