Using Grub in multi-OS with /boot partition

[nuke]

I have just finished installing Knoppix over Mandrake.

The system looks like this
/dev/hda1 - Win98
/dev/hda2 - /boot
/dev/hda3 - /
/dev/hda4 - swap

Knoppix 2003-09-24-EN

I wanted to use GRUB since I understand that the default LILO would not allow me to use Win98.

I followed directions in knx-hdinstall but at the question about installing LILO, I said NO.

I created a boot floppy.

The instructions that have been generously provided by many people only seem to show how to get GRUB installed when you have the boot files on the Knoppix root partition. In my case, I want GRUB in the /boot partition. And have GRUB in the mbr.

Could someone direct me to some instructions on how to do this? I am reading the GRUB docs, but I'm getting more confused.

When I boot the system, I come to the GRUB (from previously installed Mandrake 9.1). I think that I need to change the grub.config file to direct the Linux entry to Knoppix. Not sure what I should add / change to the config file when I find it. I'm not sure if I need to add or copy some files from the / partition to /boot either.

Could someone provide me with a bit of direction?

Thank you in advance

[gcoker]

Grub certainly is good, but I have Knoppix 3.3 (and previously 3.2) installed with Win98SE on hda1 with LILO as the boot loader. I just used the default install scripts. I did not do anything special. I can not remember having any trouble with LILO as boot loader and Win98 over the years. The only requirement is knowing that Windows does not play well with others, and has to be installed first. First Win98, then Win2000 and finally Linux is installed.

How does this trouble manifest itself, so I can be on the lookout for it in the future?

G. Coker

[nuke]

Perhaps I have been misinformed.

In reading various user groups, forums etc. over the past month or so, and in installing and trying to get Redhat 9, SuSE, Mandrake, and Gentoo to run, I gathered that LILO isn't friendly to multi system booting and causes problems with the mbr when you wish to also run some flavour of Windows. Since Knoppix configured correctly on my system and runs quickly from CD (faster than RH9!), I thought I would install Knoppix but use GRUB. I got most of the way there until I couldn't get to boot into Knoppix on the HD.

If you say that LILO works right from the default install for you and hasn't been a problem, then maybe I should try it too.

Did you do any special configurations?

[gcoker]

No, I do not do anything special at all.

I should because on almost all of my systems it gives me a message about receiving an incorrect mode from the video card, but I just give it a space and go on. If I used the cheatcode for the video card, I would get Tux at startup!

Now, I setup Grub as the default with RH9, but that is a Linux only system. My Knoppix systems use LILO. I really have not fooled with my bootloader internals lately.

The trouble with Linux, it gives me a bad attitude went I use Windows!

G Coker

[nuke]

Do you use a '/boot' partition for Knoppix & LILO? Or, does it just boot from your 'root' directory?

Thanks

[gcoker]

I just use the default configuration. It all goes to "/".

I have wanted to setup all of my partitions "properly", but have been to busy with other things (lazy!) That is the areas that Knoppix does not support well. I have several versions of Knoppix on different systems. Triple boot, dual boot, single boot, and (for the company's machine) live CD. I just have not wanted to manage the configurations. I am going to load it on a file server, and that one I will manage.

Mostly I run Knoppix du jour!

Gary Coker

[j.drake]

You can always reinstall Mandrake and let it set the partitions automatically, then redo the Knoppix install.

I used Mandrake for my HD install, and it defaulted to lilo. I later switched to grub, because I heard good things about it, but I think I actually liked lilo better. (I dual-boot Mandrake and WinXP, BTW, although I installed Mandrake and the loader to a second HD just to make sure I didn't mess up my WinXP install)

[gcoker]

Can I fix the fstab on the ramdrive that will allow the Knoppix install data to go to different partitions?

I have never had problem creating partitions, the utitilies are there, but the Knoppix install script only deals with the partition that you tell it is root. When installing it sees everything as hda1, hda2, hb1 etc. No matter what the hd looks like, it wants to put everything in one partition the it assignes to /.

I sort all of the partition stuff out after install. But sure, you want to create partitions you want before install, or at least leave free disk space for them. I usually create at least one non-standard so it does not easily get stepped on. I have read opinions both ways about non-standard partition names. Honestly, my opinion is that it depends on the type of system that you are maintaining.

If you are going to use the system for some time, I recommend that you print, or copy on a floppy fstab and save it some where. It will be useful when you re-install. It is amazing how confusing all of the partitions are when you are trying to remember which partition contained your good data. You did backup didn't you? Of course, you did. It is still nicer not to have to restore. That way I can keep my data between distro installs.