Need advise creating a triple boot system

[Grandpa]

I have a computer installed with Vista updated with Win 7.  I resized using the Win 7 resizing program.  I then installed PClos 2009.2 on the new partition.  Everything is working fine, NO problems.  I used the default options that Grub presented when installing Grub.  Again there are no problems with the dual boot.
Now I want to resize win 7 again.  On the new partition I want to install PClos 2010.7.  I will use the option "Use available free space" to install 2010.7.  Here is what I am not sure of.  Will Grub on the new install choose the correct place and options to have a trouble free triple boot system?  Will I need to make changes to the default options Grub chooses?  If so please guide me.  Thanks for your replies.

[Old-Polack]

I have a computer installed with Vista updated with Win 7.  I resized using the Win 7 resizing program.  I then installed PClos 2009.2 on the new partition.  Everything is working fine, NO problems.  I used the default options that Grub presented when installing Grub.  Again there are no problems with the dual boot.
Now I want to resize win 7 again.  On the new partition I want to install PClos 2010.7.  I will use the option "Use available free space" to install 2010.7.  Here is what I am not sure of.  Will Grub on the new install choose the correct place and options to have a trouble free triple boot system?  Will I need to make changes to the default options Grub chooses?  If so please guide me.  Thanks for your replies.

By default 2010.7 will install grub to the MBR. It should pick up both the Windows installation and the other 2009.2 installation. The problem that may occur is with the partition table structure, as you are creating unused space in front of existing partitions. This will change the partition layout, and possibly the location of specific partitions numerically, and could cause problems with the primary/logical partition structure.

Open a terminal in your Linux installation, su to root, then at the prompt enter;

# fdisk -l                 <Enter>

Post the results, so we can see the present partition table structure.

[Grandpa]

Hi O-P!  here is my fdisk
Device Boot   Start      End          Blocks          Id    System
/dev/sda1*          1          64771    520271874    7    hpfs/ntfs
/dev/sda2       64772      77825     104856255    5    extended
/dev/sda5       64772      66339      12594928+    83  linux
/dev/sda6       66340      66848      4088511        82  linux swap/solaris
/dev/sda7       66849      77825      88172721     83   linux

I must be missing something, couldn't copy and paste.
edit
got it now.

[root@localhost grandpa]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 640.1 GB, 640135028736 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 77825 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x83b18f46

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1       64771   520271872    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2           64772       77825   104856255    5  Extended
/dev/sda5           64772       66339    12594928+  83  Linux
/dev/sda6           66340       66848     4088511   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7           66849       77825    88172721   83  Linux
[root@localhost grandpa]#

[Old-Polack]

Hi O-P!  here is my fdisk
Device Boot   Start      End          Blocks          Id    System
/dev/sda1*          1          64771    520271874    7    hpfs/ntfs
/dev/sda2       64772      77825     104856255    5    extended
/dev/sda5       64772      66339      12594928+    83  linux
/dev/sda6       66340      66848      4088511        82  linux swap/solaris
/dev/sda7       66849      77825      88172721     83   linux

I must be missing something, couldn't copy and paste.
edit
got it now.

[root@localhost grandpa]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 640.1 GB, 640135028736 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 77825 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x83b18f46

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1       64771   520271872    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2           64772       77825   104856255    5  Extended
/dev/sda5           64772       66339    12594928+  83  Linux
/dev/sda6           66340       66848     4088511   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7           66849       77825    88172721   83  Linux
[root@localhost grandpa]#

If you create space after /dev/sda1, and before /dev/sda2, any partition put there would be a primary partition. Nothing wrong with that, as you can have four, and need at most two more, but the partition numbers will be out of order. If you create a / partition and a /home partition, they will fit, as /dev/sda3 and /dev/sda4. I would personally shrink the windows partition, then create the partitions using the fdisk application from the command line. Super easy application to use, and has the ability to correct the partition numbering sequence, before doing the installation. Your extended partition would be re-designated as /dev/sda4 and the two new partitions would then be /dev/sda2 and /dev/sda3. You could format them from the command line also, of wait until the installation and let the install app do the formatting. You'd need to pick Use Existing Partitions, then designate which of /dev/sda2 or /dev/sda3 would be / or /home.

Do a forum search as  Search for: fdisk and  by user: old-polack

You should find some very detailed instructions with copy/paste examples by me for various aspects of fdisk use. Read them to get a feel of what I'm suggesting, then if you feel you need direct help, ask in this thread, and I'll do a run through to cover your questions, in the same manner. This is very doable.

First item, figure out how much space you want to devote to the installation, both / and /home partitions.
Second, shrink the windows partition by that much. (the combined total)
Third, do the search and see what you can find, and study.
Forth, come back and ask for additional help, if you feel you need it.

Fdisk really is easy enough you might just want to jump in and try it, after seeing what's already been posted. If not, as stated, I'll walk you through it. 

[Grandpa]

Maybe I don't need that install of 2009.2 after all

[Grandpa]

I am wondering if it would be easier to just add a second hard drive and install 2010.7 there.

[Old-Polack]

I am wondering if it would be easier to just add a second hard drive and install 2010.7 there.

That has always been my way of thinking when Windows is involved. If at all possible, leave the Windows drive to Windows and place Linux on it's own drive, and make the Linux drive the boot drive. Grub can handle booting Windows from whatever place it's located in the drive chain, and Windows can't mess up the MBR of any hard drive it's not on. You can have as many Linux installations as you wish, as long as there's room for them on the drive. If you know you want more than one, make reasonably sized partitions only for the current installation, and leave room for new partitions at the end of the drive. Create new partitions only as they are needed.

[Grandpa]

Ok!!  That is how I will do it.  Thanks again.

