I've currently got a Mandrake/Win98 dual-booting system (via grub, and
a separate /boot partition) and I'd like to add a Debian partition to the
mix.

However, I'm a little concerned about what the installer might do to my
grub configuration.  Is the Debian Installer smart enough to realise that
I'm already using grub to boot a couple of other OSes and adjust
accordingly?

Thanx.

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Hello

archonaut (<archonaut@nospampleasethanx.com> ) wrote:

> I've currently got a Mandrake/Win98 dual-booting system (via grub, and
> a separate /boot partition) and I'd like to add a Debian partition to
> the mix.
>
> However, I'm a little concerned about what the installer might do to
> my
> grub configuration.  Is the Debian Installer smart enough to realise
> that I'm already using grub to boot a couple of other OSes and adjust
> accordingly?

The installer lets you choose where you want to install the bootloader
(if you use Woody/3.0, you can only select lilo, by the way). You can
also install Debian without installing a boot loader at all. My
suggestion: install it into the Debian partition, and configure your
existing grub accordingly, e.g.

title           Debian
root            (hd0,15)
chainloader     +1

You need to change the root entry, of course.

best regards
Andreas Janssen

--
Andreas Janssen <andreas.janssen@bigfoot.com>
PGP-Key-ID: 0xDC801674 ICQ #17079270
Registered Linux User #267976
http://www.andreas-janssen.de/debian-tipps-sarge.html

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The main bit that's confusing me is what happens with /boot.  If I tell
Debian-installer to mount /boot on my existing /boot partition will it
preserve the Mandrake kernel? Or do I need to give Debian it's own /boot
partition?

I'm using the Sarge RC2 installer.

Thanks.


On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 11:58:27 +0100, Andreas Janssen wrote:

> Hello
>
> archonaut (<archonaut@nospampleasethanx.com> ) wrote:
> 
>
> The installer lets you choose where you want to install the bootloader
> (if you use Woody/3.0, you can only select lilo, by the way). You can
> also install Debian without installing a boot loader at all. My
> suggestion: install it into the Debian partition, and configure your
> existing grub accordingly, e.g.
>
> title           Debian
> root            (hd0,15)
> chainloader     +1
>
> You need to change the root entry, of course.
>
> best regards
>  Andreas Janssen

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Hello

archonaut (<archonaut@nospampleasethanx.com> ) wrote:
> On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 11:58:27 +0100, Andreas Janssen wrote: 
> The main bit that's confusing me is what happens with /boot.  If I
> tell Debian-installer to mount /boot on my existing /boot partition
> will it preserve the Mandrake kernel? Or do I need to give Debian it's
> own /boot partition?
>
> I'm using the Sarge RC2 installer.

You don't need a own boot partition for Debian at all. I also wouldn't
mount the Mandrake boot partition in the /boot directory of your Debian
system.

best regards
Andreas Janssen

--
Andreas Janssen <andreas.janssen@bigfoot.com>
PGP-Key-ID: 0xDC801674 ICQ #17079270
Registered Linux User #267976
http://www.andreas-janssen.de/debian-tipps-sarge.html

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"archonaut" <archonaut@nospampleasethanx.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.01.01.23.39.08.776257@nospampleasethanx.com...
> I've currently got a Mandrake/Win98 dual-booting system (via grub, and
> a separate /boot partition) and I'd like to add a Debian partition to the
> mix.
>
> However, I'm a little concerned about what the installer might do to my
> grub configuration.  Is the Debian Installer smart enough to realise that
> I'm already using grub to boot a couple of other OSes and adjust
> accordingly?
>
> Thanx.

I had win 98, RH. Previously I had MDK in a seperate partition.Now I have
debian.
The scheme
C:\   /dev/hda1   win 98
D:\  /dev/hda5
E:\   /dev/hda6
F:\  /dev/hda7
/dev/hda8   RH   /boot
/dev/hda9   RH    /
/ dev/hda10  RH SWAP
/dev/hda11   Debian Swap
/dev/hda12  Debian /

I had RH LILO in MBR with entries for Win98, RH and debian.(previously MDK)
I installed debian and isntalled LILO of debian in /dev/hda12 itself.
So,
At the debian LILO/GRUB installation stage, install it in the root partition
of debian itself and modify your MDK lilo / grub file accordingly.

HTH

Cheeka

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On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 13:57:37 +0100, Andreas Janssen wrote:

> Hello
> archonaut (<archonaut@nospampleasethanx.com> ) wrote: 
<SNIP>[vbcol=seagreen]
> You don't need a own boot partition for Debian at all. I also wouldn't
> mount the Mandrake boot partition in the /boot directory of your Debian
> system.
>
> best regards
>  Andreas Janssen

I've installed Debian and modified my existing /boot.  I'm
not mounting my Mandrake /boot as /boot under Debian.  However, Debian
is dying with a kernel panic when I boot it.  I believe this is because I
don't have an initrd file for it?  Would this be right, and if so how
would I get one?

Thank you for all your help.  I'm a little new to all this.

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Hello

archonaut (<archonaut@nospampleasethanx.com> ) wrote:

> I've installed Debian and modified my existing /boot.  I'm
> not mounting my Mandrake /boot as /boot under Debian.  However, Debian
> is dying with a kernel panic when I boot it.  I believe this is
> because I don't have an initrd file for it?  Would this be right, and
> if so how would I get one?

The initrd image was installed along with the kernel image and modules
to whatever location the Debian installer was using as the /boot
directory. If it is missing because of your modifications, reinstall
the kernel-image package you use. If Debian has it's own grub setup,
run update-grub after that.

best regards
Andreas Janssen

--
Andreas Janssen <andreas.janssen@bigfoot.com>
PGP-Key-ID: 0xDC801674 ICQ #17079270
Registered Linux User #267976
http://www.andreas-janssen.de/debian-tipps-sarge.html

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Oops!  Please disregard last message.  I'd misconfigured my grub/menu.lst.

I'm still having problems, but hopefully I can iron them out on my own now.

Thanks. 

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