Im finally going for it. - Page 2

yustr · 03-05-2007, 07:12 PM

Can I run both PCLinux and my existing Ubuntu (dual boot???) to see which I prefer and if it works smoothly with my system?

**K-B** · 03-06-2007, 06:32 AM

Certainly. And I just about guarantee you'll love it. You just need another partition to install PCLOS on. Once you install PCLinuxOS, you'll need to manually add Ubuntu back onto your menu.lst (For GRUB)

**Bartender** · 03-06-2007, 08:16 AM

Kyle -
How would you suggest yustr set things up so that he can load more than one Linux distro? The only method I'm at all familiar with is chainloading.
Here's a link back to that thread where I built a couple of guides.

Dual LINUX OS

yustr, the GPLCD guide might or might not be helpful, but I'm thinking the PCLOS guide should help you to get an idea how GRUB identifies partitions, and how to chainload OS'es. I've built a couple of multi-boot HDD's. They were all-Linux, but the principles are the same for a Windows/Linux setup. Chainloading works very well once you figure out the exact commands that need to be added to GRUB.

I have two comments regarding those guides. Both comments refer to possible problems that might crop up down the road that I was unaware of at the time I wrote them. In both cases, the multi-boot will work at first but updates may make a mess of things.

#1 If you enter your Linux partitions in menu.lst above the Debian Auto-Magic divider, the next time you download a kernel update GRUB will lose track of your Linux partition. I am not sure of the best way around this. I've manually re-entered the GRUB data, but can't remember right now how I did it (found directions on Ubuntu forums). I've read that a way to eliminate this problem all together is to place your Linux partitions in menu.lst underneath the Debian Auto-Magic divider. Again, read this on Forums. But haven't tried that.

#2 The other complication also crops up whenever you do updates, but I believe this comes up every time you update. The problem wasn't there in Dapper but is in Edgy and will continue in newer releases. If you compare fstab in Dapper and fstab in Edgy, you'll see that Edgy added a UUID identifier to the list of automatically mounted devices. My understanding is that the UUID identifier was added to make it more convenient for system administrators. Even if you moved the HDD to a different physical location the OS will pick up the UUID. Or something like that

This may be great for its intended purpose, but it makes things harder for the rest of us. The fix (I'm told) is to carefully delete the UUID from fstab and leave everything else on the line.
I haven't explained how this UUID thing gets you yet, so I'll do that now.
If you have only one Linux OS UUID doesn't cause problems because fstab is updated also and you simply keep on trucking without even knowing what happened in the background.
However. Let's say you have multiple Linux OS'es. You update one of them. That UUID identifier has now changed. Your other Linux OS'es doesn't know that, and when you start another one you get a weird "fsck" error message, then you're dumped to a text recovery screen. Being a terminal newb, I decided that multi-booting was just not worth the hassle and now intend to settle on one distro. I'm kinda tired of thinking I figured something out well enuf to get by, then getting slapped upside the head again.
You can get past these hurdles. I just wanted to let you know they're out there.

**K-B** · 03-06-2007, 10:00 AM

Actually, I've never done/tryed chainloading. The way I would've done it is to manually add the lines to GRUB like they say here:
http://www.newlinuxuser.com/adding-o...stems-to-grub/
But it seems to me that this PCLOS guide would be good to follow.
http://pclinuxonline.com/wiki/GrubMenu
I'd forgotten about that one.

**carsey** · 03-06-2007, 11:40 AM

Can I not just run PCLOS and forget about Ubuntu??

**K-B** · 03-06-2007, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yustr

Can I run both PCLinux and my existing Ubuntu (dual boot???) to see which I prefer and if it works smoothly with my system?

Carsey, we were talking about yustr's post (above)

**Bartender** · 03-06-2007, 06:10 PM

Sorry, carsey, I saw yustr's post on the top of a new page and just started responding without thinking about whose thread it was...

Kyle, is that your blog? I like it!

"Chainloading" is a common description for the process of manually entering those lines in the GRUB menu.lst, just like your two links.

yustr · 03-06-2007, 06:21 PM

Yeah that was me...

Sorry

JohnthePilot · 03-06-2007, 06:52 PM

Hi Chris,

In terms of what size HD to go for, get the largest you can afford. There's not a lot of difference in price between a 60 G and a 320 G. Think about future proofing. I can still remember when my colleagues wondered what on earth I needed a 10 MB HD for.
Regards,
John.

**K-B** · 03-07-2007, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bartender

Sorry, carsey, I saw yustr's post on the top of a new page and just started responding without thinking about whose thread it was...

Kyle, is that your blog? I like it!

"Chainloading" is a common description for the process of manually entering those lines in the GRUB menu.lst, just like your two links.

I was so dumb I was describing chainloading and didn't know it.

