partitioning and multiple boot questions

[geezy]

Ok, so I have a multiple boot and partitioning question. I have come across lots of information on the subject and wanted to make sure on a few things. I am getting a new IBM T41 laptop in the next couple of days and would like to have a multiple boot system. I've been running mandrake and windows xp on my old box for a while now and wanted to switch. The new IBM will come with xp and I plan on installing suse 9.0 right away. I would also like to install gentoo, but it may not happen all at once.
What is the best way to do the installation? When I've installed linux before I just installed the bootloader in the MBR. I've read that maybe for a multi boot I should make a /boot partition and place the bootloader in there. Should I do this and then where should I put it, before the windows partition or after? If I install more distros later should I install their bootloaders in their /root partitions and then just edit the lilo/grub conf?

Basically my question is what is the best way to install multiple OS's? I want to have suse and xp dualing booting for a little but have it be open to add gentoo fairly soon.

sorry if that was confusing. thanks for the help in advance.

[geezy]

Ok, I've found out a little bit more. It sounds like I could install suse and put lilo/grub into the MBR. Then when I get around to installing gentoo I should install it's bootloader into it's '/' partition and then just edit the lilo/grub conf in suse to include gentoo.

Is this correct?

[mempman]

install windows...
then intall grub and it will auto detect your win partion..
thenifyou want to install any other linux distro.. you don't even need to install their boot loader ....(given that the linux distro is grub compatible)
hope this helps!

[DMR]

As for /boot, it isn't necessary to put it on its own partition; it can simply be a subdirectory of your / partition. Of course, you can make a separate /boot partition if you want. If so, it can be anywhere on the disk.