Multiboot

[dirk_schnitzler]

Hi there!

I´d like to have a test PC on which I want to install 2x Win2k, 2x WinXP, Win98 and Suse.
I´d like to have each os as "c:", not seeing the other os´s...
How do I have to partition my HD? I tried with one primary, and 6 extended ones, but the problem is, that Win2k wants to have an active primary and
"mounts" this as "c:" even if I install it on an extended one!
How can I prevent this?
I also tried BootIt-NG and created 7 primary partitions, but this does not make sense since Win2k installer can´t handle this...

Kind regards,
Dirk.

[pentachris]

I don't know the specifics of how to set it up, but I know that XOSL (http://www2.arnes.si/~fkomar/xosl.org/home.html) will allow you to do this. XOSL calls it "hiding" partitions. Check out the FAQ's & How-To's there.

[dirk_schnitzler]

Thanx, I´ve tried XOSL :)
I found a VERY helpful site:
http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/

Regards, Dirk.

[pentachris]

Thanks for the link. Looks like some good info there; I'll have to read through it later.

[Paul Komski]

The Goodel's site is a very good one - particularly if you want to install more than four OSes by utilising "stand-alone" logical partitions (all bound to be C eventually). There is still quite a long learning curve before you get all the OSes installed without any booting problems.

I would caution against using the BootIt-NG feature of more than the standard four primary partitions. Apart from that it is probably easier to use than XOSL- but both will do this sort of work for you. If you are using XOSL then you should also learn to use Smart Boot Manager (set it as one of the boot options) to hide and unhide partitions during the multiple installations.

Getting to grips with hiding/unhiding is one of the fundamentals to success. Hiding is as simple as changing the partition type from 06 to 16 in the partition tables. Never let a Windows OS (particularly an NT-based OS) ever see any of the other installations - BUT PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU BOOT IT UP FOR THE FIRST TIME.

You will also need to 'originally' install the OSes into a normal primary partition before copying them to a logical partition and then editing the hidden sectors and the boot.ini file for the NT-based OSes.

I would suggest that you put Win98 on a primary partition since you wont then need a hex editor to edit the two relevant bytes necessary for it to boot from a logical partition.

Leave Linux till last since it will be quite happy directly installed onto logical partitions; just dont let GRUB overwrite the BootIt-NG or XOSL or other boot manager.

Final caution is to never "hide" the extended partition. There are a number of ways to do this (as a quick way of hiding all the logical partitions) but it is better to selectively hide all the primary and logical partitions individually one by one - and do this for each and every installation. Of course you can take this shortcut if you desire but a time will come when you forget to do this and you wont know where you are if viewing the drives from an NT Disk Management console or from utilities such as Partition Magic.