No, that's not my blog, but I wish it was:D

03-05-2007, 07:12 PM	#21 (permalink)
yustr Asst. Manager, The Conversation Pit Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Connecticut shore Posts: 4,994 OS: XP Pro My System	Can I run both PCLinux and my existing Ubuntu (dual boot???) to see which I prefer and if it works smoothly with my system? __________________ I didn't mean to say it. But I meant what I said. J. McMurtry In Vino Veritas

03-06-2007, 06:32 AM	#22 (permalink)
K-B Moderator/Gearhead Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NY Posts: 2,738 OS: Ubuntu 8.04 My System	Certainly. And I just about guarantee you'll love it. You just need another partition to install PCLOS on. Once you install PCLinuxOS, you'll need to manually add Ubuntu back onto your menu.lst (For GRUB) __________________ Registered Linux User #435503 Don't let socialists take over this country. Vote Nobama 2008! Last edited by K-B : 03-06-2007 at 06:33 AM.

03-06-2007, 10:00 AM	#24 (permalink)
K-B Moderator/Gearhead Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NY Posts: 2,738 OS: Ubuntu 8.04 My System	Actually, I've never done/tryed chainloading. The way I would've done it is to manually add the lines to GRUB like they say here: http://www.newlinuxuser.com/adding-o...stems-to-grub/ But it seems to me that this PCLOS guide would be good to follow. http://pclinuxonline.com/wiki/GrubMenu I'd forgotten about that one. __________________ Registered Linux User #435503 Don't let socialists take over this country. Vote Nobama 2008!

03-06-2007, 11:40 AM	#25 (permalink)
carsey Moderator, TSF Articles Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hunwick, Co. Durham England Posts: 9,836 OS: XP Pro SP3 My System	Can I not just run PCLOS and forget about Ubuntu?? __________________ Submit New Articles Here

03-06-2007, 06:21 PM	#28 (permalink)
yustr Asst. Manager, The Conversation Pit Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Connecticut shore Posts: 4,994 OS: XP Pro My System	Yeah that was me... Sorry __________________ I didn't mean to say it. But I meant what I said. J. McMurtry In Vino Veritas

03-06-2007, 08:16 AM	#23 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,178 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Kyle - How would you suggest yustr set things up so that he can load more than one Linux distro? The only method I'm at all familiar with is chainloading. Here's a link back to that thread where I built a couple of guides. Dual LINUX OS yustr, the GPLCD guide might or might not be helpful, but I'm thinking the PCLOS guide should help you to get an idea how GRUB identifies partitions, and how to chainload OS'es. I've built a couple of multi-boot HDD's. They were all-Linux, but the principles are the same for a Windows/Linux setup. Chainloading works very well once you figure out the exact commands that need to be added to GRUB. I have two comments regarding those guides. Both comments refer to possible problems that might crop up down the road that I was unaware of at the time I wrote them. In both cases, the multi-boot will work at first but updates may make a mess of things. #1 If you enter your Linux partitions in menu.lst above the Debian Auto-Magic divider, the next time you download a kernel update GRUB will lose track of your Linux partition. I am not sure of the best way around this. I've manually re-entered the GRUB data, but can't remember right now how I did it (found directions on Ubuntu forums). I've read that a way to eliminate this problem all together is to place your Linux partitions in menu.lst underneath the Debian Auto-Magic divider. Again, read this on Forums. But haven't tried that. #2 The other complication also crops up whenever you do updates, but I believe this comes up every time you update. The problem wasn't there in Dapper but is in Edgy and will continue in newer releases. If you compare fstab in Dapper and fstab in Edgy, you'll see that Edgy added a UUID identifier to the list of automatically mounted devices. My understanding is that the UUID identifier was added to make it more convenient for system administrators. Even if you moved the HDD to a different physical location the OS will pick up the UUID. Or something like that This may be great for its intended purpose, but it makes things harder for the rest of us. The fix (I'm told) is to carefully delete the UUID from fstab and leave everything else on the line. I haven't explained how this UUID thing gets you yet, so I'll do that now. If you have only one Linux OS UUID doesn't cause problems because fstab is updated also and you simply keep on trucking without even knowing what happened in the background. However. Let's say you have multiple Linux OS'es. You update one of them. That UUID identifier has now changed. Your other Linux OS'es doesn't know that, and when you start another one you get a weird "fsck" error message, then you're dumped to a text recovery screen. Being a terminal newb, I decided that multi-booting was just not worth the hassle and now intend to settle on one distro. I'm kinda tired of thinking I figured something out well enuf to get by, then getting slapped upside the head again. You can get past these hurdles. I just wanted to let you know they're out there.

03-06-2007, 06:10 PM	#27 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,178 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Sorry, carsey, I saw yustr's post on the top of a new page and just started responding without thinking about whose thread it was... Kyle, is that your blog? I like it! "Chainloading" is a common description for the process of manually entering those lines in the GRUB menu.lst, just like your two links.

03-06-2007, 06:52 PM	#29 (permalink)
JohnthePilot Asst Manager, TSF Articles Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cheltenham, near Wales. Posts: 28,221 OS: XP Home SP3, PCLinux, Vista Home Premium SP1 My System Blog Entries: 1	Hi Chris, In terms of what size HD to go for, get the largest you can afford. There's not a lot of difference in price between a 60 G and a 320 G. Think about future proofing. I can still remember when my colleagues wondered what on earth I needed a 10 MB HD for. Regards, John. __________________ Submit New Articles Here If you feel that TSF has helped you please make a donationand help to keep the forum free Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon Folding@Home - Team 85015