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    #1

    quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

    So

    Can i do it

    Ie Can I have a choice to load up either 8.04 or the new JJ alpha with the new release candidate for kde4.2?

    I have tried the live cd and with a few small problems it works ok....so I would like to have an installed version that I can later either remove or upgrade so i can play around with it..add to it etc but when I need reliability switch back to 8.04....( I have tried pen drive live but have hit troubles on home pc)

    Soooo

    Can I do this

    DO I need separate installs on different partitions

    Can I do it via the grub list ie hit escape and choose hardy or jaunty?

    Space is not an issue on my pc but would like to experiment without losing my nice current system just yet.

    I have googled around but fine most help relates to have windows and linux. I only have linux (kubuntu)

    Any ideas?



    Running Kubuntu Karmic Koala&nbsp; with KDE 4.3 at home<br /><br />Kubuntu user 24342<br /><br />Running Dell Inspiron 530 Dual Core 3ghz<br /><br />and also running Kubuntu on a Lenovo thinkpad using a live pen drive<br /><br />Still no Microsoft here!
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    #2
    Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

    Check out the guy called saikee. He is a moderator on justlinux.com. He is an expert at multibooting. His signature says it all:

    Linux user started Jun 2004 - No. 361921
    Using a Linux live CD to clone XP
    To install Linux and keep Windows MBR untouched
    Adding extra Linux & Doing it in a lazy way
    A Grub menu booting 100+ systems & A "Howto" to install and boot 145 systems
    Just cloning tips Just booting tips A collection of booting tips
    Go to e.g. http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=150487 to click on the links
    "A problem well stated is a problem half solved." --Charles F. Kettering
    "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."--Dr. Seuss
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      #3
      Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

      I'll give you one magic term that you need to know to make it easy on yourself:

      "configfile"

      I got that from Qqmike -- it's the only way to set up the boot menu (/boot/grub/menu.lst). Check Qqmike's posts for more on the topic -- check his Grub Toolkit how-to.

      Also, I think Snowhog is running two versions of Kubuntu already -- you might ask him how he does it.

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        #4
        Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

        One option is to install virtualbox and you can then install JJ within VB and run it as a virtual machine. I am currently looking at Mandriva 09 in just that manner. When you want to remove, just delete the Virtual machine.

        That way, no messing with Grub
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          #5
          Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

          I ALWAYS have at least two versions on my computer. This is so I can fix things easily when I break them. Each distro mounts the file system of the other. It's very easy. Just use the Gparted CD and create a partition for the the new version to be installed. You only need one, you can use the same swap partition you already have. Install the new version in the partition you just created, when the Grub is created, it will automatically find your other version and include it in the grub menu. Nothing to it.
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            #6
            Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

            You might glean an idea how all this works by reading the first part of this:
            How To GRUB Methods - Toolkit
            http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0
            (the focus there is on fixing things, but the principles are embedded)

            arochester's ref is interesting--am just beginning to read it through--but saikee simply uses chainloading to do that trick (boot 100+ distros etc.). Nothing new about that. Configfile may be more general, depends, but chainloader will not work at all unless you've done an installation of GRUB into the boot sector of the root partition.

            Along with configfile, the tip from Detonate is right-on, and many people here follow such.


            An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski
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              #7
              Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

              Well thanks for all the advice which I shall have a go at now.

              I found the saikee guide a little hard to follow ( even the easy one!) but will try that. I have also seen the grub how to guide many times but could not for the life of me get to grips with it.

              At the moment my hdd is partitioned thus :

              Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
              /dev/sda1 1 9 72261 de Dell Utility
              /dev/sda2 10 401 3148740 b W95 FAT32
              /dev/sda3 * 402 60391 481869675 83 Linux
              /dev/sda4 60392 60801 3293325 5 Extended
              /dev/sda5 60392 60801 3293293+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

              I assume therefore that as it came preinstalled within ubuntu the sda2 is spare for windows?

              Would I /Could I use that do you think or have I got the wrong end of the stick?
              Running Kubuntu Karmic Koala&nbsp; with KDE 4.3 at home<br /><br />Kubuntu user 24342<br /><br />Running Dell Inspiron 530 Dual Core 3ghz<br /><br />and also running Kubuntu on a Lenovo thinkpad using a live pen drive<br /><br />Still no Microsoft here!
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                #8
                Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

                Looks like you have Windows installed in sda2.
                And be careful not to mess with the Dell utility (unless you know what it is and why its there).
                Usually, we would put the second Linux at the end of that disk: sda6, if there's room.

                The full output of sudo fdsik -lu would show the size of the disk.
                I believe one "block" is 1024 bytes (but that is always definable).

                To make new partitions, I would use GParted Live CD.
                An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski
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                  #9
                  Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

                  never had windows on here ...unless they snuck it on perhaps

                  Here is the read out of sudo fdisk -lu

                  ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -lu

                  Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
                  255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
                  Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
                  Disk identifier: 0xb0000000

                  Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
                  /dev/sda1 63 144584 72261 de Dell Utility
                  /dev/sda2 144585 6442064 3148740 b W95 FAT32
                  /dev/sda3 * 6442065 970181414 481869675 83 Linux
                  /dev/sda4 970181415 976768064 3293325 5 Extended
                  /dev/sda5 970181478 976768064 3293293+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

                  Disk /dev/sdb: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
                  255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders, total 625142448 sectors
                  Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
                  Disk identifier: 0x8f9c798a

                  Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
                  /dev/sdb1 63 625137344 312568641 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

