Wish to install Linux Mint 13, Mepis and Solus OS. Help!


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Thread: Wish to install Linux Mint 13, Mepis and Solus OS. Help!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
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    Post Wish to install Linux Mint 13, Mepis and Solus OS. Help!

    hi everyone,


    I have a core 2 duo PC with ASUS motherboard with 2 GB ram and ATI graphic card. I already have Windows XP installed on the PC. I also wish to install 32 bit 1- Linux Mint 13, 2- Mepis and 3- Solus OS while keeping Windows XP default. Kindly inform me how to do that? Also how much space should I give to each distro and which distro should I install first and which should I install last?


    Following is my current hard disk partition set up:


    C: 62.1 GB (Has Windows XP)

    D: 62.1 GB (Has Windows Data)

    E: 62.1 GB (Free)

    F: 74.5 GB (Another hard drive - Free)


    Kindly guide me how to do that since I am not an expert I need your help. Best regards.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2000
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    The main problem you're gonna face is booting.
    It can be done different ways, but as soon as you have more than one OS on a 'puter you have to make some decisions.
    One important thing to know is, can you boot from above 8GB, can you boot from a logical drive? How do you know - well, actually the easiest way is to simply try...
    Now for space / distro, it depends a little.
    I suggest you split E:, create 3 partitions 12-14GB each - one for each distro - and the rest of the space for reserve & personal storage under Linux.
    But you have to decide about booting first!
    Because one way to do it is create one small (about 150MB) partition for /boot - this is my preferred way to handle booting but then you must use grub legacy and install it only once.
    All other distros install grub to their /
    Configure it correctly and you can boot all systems from one partition, all config is done in one place, grub installed like this is not dependent of any OS.
    A little tricky to set up, not very though and in my opinion the easiest to handle once it's done.
    Or use chainloading - that is, one systems grub points to another - necessary if you use Grub2, then each system has it's own boot config.
    You could let one distro install grub to mbr, but an update or reinstall of Windows will break that.
    Or let Windows bootloader handle the booting, also a bit tricky to set up but not very.

    It doesn't matter in which order you install the distros, Windows is already in place
    that's good since it should be installed first.

    I'm a bit too tired now to explain the different booting procedures in detail, I suggest you google around and read about it before actually partitioning and installing.
    Also other, more alert, people might come in with their ideas.
    In pingvino veritas!

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Newcastle upon Tyne
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    My suggestion is different to X in

    (a) I avoid touching MS Windows hard disk
    (b) I do not use a separate boot partition. This technique has merit only for servers and Linux systems that use LVM and other partitions that the Linux boot loader cannot read and so the boot loader and the kernel are place in a conventional partition.
    (c) I use one partition per Linux distro and a separate partition only for the common swap. This is permitted by every Linux.

    I would say X's method is traditional and robust for servers. Mine is simpler and quicker for the desktop application.

    My steps are:

    (1) Run Mepis as Live CD, click a terminal and change to a super user by command
    Code:
    sudo su
    (2) Check your disk and partition layout by command
    Code:
    fdisk -l
    . Your 1st boot disk sda has Windows and 3 partitions Type 7 for NYFS filing system. Don't touch it. The second dish sdb has only one partition also type 7 for NTFS with 74.5Gb (or 80Gb). As this is free so use command cfdisk to delete this partition.

    (3) To partition device sdb use command
    Code:
    cfdisk /dev/sdb
    . Check it indeed has only one partition Type 7 with 74.5Gb space, then delete the partition (cfdisk text-based graphical partitioning tool self explanatory). You then create 4 logical partition sdb1, size 1Gb, sdb2, sdb3 and sdb4 size say each 20Gb for Mint, Mepis and Solus. Every partition created with a Linux partitioning tool has type 83 native for Linux installation but sdb1 is to be a swap so change its "Type" to 82. Select "Write" to write the new partition table and confirm with "yes" to exit.

    (4) Do another
    Code:
    fdisk -l
    to confirm device sdb now has sdb1 (1GB), sdb2, sdb3 & sdb4 each with 20Gb. You can commence Linux installation.

    (5) You can click Mepis deskop an icon for installation. Select sdb2 for its home and specify the boot loader goes to MBR of sda (the MBR of the 1st disk or device /dev/sda).

    (6) Upon installation run the PC and check you now have Xp and Mepis selectable by boot loader Grub.


