Installing Second OS to Extended Partition

JoeDuncan

Ok, I have my hard drive setup like so:

Primary Partition 1: /boot
Primary Partition 2: swap
Primary Partition 3: Extended Partition
Logical Partition 5: root
Logical Partition 6: /home
Logical Partition 7: 20Gb unused

So basically, I want to use the extra 20Gb to explore other OSes. I'd like to be able to install Debian or Kubuntu or whatever I feel like thereso I can play around with them a bit (I'd like something a little more permanent than a LiveCD so I can really get a feel for them).

Now, I have my current system booting from GRUB which has its config file on Primary Partition 1.

How do I install a new OS to the unused space in my extended partition?

Do I chain load it from GRUB? Do I share the /boot between different OSes?

How do I make sure the installer doesn't overwrite my MBR or mess with my existing partitions?

Thanks!

dgaffuri · Advocate Joined: 05 Jun 2005 Posts: 2078 Location: Italy

I would share the /boot (and swap and home) partition and use GRUB from MBR, so don't install the boot loader with the new system and take care that /boot is not formatted during installation (or use a local directory and manually install the kernel image in the /boot fs by hand). If this is not possible (I don't know how much you can control in a Debian or Ubuntu installation) be careful to install the boot loader on the root partition of the new system and chainload from the master GRUB in MBR. If this is not possible I don't know.
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JoeDuncan · Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:20 pm Post subject:

Ok, sharing the /boot partition seems a little dangerous, couldn't it get seriously messed, borking my whole system?

Is it possible to use the GRUB from the MBR to specify that the GRUB root of my new OS is logical partition 7 ( i.e. "root(hd0,6)" ) and then have the kernel image loaded from there? (thus avoiding having to share the /boot partition and not needing to chainload another grub...)

Thanks!

dgaffuri · Advocate Joined: 05 Jun 2005 Posts: 2078 Location: Italy

Of course it's possible. And you're right, it's even better. So, why did you ask?

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JoeDuncan · Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 5:02 pm Post subject:

Cause I've never done it! So from my viewpoint, it's all just *theory* based on the docs I have read.

If someone who has done it, tells me it can be done, that verifies my theory and I will try it!

Thanks again!