Re: [Hampshire] QTParted and /boot

On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:45:39 -0000 (GMT)
"Vic" <lug@???> wrote:

> > I am aiming towards having various different partitions and then
> > several different distros on the same HD. Purely as an
> > exercise. And one of the schemes that I was trying to follow
> > advised practically everything separate.
>
> I wouldn't...

Nor me ;-)

If I was trying to do this I'd want a second drive in my system.

I'd install the primary distribution onto the first drive,
ie /dev/hda1, using the installer that came with the distro,
probably with /boot, /, /home and a swap partition.

Once I had a working installation on the first drive I'd use
cfdisk (I know nothing about qtparted) to create an extended
partition on the second drive, /dev/hdb5??.

Then I'd create a series of 10-15Gb logical partitions on /dev/hdb5
which I'd then use for the 'play' distros, installing each into its
own partition with everything in / except /home and swap. You don't
really need swap these days if you have lots of memory, at least not
for a 'play' system

I'd use the partition tool in each installer to use /home and swap
from /dev/hda so I'd have only one /home and one swap
partition on the system.

I think you can do this with Linux distros but it may not work
with a non-linux distro like freebsd, in which case it would have to
do its own thing.

I think trying to create partitions before trying to install a
distro is likely to cause more hassle than using the
installer/partitioner that comes with each distro.

I'm writing this off the top of my head as I have never actually
tried to do this and may have got some detail wrong.

--
John Lewis
Debian Linux with Geneweb genealogy application