PDA

View Full Version : Mutliple Linux on one box

Justec
06-10-2005, 07:33 PM
Okay, I want to install 3 linux OS's on my computer.

So far I have installed RH9 and left drive space to install 2 more Linux OS's. I am now trying to install CentOS4. It is working ok, I let it pick the partitions and Im just trying to edit them.
RedHat has:
/dev/hda1
/dev/hda2
/dev/hda3

CentOS has created:
/dev/hda4 Extended
/dev/hda5 /boot
/dev/hda6 VolGroup00

LVM Volume Groups
VolGroup00
LogVol01 swap
LogVol00 / ext3

The problem I'm having is making that VolGroup smaller. It wants to use up the rest of the drive space. I can NOT edit the /dev/hda6, but I CAN edit VolGroup00 under the LVM Volume Groups. I leave the swap at 1024 and lowered the LogVol00 and it shows that it is allocating less MB for LogVol00, but VolGroup00 total still shows that it is using the rest of the drive space.

Any ideas how to force this to leave some extra space so I can install another Linux Distro?

Thanks in advance :D
Justec
06-10-2005, 07:39 PM
I guess I should have tried that before posting, but I just did it manaually not auto with edit and I was able to set it how I like.
Justec
06-10-2005, 08:27 PM
That worked, but now it only is booting CentOS4. Im googling some GRUB stuff, but if anyone has any tips Im all ears :D
lineman
06-11-2005, 04:35 AM
That worked, but now it only is booting CentOS4. Im googling some GRUB stuff, but if anyone has any tips Im all ears :D

To be on the safe side, you could always create a boot disk for each OS during the install phase. :)
Justec
06-11-2005, 01:44 PM
I finally figured out GRUB enough to get it working.

Basically the gurb.conf is saved in one of the /boot directories. I have a /boot directory for each of my 3 installs of linux. I just picked one /boot/grub/grub.conf to edit. I am using the MBR to boot so after editing this file you reboot and on the grub screen go into command line mode. From here you mount the boot partition where you edit the grub.conf by typing 'root (hd0,4)' (this is HD drive 1 partition 5). Then type 'setup (hd0)' which install the grub.conf you just mounted before to the MBR.

The one problem about doing it this way is if you have a kernel update on one of the installs from another partition than (hd0,4) I dont believe the MBR will be loaded with the new boot up kernel, so you would have to manually edit it.

I think one way to do this better is to use the MBR to just direct to the /boot sector for boot up instructions.