Tri Boot Windows/Fedora/SuSE... possible? Bad idea?

[Lixus Looser]

I created a new linux partition on my Hard Drive with Partition magic, it is after my NTFS: My Partitions look like this:

[Linux Swap] -> [NTFS] -> [/ SuSe] -> [Boot] -> [/]

The [Boot} partition is a small partition for Boot Magic. [/ SuSE] and [/} are both Linux paritions. I have the [/] partation for my current Fedora install, and I want to put SuSE on the [/ SuSE] partition. Is this possible? How do I get YaST to recognize the empty [/ SuSE] partition. Is it possible? I'ts about 6.5gb.

Thanks,

JA

[Tyr_7BE]

Boot off the SuSE cd and go into their installer. When it gives you the option to partition, see if you can recognize your new SuSE partition (hopefully it lets you see partition labels).

From the SuSE installation, tell YaST (I assume that's their installer) to format the new SuSE partition and mount it as your / directory. You should also be able to see your NTFS and Fedora partitions...ignore them. Fedora and SuSE can share the same swap space, so you already have that. I'm not sure what you want to do with /boot. You say you use a tool called Boot Magic, so either format /boot and let SuSE install LILO or GRUB as a bootloader, or do whatever you need to do to get Boot Magic having the new SuSE partition as an option.

Once you're done with /boot, /, and swap, just finish installing SuSE. This will put SuSE on your SuSE partition, and leave Fedora untouched on your Fedora partition.

[Lixus Looser]

Alright... I tried installing SuSE to the hd5 partition, which is the [/ SuSE] partition I was refering to. I got about twenty minutes into the install something went wrong and the whole thing shut down. I looked at the disc, and it looks to be corrupted. That sucks.

So, I also had a copy of Mandrake 9.2 lying around, so I though I would give that a try instead. So I instructed the installer to format the hd5 partition and install to that. I also instructed the boot loader to mount on the hd5 partition.

So in restart the system after download, I get my bootmagic screen asking me if I want to book linux or Windows XP. I choose linux. NOTHING HAPPENS....

So I booted up windows, configured Boot Magic to recognize all of the partitions on my disc that have operating systems on them, which amounts to three partition. I then try to restart. I select the partition with Mandrake on it... NOTHING HAPPENS. So I put the mandrake install disk in and recofigure the boot loader, cuz I think i had it set to mount on hda, which is no good i figure....

So I restart again, select the Mandrake partition in BootMagic, and I get the Lilo boot loader. I try to boot up Mandrake, the bootup scripts start flowing... and then it stop on a line that reads:

"Kernel panic: No init Found. Try passing init= option to kernel"

In addition, the caps lock LED and another LED (for something I can't figure out at this point) are both flashing. This in my my Dell Inspiron Laptop.

Anyway, I'm stuck. Not to mention, my original Linux install won't boot. For whatever reason grub has been coopted....

Any ideas?

Thanks,

John

[pbharris]

hello,
i would re-install grub by doing a rescue boot off the fedora CD.

after booting run grub-install and hopfully it will pick up everything for you.