Know the order to make partitions for 98, win2k, Redhat 8.0, 4th free.

[Redbird400]

Ok I have a 80 Gig hard drive that I want to put these 3 OS on. 98, 2000, Linux Red Hat 8.0 the possibly leave a 4th free space for another os. Possibly NT4.0 or a trail of 2k server. Most likly it will be part of a NTFS file system. I know there was a specific order to install these but I cant seem to reacall and I'm still searching for the answer.

 

[knporter]

You cannot use NTFS on all partitions because Win98 cannot use NTFS. I believe you will have to use FAT for your primary partition as RedHat 8.0 cannot use FAT32 (could be wrong on that though). This will limit your C: drive to 2GB. Win98 MUST be install on this first partition before the other two. I would then install Win2000 on the second partition formated with NTFS and finally RedHat on the third partition.


"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people."

--Admiral Hyman G. Rickover

 

[wolluf]

knporter's advice good - but if you want alternative...

If you use a third party boot manager, you can keep the o/s independent and install them where you want (within their own limitations). Have a look at

http://www.boot-us.com.

Linux will create its own filestore (ext2? can't remember, have given up on it!) when you install. Win98 best on FAT32 & 2k on Fat32 (for 98 compatibility) or NTFS (see freeware at

http://www.sysinternals.com

allowing win98 to read ntfs if you use this). Not sure what Linux can read nowadays.

 

[Redbird400]

Krap! just hit the wrong button and erased all that typing. Well long story short I was refering to the NTFS of NT4 and win 2k. How NT4 should use NTFS4 and win2k uses NTFS5. I guess I will see this during the process.

Im going to try this way.

>erase the hard drive and all data on c:
>create 4 partitions of equal size
>install in this order
98=1st
NT4.0=2nt
2K=3rd
>then go back and fdisk the 4th partition
>boot from the first linux CD
>choose the option in the linux install that says
"keep existing partitions and install on free space"


Now all I need to do is get this cd writer to work in linux. My 98 disk is pretty scratched up.

 

[Redbird400]

OH yeah here is a web site that helped me out.

http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/Multiboot/multiboot1.htm

 

[wolluf]

Just a few points - you don't say what you are creating partitions with. I'd advise using each o/s's own tools (so with your list, fdisk to create 1st partition for win98 (it will have to be FAT16 if you're installing NT on next partition) then NT's install tools to create 2nd partition for NT (note, remember SP1 install disk for NT can only see first 8GB of a drive and can create/format maximum 4GB partition). Then 2k's install tools to create its partition. You should have a triple boot 2k menu at this point. This method will create one primary and one extended partition with 2 logical drives (I prefer all primary partitions - just personal preference). Then let linux create its own (ie, I'd leave the space for Linux unpartitioned beforehand).

 

[crwpulsar]

I think Linux should come with the Lilo Boot manager,when u install Windows 2000 on your drive I would install Red hat as the setup will give you the option to "squash" some of the windows partition.
After that the best thing is probably to download partition magic and partition your win2k drive and install win98 on this one.
Then when you boot up Linux will give you the option to boot into any OS.I dont know if youve used linux before but remember linux can see windows partition but windows wont reconise linux partitions.
Why so many OS's???
Maybe red hat has moved to GRUB tho???
Hope this has helped!
David

 

[Gouverneur]

I recommend Partition Magic 8.0, which includes Boot Magic. I have been using these PowerQuest utilities ro run Muliple OS systems for many years.

PM will create, move, and resize almost any type of partition. The resize and move operations can be done without losing data in the partitions being processed.

Boot Magic displays an OS menu when you boot and boots the default OS if you do not make a choice in 10-30 (adjustable) seconds.

The documentation with PM is excellent and explains how to create a Multiple OS system.

BTW: I recommend one or more data only partitions for data exchange between different OS's. Perhaps a FAT16 and/or a FAT32. Since I run ancient DOS6.22/Windows 3.11 with several more modern OS's, I use one FAT16 partition visible to DOS6.22 and my other OS's. Dinosaur from prehistoric mainframe era
Eschew obfuscation!
If one hundred million people believe a foolish idea, it is still a foolish idea!

 

[Redbird400]

Why so many operating systems¿ Well 98 will be the gaming system, NT for the networking tools, and linux just for the experience of a new os.

>Well here is the latest I decided to only try 3 @ this point. 98,2k,RH8.0 Now I first used fdisk to create 3 partitions. Then installed 98, tested and worked fine. Then installed 2k, tested and worked fine. Went back and tested 98 and it still worked fine. Then used fdisk again to erase the last partition that I made for linux. Last I ran the linux install cd and picked the option that said format and install on existing free space. Which was a thrid of the drive. So I did that and linux ran just fine. Also I dint create a boot loaded from linux so that it can only boot from the floppy.

Well after installing linux and rebooting this is what happen. The boot loader for NT came up and asked to pick an os as normal. I tried 2k and it say something about the kernal was damaged and needs to be reloaded into it dir that it gave. Well then I rebooted and tried 98. It seemed ot run ok at first but then started poping up blue screens of death and freezing alot.Hmm...this seems kinda worthless. I formated again and using fdisk once more now I have 2 partitions. One has 98 installed the the other is formated with no os installed.

Know what happen there? Well Right now I just want 98 and RH8.0 on the same dive. I'll try and installed RH8.0 later but I'll check here for some replys B4 I do that.

 

[Gouverneur]

A multi-OS system requires more than merely creating several partitions and installing two or more Operating Systems.

As mentioned in my previous post, get Partition Magic 8.0 with Boot magic included. If you want to cut costs a bit, get PM 6.0, which should be available cheap now that 8.0 is the latest version. At $60 to $70 (American), 8.0 is a good buy, and somebody might be selling it cheaper at a computer flea market. 6.0 should be available for no more than $30 to $40 and will probably do the job.

The cleanest way to do this job is to have multiple primary partitions on your first disk. Only one is visible at at time. Boot Magic hides the ones you do not want and boots the partition with the OS you select.

PM can resize and move existing partions without losing any data. This is important, because you never get the partition sizes right the first time you set up a Multiple OS system. Furthermore, it is quite likely that you will find a need for an extra partition 6 months later. PM will allow you to shrink one or more existing partitions, move them, and provide space for the extra partition. All wihout losing data in your existing partitions. Even if you do not run a multi-OS syustem, PM is a handy utility.

I think an application called System Commander is also a reasonable choice, but PowerQuest has been doing this for at least ten years with Partion Magic, and they are likely to be the best. The various dual boot options available, are an inferior method. Dinosaur from prehistoric mainframe era
Eschew obfuscation!
If one hundred million people believe a foolish idea, it is still a foolish idea!

 

[wolluf]

I'd agree with Gouverneur about primary multiple partitions. If you need to constantly resize, then PM is the way to go (but I find its actually quite easy to decide reasonable sizes upfront - am currently running 6 operating systems on main PC - never resized one yet. Previous config with 8 - the same). You do need a partitioning tool which will create multiple primary partitions (obviously PM will do this & NT/2k/XP will once they're up and running, but fdisk can't). So, if you're on a budget - here's a utility you might find useful -

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/steve-dunn/PD.zip

(I use this as well as boot-us I mentioned in earlier post) - otherwise I'd take Gouverneur's advice and get PM.