partition types for multi-boot settup

[Tristan Wibberley]

AA wrote:
> Hello, 
> I want to settup a tri-boot system between Windows XP
> and 2 different linux installs.  I want to put all 3
> OS on the same (primary master) HD, but I have a
> question about partition types before I do.
> 
> Windows XP will the first primary partition on the HD,
> but should each of the linux / partitions be primary
> or logical?  Does it matter to linux at all?  Does it
> matter to windows at all?

One pretty reliable way of probably many:

* First create a primary partition of type 0x07 for Windows XP, mark it
as the active partition then install windows select that partition to
format and install on.

* Second perform your first linux installation, linux and its common
boot loaders don't care whether you use primary partitions or logical.

* perform your second linux installation.

When performing the two linux installations, ensure the boot sector is
loaded to the disk's MBR rather than to a partition. The second will
overwrite the first, and you'll have to fix it up, see below...

* modify your grub or lilo or other boot loader configuration to present
the three systems as boot choices (the windows one should be configured
to use a "chain loader"). Do this on just *one* of the linux systems.

* boot each linux install and configure the system to not modify the
boot loader config or reinstall the boot sector upon each kernel
upgrade. Do this before any kernel upgrades.

You may be able to make the two linux system's boot auto reconfiguration
work together, but you are on your own there.

Also, to avoid running out of partitions (7 is the maximum with DOS
partition tables - which windows requires), try installing the linux
systems using LVM. You can get:

/dev/hda1 - windows
/dev/hda2 - /boot for linux1
/dev/hda3 - /boot for linux2
/dev/hda4 - logical partition container
/dev/hda5 - LVM for linux1
/dev/hda6 - LVM for linux2
/dev/hda7 - swap for both linux

-- 
Tristan Wibberley