Partitioning and Boot Information for Triple Boot

A Loyal Reader asked me about partitioning information for the triple boot I'd previously setup on my Acer Ferrari laptop. Rather than hide it away in a comment, I'll post an entry here so Google can walk all over it, and others can therefore hopefully find it.

I have to thank Geoff Arnold for the basis of these steps:

1. Use Ubuntu install to partition the disk 20/20/40 for XP/Linux/Solaris.
2. Install XP from the recovery CD.
3. Install Ubuntu. Verify dual boot is OK; save the Grub menu data.
4. Install latest Solaris build (with newboot and the GRUB loader). This makes the Solaris partition active, and only Solaris is bootable.
5. Update the Solaris Grub settings using the data saved from step three. You should now have triple-boot available.

In more detail:

1. I used the Ubuntu CD to start the Ubuntu install, and got to the point where it asks "Partition disks", I selected "Manually edit partition table".

   I created three "Primary" partitions (ext3); 20Gb, 20Gb and 40Gb, (40Gb foir Solartis), got the Ubuntu installer to write the partition information to disk, and then exitted the Ubuntu Installer.

2. I then installed Xp from the recovery CD(s). This automatically restores it into the first partition (one of the 20Gb ones).
3. After I'd verified that I had a nicely working single boot of Windows XP, I then reinserted the Ubuntu CD, and this time fully installed it into the other 20Gb partition. I let it recognize that there was already a Windows XP install on the disk as well, and it setup the GRUB loader to allow me to boot from either OS. I then verified that that all worked nicely.

   Important: I remembered what Ubuntu wrote to /boot/grub/menu.lst
   I actually copied it to another machine. You are going to need this information after you install Solaris.

4. I then installed the latest Solaris build. I told it to use the 40Gb partition. I had to ask it to set it to "unused" first and the same for the 4th small partition. With both of these set to "unused", I was then able to reset the 40Gb one to be of type "Solaris".
5. After you've finished installing Solaris, it just makes the Solaris partition active and the GRUB loader only recognizes that one OS. Not a problem. Boot up Solaris, then add in the details of the other two O/S'es to the end of the file /boot/grub/menu.lst.

   In my case, I added in the lines:

         title           Microsoft Windows XP Professional
         root            (hd0,0)
         chainloader     +1
         #----------------------------------------------------
         title           Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.10-5-amd64-generic Default
         root            (hd0,4)
         kernel          /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5 ro vga=771 console=tty0 quiet splash
         initrd          /boot/initrd.img
         

   Reboot, and when it starts up again, the GRUB loader should also show the Windows XP and Linux boot choices. Select the one you want and away you go.

[Technorati Tag: solaris]

( Jun 10 2005, 11:15:15 AM PDT ) [Listen] Permalink Comments [2]

New Ferrari Owner

Like several other Sun bloggers before me, I'm now the proud owner of a brand new Ferrari. An Acer Ferrari 3400 laptop that is. My manager has kindly allowed me to get this to replace the five year old Toshiba Protege I had, which quite frankly, just can't keep up with the resource requirements of our modern day operating systems.

This is a really nifty laptop. It comes with Windows XP and has the sound of a racing car (presumably a Ferrari) as the Windows startup sound. Cute the first time you hear it but wearing every time after that. Easy to get rid of though (I wonder how many Ferrari owners who are still using Windows XP, still have this enabled).

It has a bright red case and the Ferrari badge. Quoting the Acer marketing blurb:

Sporting the coveted Prancing Horse emblem and swathed in gleaming Ferrari-red, the Ferrari 3400 embodies what image-conscious professionals desire.

Renowned for high quality standards and leadership in the industry, the Ferrari 3400 symbolises Acer's excellence in state-of-the-art engineering and design.

Yup, overall I'd agree with this. One thing that is slightly disconcerting though is when the after burners fans kick in, when it's "thinking hard". Perhaps Acer can find out where Apple gets its fans for its laptops from, and use them in the next version.

Over the last couple of days, I've setup the laptop to have a triple boot:

• One of the latest Solaris builds (with the newboot GRUB loader).
• Ubuntu 5.04 (Linux)
• Windows XP

There was a certain FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) involved with this, but now was the perfect time to get over this as there was no data on the laptop disk that I wanted to keep.

I offer my thanks to the following people, who helped me get this setup, patiently answering all the questions I had:

• Geoff Arnold
• Alan DuBoff
• Danek Duvall
• Rich McAllister
• Ron Shipper

I've learnt more about disk partitioning and boot loaders in the last two days than I really wanted to know, but it's all good education (I've taken notes so I'll still retain this information even after my brain throws it out, and the next time will hopefully be trivial).

Now I wonder if I can get Sun to agree to buy a matching company car...

[Technorati Tag: laptops]

( Jun 10 2005, 08:51:54 AM PDT ) [Listen] Permalink Comments [8]