Slackware64-current on a second HD.

glore2002 · 08-22-2009, 09:16 PM

Hello!

I am planning to install Slackware64-current on my second sata HD.
On the first one I have winxp and Debian64. Grub is the bootloader.

I want to make sure my system keeps on working after installing Slackware64. So, I need to install Slackware not deleting Grub wich resides on the MBR of the first sata drive.

As far as I know, there are two possible schemes (I've gathered this info from Debian forums):

a) Install Slackware on the second HD (/; SWAP and /home) and letting lilo install on the same drive. After that, I would have to add a stanza in Grub for Slackware. That way if I have to update the kernel for Slackware, I will not need to modify the stanza in Grub.

b) Installing Slackware on my second hard disk, saying no to LILO bootloader and then adding a stanza in Grub for Slackware manually.

At the end, I would like to be able to choose among Debian, winxp and Slackware in Grub.

Please, let me know your suggestion/s and what would you add to Grub in any of those cases.

Thank you!
Glore2002.-

colorpurple21859 · 08-22-2009, 09:23 PM

install lilo to root partition of slackware and chainload from grub. I don't think the grub used by debian will boot a partition formated by slackware.

glore2002 · 08-22-2009, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colorpurple21859

install lilo to root partition of slackware and chainload from grub. I don't think the grub used by debian will boot a partition formated by slackware.

Thanks for your advice. How should I chainload from Grub? What should I add to Grub?

colorpurple21859 · 08-22-2009, 10:44 PM

title slackware
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader +1

glore2002 · 08-23-2009, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colorpurple21859

title slackware
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader +1

Thanks again! What about the filesystem for Slackware if I do things this way? Should I use ext4 or ext3? Will grub be able to chainload any of those filesystems?

colorpurple21859 · 08-23-2009, 10:32 AM

grub will chainload either one, however may have trouble mounting ext4 file system from inside your debian distro, but not for sure.

glore2002 · 08-23-2009, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colorpurple21859

grub will chainload either one, however may have trouble mounting ext4 file system from inside your debian distro, but not for sure.

Thank you. I will then go for ext3.

Woodsman · 08-23-2009, 11:38 AM

Quote:

b) Installing Slackware on my second hard disk, saying no to LILO bootloader and then adding a stanza in Grub for Slackware manually.

This is the option I have used many times.

When I am feeling uncertain, I unplug my primary hard drive and then install a new distro to the second drive. Of course, the distro thinks this is the only drive, which is true at the moment. Fortunately, almost all distros nowadays use grub. I let the distro install grub to the MBR of the second drive.

I then reboot with both hard drives enabled. I copy and paste the "new" grub menu.lst options into my existing grub menu.lst on my first hard drive. I need to remember to edit the pasted text to refer to the second hard drive (hd1).

Helping this process is that I maintain a separate /boot partition.