forums.xandros.com

[aldube]

It goes without saying that playing with other Linux Distros requires more Linux knowlege & experience than using Xandros; this is a topic for EXPERIENCED LINUX USERS who know what they are doing.

I dedicate this HOW-TO to every distro surfer in Xandros Forums that likes installing multiple Linux ditros on their computer. My HOW-TO´s 1st post in this thread will focus on exclusively on using Xandros´ LILO todo the job; this would be the simplest & easiest of any method for multi-booting multiple Linux Distros.

Xandros´ LILO can and will boot other Linux Distros; to keep LILO happy you will want to copy the vmlinuz... & initrd... files from the other distros /boot folders to Xandros´ /boot folder; to keep things neat and organized just create a sub-folder in your Xandros /boot folder that describes the other distro such as:

/boot/fedoracore4 (for Fedora Core 4)
/boot/mandrake10 (for Mandrake 10)
/boot/vectorlinux5 (for Vector Linux 5)
etc ... (and the list goes on ...)

Now you need to modify Xandros´ LILO to add the alternate Linux Distros:

/etc/lilo.conf (The [. . .] in front of entries below is just for a TAB effect to make this example easier to read.)

boot=/dev/hda
install=/boot/cboot.b
message=/boot/splash.lilo
timeout=300
map=/boot/map
prompt
fix-table
lba32
read-only
disk=/dev/hda bios=0x80
image=/vmlinuz
. . . label=Xandros_Desktop_3.0_Standard
. . . vga=0xf04
. . . root=/dev/hda2
. . . initrd=/boot/initrd-2.6.9-x1.gz
. . . append="rw acpi=on noapic "
image=/vmlinuz
. . . label=Safe_Video_Mode
. . . vga=0xf04
. . . root=/dev/hda2
. . . initrd=/boot/initrd-2.6.9-x1.gz
. . . append="3 rw acpi=on noapic "
image=/vmlinuz
. . . label=Configure_(Expert)
. . . vga=normal
. . . root=/dev/hda2
. . . initrd=/boot/initrd-2.6.9-x1.gz
. . . append="single rw acpi=on noapic noresume "
other=/dev/hda1
. . . label=Windows_98
*** This next section is the only part you need to add/modify in lilo.conf ***
image=/boot/fedoracore4/(the actual Fedora Core vmlinuz filename goes here)
. . . label=Fedora_Core_4 (the other distro´s name & version)
. . . vga=0xf04
. . . root=/dev/hda5 (hda5 is the partition for Fedora Core in this example)
. . . initrd=/boot/fedoracore4/(the actual Fedora Core initrd filename goes here)
. . . append="rw acpi=on noapic "
image=/boot/mandrake10/(the actual Mandrake vmlinuz filename goes here)
. . . label=Mandrake_10 (the other distro´s name & version)
. . . vga=0xf04
. . . root=/dev/hda6 (hda6 is the partition for Mandrake in this example)
. . . initrd=/boot/mandrake10/(the actual Mandrake initrd filename goes here)
. . . append="rw acpi=on noapic "
image=/boot/vectorlinux5/(the actual Vectorlinux vmlinuz filename goes here)
. . . label=Vector_Linux_5 (the other distro´s name & version)
. . . vga=0xf04
. . . root=/dev/hda7 (hda7 is the partition for Vectorlinux in this example)
. . . initrd=/boot/vectorlinux5/(the actual Vectorlinux initrd filename goes here)
. . . append="rw acpi=on noapic "

Save & run lilo and now you´re in business; it would be a good idea to make a copy lilo.conf in case Xandros decides to modify it later on.

Enjoy; for those of you who like to distro surf.
_________________
Linux simply works for me...
Registered Linux User 384461

[aldube]

This second HOW-TO focuses on adding Xandros 3 to GRUB instead of LILO.

GRUB can be obtained from Debian Unsupported and installed to replace LILO by running the following commands:
# lilo -u
# grub-install /dev/hda

To make Xandros bootable from GRUB, LoadLin, or Gujin you need to add IDE/ATA-2 DISK support and then your chosen root filesystem (EXT3, Reiser, or whatever) to a custom Xandros kernel; then you need to create a symbolic link in /lib/modules called 2.6.9 or 2.6.11 pointing to /lib/modules/2.6.9-x1 (or 2.6.11-x1); now you can boot Xandros 3 from GRUB like any other Linux.

- Download and uncompress the Xandros Kernel Source from Xandros Networks (The Kernel version has to be the same as what is currently installed on Xandros.)
- You have to re-login as Admin-root, then goto command prompt.
# cd /usr/src/linux-2.6.9-x1 (or 2.6.11-x1; I´ll use kernel 2.6.9 in my example.)
# cp /boot/config-2.6.9-x1 .config
# make xconfig
- go through the list and make sure that both IDE/ATA-2 DISK & root filesystem [(EXT3, Reiser, or whatever) have a checkmark in their boxes which mean YES (a dot in the box means module which wont work.) then save and exit.
# make bzImage
# cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9-grub
# cd /lib/modules
# ln -s 2.6.9-x1 2.6.9

I made a /boot/grub/menu.lst file (or use the menu.lst file of another disto using GRUB) and created the following entry:

title Xandros 3.0
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9-reiser root=/dev/hda1 rw acpi=on noapic
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.9-x1
and then I did a .tar.bz2 backup

then ran (in the case of Debian Unsupported GRUB on Xandros 3)
# install /grub/stage1 (hd0) /grub/stage2 p /grub/menu.lst
_________________
Linux simply works for me...
Registered Linux User 384461

[pgk3734]

Great job, I now have three distros of linux and
WindowsXP which I let the grandchildren use for
games. All of them are learning linux, of course.
pgk
_________________
+++Registered Linux user #297797.
http://counter.li.org/.
Xandros 3.0, Mepis, Suse 9.1, Mandriva 2005, Windows XP.

[aldube]

[stanz]

Hi All..
Hey aldube...
Questions:::
I loaded Debian after Xan, and chose grub- while loading Debian...
So, i'm left unable to boot into Xan, and trying to work grub -from Deb.
Are your instructs working from Xan, or can I adjust things from Debian grub?

I've done this once before with Ubuntu, and settled for Xan's restore/rescue,
and used lilo- but, i'ld like to use grub.
Any help be great...and a kewl learning experiance!!
_________________
I Have moved to "GNU/Linux-Ubuntu", Distro. Tho I still "own" a Xandros OS, I move over, to continue the 'GNU/Linux' ~ non-owned, Linux distro, thats just as easy- just as friendly- just as supported, Free OperatingSystem. Thank You All.