Hey,
This is just a quick question I think.
I’m wondering how I would go about dual-booting Ubuntu with openSUSE installed first?
I’m just a little bit concerned about the versions of Grub overwriting the openSUSE version or theme or something.
Would it work okay if I just shrink my openSUSE partition and then set the Ubuntu installer to install Ubuntu to the free space only or do I need to edit the grub file and stuff?
Thanks in advanced.
If you install Ubuntu’s Grub in MBR, you don’t need to edit anything. Ubuntu’s Grub will find your openSUSE and add a boot entry. If you install Ubuntu’s Grub in Ubuntu’s root partition, you’ll have to edit /boot/grub/menu.lst under openSUSE (or use YaST) to add Ubuntu to your boot menu. If you don’t know, just go with Ubuntu’s Grub in MBR.
The OP is right to be concerned. Furthermore there’s been another thread about Ubuntu over-writing something and preventing openSUSE from booting, after it’s installed. Current Ubuntu is using GRUB2, and according to comments in Factory mail list, quite an inflexible “magic” config generation.
Coincidentally I’m planning on trying an Ubuntu install to check this out, and there’s some evaluation of GRUB2 going on in Factory maillist.
Hopefully I can get it to install in it’s own partition and not go anywhere near the MBR, for openSUSE GRUB will be able to boot Ubuntu kernel even in ext4 partition.
Why have something that’s working well changed, by installer for something that’s just there for evaluation, and not really used yet?
Done it. I have a prepared partition table with a small partition for installers to put /boot, and another for / which I was able to select for formatting, re-using (naturally) the swap partition.
Kubuntu has installed, without trashing my oS-11.2 setup. I had to at one point, click on a menu (later after selecting partitions) labelled “Advanced” in order NOT to have the MBR trashed.
So will see how the new cryptic configuration of GRUB2 with old text /boot files moved into /etc and non-editable config file in /boot works out.
Their installer does operate fast, but is so primitive and inflexible compared to SuSE YaST installation.