Quad boot (xp, Vista, Fedora, Ubuntu)

surj08 · #1 May 30th, 2008, 05:37 PM

i have 2 hard drives, but
I want to install all 4 on the same harddrive if possible. which order do i install them in?? and where do i install grub for each distro?
i already have xp installed. and on my other harddrive i was going to have the swap for linux and just NTFS space for linux.

Makaveli213 · #2 May 30th, 2008, 06:49 PM

I would personally go XP, then Vista, then Ubuntu and then finally Fedora. But you can isntall them in any order you want.

Documentation on Linux and that is available.

Windows XP - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki
Linux - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

There is a Fedora and Ubuntu specific guide linked right from the Linux page.

surj08 · #3 May 30th, 2008, 06:58 PM

do i just let grub install to the mbr (its defualt)???? or the bootloader for that distro?
or another question can i get all of them to work from vista's boot loader

or all from grub. just to be simple?

Makaveli213 · #4 May 30th, 2008, 07:01 PM

You can get them working from the BCD. The instructions are on the pages i linked to. We suggest just installed GRUB to the SWAP or right to the Linux partition. That way it makes it easier to just modify EasyBCD and add the entries that way.

You will basically add a Linux entry and then modify it to have both Linux partitions recognized.

Computer Guru · #5 May 30th, 2008, 07:49 PM

Install GRUB separately for each distribution; specifying that distro's partition as the installation target for GRUB.

Then reboot into Vista, use EasyBCD to add each partition as a separate Linux entry. You'll have all 4 OSes on one (Vista) menu.

kairozamorro · #6 May 30th, 2008, 09:08 PM

You guys mention that we should make it as easy as possible for the less experienced users, so here's one solution. If you want to install GRUB to the MBR, I'd install XP, Vista, Fedora, and then Ubuntu. Ubuntu 7.10 or 8.04 well automatically add an entry for Vista during the installation and ask if you wish to import any Windows user accounts for use on the new installation.

The entry Ubuntu well add well load Vista's bootmgr, assuming that you installed in the order I mentioned. Since Vista's bootmgr already has a entry for XP, you can boot XP that way.

Since Fedora is already installed, Ubuntu's installer should also automatically detect it and add the entry to GRUB for you to boot it.

This way, you do not need to use any additional tools other then installing the OSes in the correct order and assuring that Ubuntu detects the other installations in the end.

Computer Guru · #7 May 30th, 2008, 10:55 PM

The problem is that applying updates like SP1 to Windows Vista will leave unable to boot into any of the non-Windows OSes. That's why it's recommended to use BOOTMGR instead of GRUB.

kairozamorro · #8 May 31st, 2008, 01:35 AM

That is why I said "want to install". But then again, are you sure service pack installs really muck the current MBR in replacement to load Vista's bootmgr? I use Vista's bootmgr personally, but that is because I have linux on the seperate external drive (not on the main hard drive).

Would Ubuntu's "Rescue a Broken System" option from the bootable CD restore GRUB easily wihout having to work with the command line?

Computer Guru · #9 May 31st, 2008, 06:58 AM

Unfortunately not. Their rescue is more for X-related problems.
As for SP1 issues related to GRUB/BCD, see this thread: Vista Ubuntu Dual Boot and SP1 will not load - The NeoSmart Forums

kairozamorro · #10 May 31st, 2008, 07:19 AM

Interesting... but I still can't see why that user couldn't boot Vista using GRUB after attempting SP1 because it probablly just chainloads to Vista's bootsector or bootmgr loader (not specific files other then the loader that could have changed after applying SP1). They asked about restoring Vista's bootloader which suggests that even after the install the MBR remains intact and answers my question to the previous post. The posts actually sound more like the user is having trouble installing SP1 in the first place when inside of Vista (like a lot of us), but that doesn't mean it is GRUB/Ubuntu related.

Computer Guru · #11 May 31st, 2008, 07:29 AM

Read Terry's post there - he had GRUB installed on the MBR, but SP1 re-installed its own bootloader over it.

kairozamorro · #12 May 31st, 2008, 07:57 AM

Okay... now I see. Man can Apple and Microsoft be jerks about not allowing to install the bootloader wherever you plz! The odasity of them to replace w/e you're using after SP installations is like Apple offering Safari by default via Apple Software Update to unsuspecting users.

No worries though... they'll have no choice one day but to do so in order to keep the growing number of linux users happy.

Computer Guru · #13 May 31st, 2008, 08:00 AM

That's what NST's here for