                  Disk /dev/sdc: 4126 MB, 4126146560 bytes
                  164 heads, 46 sectors/track, 1068 cylinders, total 8058880 sectors
                  Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
                  Disk identifier: 0x0004ce3a

                  Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
                  /dev/sdc1 * 1 8058879 4029439+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
                  Running Kubuntu Karmic Koala&nbsp; with KDE 4.3 at home<br /><br />Kubuntu user 24342<br /><br />Running Dell Inspiron 530 Dual Core 3ghz<br /><br />and also running Kubuntu on a Lenovo thinkpad using a live pen drive<br /><br />Still no Microsoft here!
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                    #10
                    Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

                    Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
                    255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
                    Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
                    Disk identifier: 0xb0000000

                    Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
                    /dev/sda1 63 144584 72261 de Dell Utility
                    /dev/sda2 144585 6442064 3148740 b W95 FAT32
                    /dev/sda3 * 6442065 970181414 481869675 83 Linux
                    /dev/sda4 970181415 976768064 3293325 5 Extended
                    /dev/sda5 970181478 976768064 3293293+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris


                    Hmmm....
                    The "Blocks" are 1024 bytes each.
                    The Start and the End are in sectors of 512 bytes each.
                    So, you have just 3 GB in sda2 -- not very much wiggle room for Linux.
                    Most of your space is in sda3, 493 GB.
                    Now, the usual advice is to resize sda3 using GParted Live CD.
                    Reduce the right endpoint downward, make the Extended partition larger, and add room for sd6 somewhere within the Extended partition.
                    Normally, not a problem, using GParted Live CD...

                    BUT, BEWARE than any partition editing might bring surprises and everything should be backed up (your personal data especially) and you might mess up your Linux in sda3.
                    (I would go ahead and do it without reservations, being prepared to re-install Kubuntu if necessary, but that's just me.)
                    An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski
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                      #11
                      Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

                      In addition to what Mike says, if there is 5G of unused space on either of the other two hard drives, you could use GParted and make a new ext3 partition there, and install you second OS there. The one swap space that you already have will be detected and used for either one, so no need for more swap space.
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                        #12
                        Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

                        hmmm nearly there..

                        first two questions

                        first I use qtparted...is that not the same?

                        secondly..should I delete or reduce the sda2 partition..could they really have put windows on sneakily or have they just left room for it?
                        Running Kubuntu Karmic Koala&nbsp; with KDE 4.3 at home<br /><br />Kubuntu user 24342<br /><br />Running Dell Inspiron 530 Dual Core 3ghz<br /><br />and also running Kubuntu on a Lenovo thinkpad using a live pen drive<br /><br />Still no Microsoft here!
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                          #13
                          Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

                          Qtparted should be fine -- I'm just a GParted kinda guy, I guess.

                          The 3G partition that is /dev/sda2, formatted FAT32, is really too small for a Linux OS. So it would be a candidate for deleting/combining if it were me. However, remember that all higher partition ID's will change by "1" if you combine it with /dev/sda3 -- sda3 will become sda2, sda4 becomes sda3, etc. -- so you may get to edit your menu.lst file in a couple of places to get it back to normal behavior.

                          Plus, I don't know what you have on /dev/sda3 now -- I don't think you can just add /sda2 (a different filesystem format) to it, without reformatting the whole new partition.

                          Prolly it would be easier to leave /dev/sda2 and reformat it ext3 so you can use it to store data. Then make a 5G (or more) new partition on /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc, format it ext3, and that's where you can put the new OS. Your boot menu should be automatically updated with no hand tweaking.
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                            #14
                            Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

                            I also favor GParted Live CD, fwiw, and it is improving all the time, thanks to the good work of the maintainers.

                            So ...

                            You might just keep sda2 as it is (if you wish for now).

                            Decrease the right endpoint of sda3 (i.e., shrink sda3 by moving the right endpoint).
                            That leaves unallocated space between the end of sda3 and the beginning of the Extended.
                            But you already would then have 3 primary partitions (sda1, sda2, and sda3) plus a fourth primary partition sda4, the Extended partition. That's the limit.
                            Thus, sda5 must go inside the Extended partition.
                            Thus, you need to move the left endpoint of the Extended partition way down to the right endpoint of sda3.
                            And after doing that, create a new partition inside the Extended partition.
                            Note that the right endpoint of the Extended partition (at sector 976768064 = approx 500 GB) is already at the “end” of the disk. Thus, it is fixed and correct.
                            The new partition, sda5, will fit inside sda4 = Extended.

                            => One conclusion to draw here: decide sda3 carefully.
                            Partition sda3 must hold the root filesystem of your existing Kubuntu plus the built-in home for that filesystem (where your personal data is). Be sure to leave it plenty of space (50 GB or more?), especially since you have so much room on that disk.

                            Partitioning—how to, Rog131:
                            http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3090704.0

                            An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way. Charles Bukowski
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                              #15
                              Re: quick question re dual booting with 2 kubuntu versions

                              thanks again all for getting back....will have to look at this carefully as it is not my strong subject but it sounds doable....as it is I managed to get a live pen drive working off my home pc with the new jaunty alpha kde 4.2rc iso which was good news so for now I have been using that as it never worked with 8.10.at all ( came up with a boot error message) but jaunty works sweet with the new kde rc on my pen drive ..yippee! for now anyway
                              Running Kubuntu Karmic Koala&nbsp; with KDE 4.3 at home<br /><br />Kubuntu user 24342<br /><br />Running Dell Inspiron 530 Dual Core 3ghz<br /><br />and also running Kubuntu on a Lenovo thinkpad using a live pen drive<br /><br />Still no Microsoft here!
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