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Build a Multi Linux System

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CIOL Bureau
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There can be times when you need more than one Linux
distro on the same machine, like when you're
developing an application and want to make sure that it's compatible across all the
distros. This article
will talk about how to set up multiple Linux distros on
one machine. In order to do that, it's important to
first understand how Linux does partitioning. A Linux
system has three types of partitions, namely:


/boot The boot partition for kernel and initrd
images, which boots the PC and loads the kernel.


/- The root partition where files and other
applications are installed.


Swap For disk caching. This should be double the size
of RAM.















face=Verdana size=2>Direct
Hit!
face=Verdana size=1>Applies to:
Developers wanting to test or develop code on
multiple Linux distros
face=Verdana size=1>USP: Multiple Linux
distros installed using one grub.conf
file
face=Verdana size=1>Links:
www.kerneltrap.org

We in this article will first install PCQLinux 2004
and then RedHat Enterprise 3.0 Edition distro on the
same machine. The machine used should be without any OS.
We will only install PCQLinux 2004 boot loader. The idea
here is that we will configure PCQLinux 2004 grub. conf
file and then modify the same grub.file for RedHat
Enterprise distro. The reverse can also be
done. 


Installing PCQLinux 2004 



  • Start PCQLinux 2004 installation. You will be
    given a list of installation types. Select the
    installation type you want. We selected Personal
    Desktop.
  • Now you need to partition the hard disk. There are
    two options for this: Automatic Partition and Manual
    Partition. Select the Automatically Partition option
    to partition the hard disk. Then, click on Next.
  • This will show three options for partitioning the
    hard disk. Select 'Remove all partitions on this
    system' option.
  • After this, you have to configure the partition
    table. As discussed above, three partitions have to be
    created. First, create the boot partition and don't
    change the default size for this partition, which
    would be around 100 MB. Then create the root partition
    and allocate space according to your hard disk size.
    Finally, create the swap partition with the default
    size for it.Â
  • Click on Next, which will ask for installing boot
    loader. Install PCQLinux 2004 boot loader, which is
    grub. Follow the steps till installation is complete.
  • Now PCQLinux 2004 is installed. Open the terminal
    screen and run the command fdisk~l. You will see
    the partition information as shown in the box below.
    It shows on which device the three partitions are
    installed. 

The boot partition is installed in /dev/hdc1, root
partition in /dev/hdc2 and swap in /dev/hdc3.


Installing RedHat Enterprise 3.0 



  • Start RedHat Enterprise 3.0 edition
    installation.Â
  • Follow the first four steps as above to install
    the three partitions in the remaining free space.
  • Clicking on Next will give the option of
    installing the RedHat Enterprise 3.0 boot loader.
    Here, you should not install the RedHat Enterprise 3.0
    boot loader. Click on 'change boot loader' option
    and then select 'don't install boot loader.'
    Follow the instructions to complete the installation.

Now, you have both the distros installed. But, you
need to configure the PCQLinux 2004 grub.file.


Configuring PCQLinux 2004 grub.conf
file
Boot PCQLinux 2004 system and run the
command fdisk~l. The partition information for both
the distros will be as shown as in the box below. The
important thing here is that all the three partitions
should be installed for both the distros.







vAlign=top align=middle bgColor=#787458>



vAlign=top align=middle bgColor=#f0e8c8
colSpan=7>Partition
info: PCQLinux 2004

bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Device
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Boot
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Start
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>End
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Blocks
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Id
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>System

bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>/dev/hdc1
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>*
x:num>1
x:num>13
x:num> size=1>104391
x:num>83
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Linux

bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>/dev/hdc2
bgColor=#f0e8c8> 
x:num>14
x:num>842
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>6658942+
x:num>83
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Linux

bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>/dev/hdc3
bgColor=#f0e8c8> 
x:num>843
x:num>874
x:num> size=1>257040
x:num>82
bgColor=#f0e8c8>Linux
swap

Thus, an extended partition is created (/dev/hdc4),
and in this the three partitions of RedHat Enterprise
3.0 distro are installed. The boot partition is
installed in /dev/ hdc5, root partition in /dev/ hdc6
and swap partition in /dev/ hdc7. 


Now you need to know the kernel version and initrd
version for RedHat Enterprise 3.0 distro. For this, you
have to mount the boot partition which is installed in
/dev/hdc5. Run the following commands.


mount /dev/hdc5 /test
cd
test
cd boot
ls


Note the kernel and initrd version for RedHat
Enterprise 3.0 distro, which are vmlinuz-2.4.21-4.EL and
initrd-2.4.21-4.EL.img respectively. 


Now you need to configure the PCQLinux 2004 grub.conf
file. In this file, add the partition details of the
RedHat Enterprise 3.0. For this add the following four
lines in PCQLinux 2004 grub.conf file and save it.



  • title RED HAT ENTERPRISE LINUX
  • root (hd0,4)
  • kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-4.EL ro root=/dev/hdc6
  • initrd /initrd-2.4.21-4.EL.img

The boot partition of RedHat Enterprise is in
/dev/hdc5, so you have to write root (hd0,4) and the
root partition is in /dev/hdc6, hence root=/dev/hdc6.
Add the kernel version and initrd version you noted
above. 







vAlign=top align=middle bgColor=#787458>



vAlign=top align=middle bgColor=#f0e8c8
colSpan=7>Partition
info: PCQLInux 2004 and RedHat Enterprise
3.0

align=middle bgColor=#f0e8c8>

size=1>Device


bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Boot
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Start
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>End
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Blocks
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Id
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>System

bgColor=#f0e8c8 x:str="/dev/hdc1 "> face=Verdana size=1>/dev/hdc1
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>*
x:num>1
x:num>13
x:num> size=1>104391
x:num>83
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Linux

bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>/dev/hdc2
bgColor=#f0e8c8> 
x:num>14
x:num>842
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>6658942+
x:num>83
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Linux

bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>/dev/hdc3
bgColor=#f0e8c8> 
x:num>843
x:num>874
x:num> size=1>257040
x:num>82
bgColor=#f0e8c8>Linux
swap

bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>/dev/hdc4
bgColor=#f0e8c8> 
x:num>875
x:num>1826
x:num> size=1>7646940
x:num>5
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Extended

bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>/dev/hdc5
bgColor=#f0e8c8> 
x:num>875
x:num>887
x:num> size=1>104391
x:num>83
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Linux

bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>/dev/hdc6
bgColor=#f0e8c8> 
x:num>888
x:num>1809
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>7405933+
x:num>83
bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>Linux

bgColor=#f0e8c8> size=1>/dev/hdc7
bgColor=#f0e8c8> 
x:num>1810
x:num>1826
x:num> size=1>136521
x:num>82
bgColor=#f0e8c8>Linux
swap

Now, save the grub.conf file and reboot the system.
After this you will be able to boot both the Linux
distros.


The trick is that you configure only one grub.conf
file for the distro that is to be installed. This
grub.conf file should, however, have the details of the
three partitions of all the Linux distros you
install. 

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