Triple boot

[conquer]

Hi,

I'm trying to triple boot Win2k, Redhat 7.0 & RedHat 7.1. I can get the Win2k and Redhat 7.1 part to work. But for some reason can't seem to get the RH7.0 to load. It's on a laptop and I need to run a program in RH 7.0 then in RH 7.1 so I can work on debugging it.

What I have done so far is. Install all O/S's. Win2k & RH 7.1 work. Mounted hda7 (RH7.0 partition) so it's always mount on boot (/etc/fstab file). Then added the lines into /etc/lilo.conf to get the lilo changed, not forgetting to run /sbin/lilo after I have made the changes.

Some of the problems I have incountered have been when I go to run lilo after editing the /etc/lilo.conf is it tells me now images have been defined. Even after I change or uncomment the lines I added it still says this.
Also I had the lilo.conf file working fine before, but on the startup selection whenever I select RH 7.0 it would go to load. But just before is starts all the system checks I would get an error say 'unable to mount VFS'.

Anyone got any idea's in how I can get this to work? If so thanks in advanced.

:)

[napkin_stealer]

just a question....but why do u *need* red hat 7.0, 7.1, and 7.2? sounds kinda redundant to me...??? doesn't the updated version do it all????
triple boots are kewl! lol

[Timbo]

Yes, Napkin_Stealer, there is a perfectly logical reason for tripple booting Win2k, RH7.0 and 7.1.

Anyway, Conquer, could you please post your lilo.conf file. Also, I am unclear as to how you are booting your 2 Linux versions. Are you trying to use the same partitions for both? Or did you install the 2 on two different partitions? Sorry I can't help much.

Timbo

[conquer]

Sorry I forgot to explain the layout of the HDD. There are 5 partitions:
1: Win2k
2: Linux RedHat 7.1
3: Linux Redhat 7.0
4: boot
5: Swap

That's the layout of the drives partitions. So all O/S's have there own partition to run on.

Now the lilo.con file:

boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/message
linear
default linux

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.2-2
label=Redhat
read-only
root=/dev/hda5

other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=Win

Thats what it looks like now. I have taken out the lines I added for Redhat 7.0 but when I had then in I tried these two things:
1:

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.16-22 (this was the Redhat 7.0 image name)
label=Redhat7.0
root=/dev/hda7

Number 2 was:

other=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.16-22 (this was the Redhat 7.0 image name)
label=Redhat7.0
root=/dev/hda7

The /etc/fstab now has a permement mount of hda7 (Redhat 7.0) so that partition can be accessed from boot.
Also after I change the lilo.conf file I go to /sbin and run lilo. It added whatever I added or took out but comes up with this message:
Fatal: No images have been defined.
Now no matter what I do I can't get rid of that message. Also on boot the lilo.conf file wont show the new boot options or the boot options I took out are still there.

Well hope that is enough information for someone to be able to help me and thanks a heap in advanced for the help you can provide for me.

P.S napkin_stealer: It's only RH 7.0 & 7.1 the otehr in Win2k. And I need to debug a program that runs in RH 7.0 but doesn't in RH 7.1. So instead of carrying around 2 laptops i'm doind a triple boot and work from one laptop.

~Better to ask a question once and be thought a fool once, than never to ask and remain a fool forever~

[Linuxcool]

Your problem could be that you're trying to share a boot partition. Try adding this to lilo.conf:

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.16-22
label=Redhat7.0
root=/dev/hda5

Note I changed the ' 7 ' to a ' 5 '. Now run lilo and see if you get any errors.

[m3rlin]

Hello, i just have a question to you, wy do you have 2 Os of the same distro.
But that's okey :)
triple boot it's possible, because i have on my PII a triple boot, using suse/winntserver/win98

All you have to do is to make one off the Red hat to boot, and then you edit your lilo.conf like this
image = /boot/image
root = /dev/yourdrive
label = linux
other = /dev/yourdrive
label = redhat # the other red hat
map-drive = 0x80
to = 0x81
map-drive = 0x81
to = 0x80
table = /dev/hdb # My disk is on the primary secundary so the map-drive is like this, you must check your map-drive.
and finaly

other = /dev/hdb2
label = dos
map-drive = 0x80
to = 0x81
This is only an example that it works fine to me, never had a problem, make sure that you put the map-drives correctly.
I think that's all.

[ 28 September 2001: Message edited by: m3rlin ]

[napkin_stealer]

Thanks conquer, thanks Timbo for your answers :) I think I get it now.
I'll just stick with VMware for now, tee hee!