    If you want to do everything in one go the extra steps are

    (7) While running Mepis you go into a terminal again and issue
    Code:
    sudo su
    except this time you need to supply the root password to obtain root previlege (in Live CD no root password is demanded as a special case). You then duplicate Grub in the sdb2 partition by command
    Code:
    grub-install --Force /dev/sdb2
    .

    (8) Exit Mepis and boot up Linux Mint CD and install it into sdb3. Again specify the boot loader in the MBR of sda (device /dev/sda) On completion Mint's Grub will triple boot Xp. Mepis and Mint.

    (9) Repeat (7) while running Mint and again dulpicate Mint's Grub in device /dev/sdb3 by command
    Code:
    grub-install --Force /dev/sdb3
    .

    (10) Boot up Solus and install it into device /dev/sdb4. On completion you now have 4 operating systems to select from.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Theory

    Every Linux installer has a duty to check every partition and include it as a booting choice if a boot loader is detected. Thus this is how every Linux can dual boot a MS Windows because a MS Windows always has a bbot loader inside its root partition. By duplicate a Linux boot loader inside its root partition the other Linux will automatically include it for booting in the same arrangement as a MS Windows.

    The above is the method to boot 100 Linux or more if yoy got them!

    Booting in Linux is child play. Only a MS WIndows hoodwinks the users its bad design by making booting difficult.

    Lastly it is possible that Mepis and Solus (which I have not installed one before) may still using Grub1. In such case the "--force" could be omitted and the grub-install command is simplified to
    Code:
    grub-install  /dev/sdbx
    device /dev/sdbx is the device contain the Linux currently operating.

    To find out if Grub1 or Grub2 used in any Linux just list directory /boot/grub. If the configuration file menu.lst is inside then it is Grub1 otherwise Grub2 always uses in its place grub.cfg instead.
    Last edited by saikee; 07-17-2012 at 05:06 PM.
    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

    Judge asked Linux "You are being charged murdering Windoze by stabbing its heart with a weapon, what was it?" Replied Linux "A Live CD"

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 1999
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    I'd simply pick one for the host machine OS, and then run the others in a virtual environment (virtualbox, etc).

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 1999
    Location
    tx
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    >>Windows is already in place
    that's good since it should be installed first.

    Unless things have changed, I believe Saikee's multi-boot "Bible" on this board somewhere discredits this traditional belief. Grub can make it work anyway. Am I wrong, Saikee? If so, I apologize.

    Let me make it clear. Saikee is well known as the multi-boot guru, not just on this board, but there are links all over the Linux world.

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    Location
    Sweden
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    Sure Grub can make it work, it's just a bit easier to install Windows first.
    In pingvino veritas!

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    tx
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    Probably true if you have a blank HD. If not, one need not start over, was my point. Saikee, I believe by memory, has installed multiple versions of Windows, part of his 'fun'.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Newcastle upon Tyne
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    Yes it is easier if the MS WIndows is installed first.

    The reason is simple. Linux respects other existing systems and every Linux installer I know laborously checks every partition and include it as a booting alternative if a boot loader is found inside its boot sector. MS Windows alsways put the boot loader in the boot sector so that is why every Linux can dual boot an existing MS Windows.

    A MS Windows does not support other OS officially so its installer never dual boot other OSes. However M$ knows its OSes can only survive if it co-exists with other OSes and so unofficially every MS Windows can dual boot Linux and other PC systems. It is only a matter of a bit of extra work.

    Every reputable boot loader by birth can multiboot. It ss happens Grub is the easiest of them all.

    As an example if one has 10 Linux and instructs Grub to put itself in the root partition of every Linux. When installing the 11th Linux one will find the new 11th Linux will automatically multi boot all the 11 systems, without lifting a finger because that this what every Linux installer programmed to do.

    I do enjoy playing with MS WIndows boot loaders. This is because by using Grub I know what each boot loader must do to boot an operating system. Thus just by reasoning it out I have made the bootmgr (of Vista and Windows 7) to boot 150 Linux. The great thing about Linux is it tells us how the computer works. Personally I don't believe a person sticking with only the MS systems could learn more about booting than the users in Linux because M$ don't tell everyone the inner working of its proprieatry boot loaders. Even in 2012 Grub is still light years ahead of the M$ boot loaders.
    Last edited by saikee; 07-30-2012 at 05:09 PM.
    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

    Judge asked Linux "You are being charged murdering Windoze by stabbing its heart with a weapon, what was it?" Replied Linux "A Live CD"

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