Edit 10:55

Since I all ready have 2009 on the Windows drive is it OK to leave it there?  I would then install 2010.7 on the new drive.

[Old-Polack]

Ok!!  That is how I will do it.  Thanks again.

Edit 10:55

Since I all ready have 2009 on the Windows drive is it OK to leave it there?  I would then install 2010.7 on the new drive.

Sure, as long as it's there and working, you can add a stanza to the new drives grub to boot it. It will probably get picked up and have that done automatically when you install to the new drive. Have the new drive set as the boot drive in BIOS, before doing the installation, so grub and BIOS both see the new installation as being on drive (hd0).

Example:

[root@littleboy ~]# fdisk -l

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 200.0 GB, 200049647616 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24321 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000565cd

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1          45      361431   83  Linux
/dev/sda2              46         257     1702890   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda3             258       12161    95618880   83  Linux
/dev/sda4           12162       24321    97675200    5  Extended
/dev/sda5           12162       24321    97675168+  83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 164.7 GB, 164696555520 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 20023 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xd7523ebd

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1          13      104391   83  Linux
/dev/sdb2              14         257     1959930   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb3             258        1778    12217432+  83  Linux
/dev/sdb4            1779       20023   146552962+   5  Extended
/dev/sdb5            1779        7860    48853633+  83  Linux
/dev/sdb6            7861       14000    49319518+  83  Linux
/dev/sdb7           14001       20023    48379716   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdc: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1               1          39      313236   83  Linux
/dev/sdc2              40        1047     8096760   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdc3            1048        7127    48837600   83  Linux
/dev/sdc4            7128      121601   919512405    5  Extended
/dev/sdc5            7128       20500   107418591   83  Linux
/dev/sdc6           20501       33267   102550896   83  Linux
/dev/sdc7           33268       37158    31254426   83  Linux
/dev/sdc8           37159       41049    31254426   83  Linux
/dev/sdc9           41050       44940    31254426   83  Linux
/dev/sdc10          44941       48831    31254426   83  Linux
/dev/sdc11          48832       61886   104864256   83  Linux
/dev/sdc12          61887      101050   314584798+  83  Linux
/dev/sdc13         101051      104942    31262458+  83  Linux
/dev/sdc14         104943      108893    31736376   83  Linux
/dev/sdc15         108894      113071    33559753+  83  Linux
/dev/sdc16         113072      116988    31463271   83  Linux
/dev/sdc17         116989      121601    37053891   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdd: 750.2 GB, 750156374016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 91201 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x2db1883a

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdd1               1          13      104391   83  Linux
/dev/sdd2              14         761     6008310   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdd3             762        4497    30009420   83  Linux
/dev/sdd4            4498       91201   696449880    5  Extended
/dev/sdd5            4498       16947   100004593+  83  Linux
/dev/sdd6           16948       41750   199230066   83  Linux
/dev/sdd7           41751       45520    30282493+  83  Linux
/dev/sdd8           45521       50506    40050013+  83  Linux
/dev/sdd9           50507       65096   117194143+  83  Linux
/dev/sdd10          65097       79686   117194143+  83  Linux
/dev/sdd11          79687       91201    92494206   83  Linux

Each of my drives has a small partition on /dev/sdx1. This is mounted on /boot for the first Linux installation on the drive, It is not mounted on any of the other installations after that.

Next, on each drive, /dev/sdx2 is a swap partition. The reason I put it there is that if I need to resize/enlarge the boot partition, it's easy to delete the swap partition, enlarge the boot partition and then create a new swap partition in the slightly smaller empty space left. This can be done without any affect on the rest of the drives partitions, and can be done from the running system. Neat trick.

I install a / partition on /dev/sdx3 then use /dev/sdx4 as the extended partition, covering the rest of the hard drive. This acts as a container for all new logical partitions I may create in the future. I don't usually have a separate /home partition, as I seem to have plenty of other partitions to store my data in. /home/polack is mainly just the hidden files that hold the configurations for various apps, and a few directories that hold files for temporary use on that particular installation. Permanent files wanted as long term data storage are on other partitions. I mount two of these at /home/polack/Documents and /home/polack/documents2. I use those two mount points on all my installations for the same two partitions, so the data is always available in the same relative place.

If I wanted a separate /home partition for a new installation on a new drive, it would be on /dev/sdx5, the first logical partition. With a new hard drive this would be the place where I quit with the partitioning and do the actual installation. I do my partitioning first, then format each partition, then do my installation to the existing already formatted partitions. I don't let the installer app reformat any partitions, just copy over the files, and install grub to the MBR of the new drive.

Later, if I want another installation, I'll create a single partition for that installation, format it, install to it, then have grub installed to the new / partition of that installation, so the first grub stays on the MBR. I can add new data partitions if needed, when needed. I can create a large partition, format it, load it with everything from a smaller drive, re partition and format the smaller drive, then transfer back what ever I want to keep from what was temporarily held in the large partition. When no longer needed, that large partition can be deleted and the space recovered for future use.

Eventually I'll run out of room on a drive, and want to keep everything currently on it. At that point I add a new drive. The last two drives have been standard SATA drives in E-SATA/USB housings; the first a 750 GB unit and the last a 1 TB unit. This makes them very portable, so I can take them anywhere, and since each has at least one Linux installation on it, my desktop OS and settings travels with me.

[Grandpa]

All I can say is WOW!
Since my reading comprehension isn't what it used to be(never was that great).  I have printed this out.  Will read it again and again and try to understand it.  I know to you it seems straight forward.  To me, again I say wow.  Thanks again for sharing.

[uncleV]

Do a forum search as  Search for: fdisk and  by user: old-polack

These questions arise often and constantly.

I think it's good to collect some of the useful answers and create a sticky topic from them.