LILO setup for multiple distros on 1 drive

[Helical Cynic]

Ok, my dad finally got tired of me taking up several gigs for Linux, so he got a 30 GB drive for the family Win98 stuff. Which is fine, b/c it leaves me with 10 GB to play around in. I'd like to be able to support (read: put on other folks computers and show them how to use it) Slackware (my fav distro) and Red Hat/Mandrake. I'd also like to learn FreeBSD. I've got install CDs for Slack 7.1, Mandrake 7.2, and FreeBSD 4.2. Here's how the 10 GB drive is partitioned up so far:

~50 MB /boot (primary partition)
(extended partition)
~2 GB Slackware /
~3.4 GB Mandrake /
~2.8 GB FreeBSD stuff
(end of extended partition)
~1 GB /home
~192 MB swap

Questions: I'll be using LILO for my boot manager; will there be any problem with the Linux distros (at least) sharing a /boot partition?
We've started using a few Linux boxen at work for security stuff (portscanners and such) and I'm hoping to get a full-time Linux box on the intranet (right now my workstation dual-boots NT 4 and Slack 7.1 w/ kernel 2.4.5). It would be most awesome if I could set up *nix on one of the newer comps that come in and show my fellow admins just what stability really means!

[slapNUT]

As far as I know the only restriction with LILO on booting multiple OS's is the number it can boot. I think you are below that number which is in the README somewhere but I can't find it but I'm sure it's between 2 and 1,000,000,000 and real close to 12 or 16... maybe 15 or 11 definately below 800. :)

[bdl]

Originally posted by BTBGuy:
<STRONG>

~50 MB /boot (primary partition)
(extended partition)
~2 GB Slackware /
~3.4 GB Mandrake /
~2.8 GB FreeBSD stuff
(end of extended partition)
~1 GB /home
~192 MB swap
</STRONG>

This partition setup won't work. FreeBSD must be installed in a Primary partition, and even then it's not a good idea to have it on the same drive with an Extended partition. Here's how I'd do it:

hda1: FreeBSD 3GB
hda2: Slackware 3GB
hda3: MDK 3GB
hda5: /home 900MB
hda6: SWAP 100MB


Of course I would prefer to avoid Logical partitions altogether, but what can ya do? Please read the Linux + FreeBSD HOWTO (http://linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/Linux+FreeBSD.html) for details.

<STRONG>
Questions: I'll be using LILO for my boot manager; will there be any problem with the Linux distros (at least) sharing a /boot partition?
</STRONG>

Nope. LILO can boot just about anything, but then again, so can GRUB. You don't need a seperate boot partition anymore, and sharing one across distros just gets confusing. Do all the installs without installing a bootloader or LILO to the MBR, making sure you have created bootdisks of course. Then decide which distro will control the boot process, create an appropriate LILO /etc/lilo.conf file and install to the MBR. Luck!

[ 19 June 2001: Message edited by: bdl ]

[Helical Cynic]

Ok, I'll repartition when I get home. Thanks!