Co-existing with other OS on installation

[VictorWarner]

My machine currently dual boots between Windows XP and Xandros Professional 4.0 Desktop.

I would like to install Kubuntu 7.10. I have created a partition for it but I am worried that I will no longer be able to boot into the two other operating systems.

Is there anything I need to do achieve this?

Help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Victor Warner.

[dibl]

Re: Co-existing with other OS on installation

The only "tricky" part of adding a third OS is the question of how to manage the boot menu. If you install Kubuntu and let it write Grub on the mbr of the first hard drive, which is the default action, it will produce a new boot menu and it will normally detect and include the other two OS's on the machine. But it's not always a perfect job - it's possible you'll find yourself with some booting issue with one of the other OS's -- which we can help with.

The alternative, especially if you are particularly attached to your present boot menu, is to direct Kubuntu to install Grub on its own root partition, and leave the existing boot menu intact. In that case, after installing Kubuntu it will be necessary for you to edit manually your existing boot menu in Xandros and add the applicable boot lines for Kubuntu. These will be found in the file at /boot/grub/menu.lst in the new Kubuntu filesystem, so you'll copy them and then paste them into the boot menu that you presently have.

Here are more details about working with Grub:

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0

HTH

[Qqmike]

Re: Co-existing with other OS on installation

I think I would go with dibl's second option—install Kubuntu and when you do so, install GRUB to the same partition as the root partition of your new Kubuntu. Then go edit the boot menu in Xandros to include a proper boot entry for Kubuntu.

When you install Kubuntu using the regular Live CD Desktop Kubuntu version:
Choose the “manual” partitioning method (in Step 4).
In Step 6, BEFORE clicking Finish, click the Advanced button at lower right.
That's where you may indicate where you want GRUB installed.
Type the name of the partition where you put the Kubuntu root filesystem.


>>> PREPARE ahead of time before running the Kubuntu installer. <<<

Partitioning: You may want to do the partitioning separately, using GParted Live CD. It might be easiest, maybe safer, and more relaxing this way (before you are into the actual installation process).

Find out what your root Kubuntu partition is called in GRUB notation.
Example:
If you put Kubuntu into the 3rd partition of the first hard drive, that would be sda3, which in GRUB notation is (hd0,2). (GRUB counts hard drives and partitions starting from zero, so hd0 = the first hard drive; partition 2 = the third partition.) --> Do this before running the installer so you will know what to type in Step 6 “Advanced” for the GRUB location.

This is easy to do – just prepare ahead of time.


GParted: http://gparted.sourceforge.net/
GParted how-to: http://www.howtoforge.com/partitioning_with_gparted

[VictorWarner]

Re: Co-existing with other OS on installation

qqmike and dibl

Thank you for the helpful replies.

Victor Warner.