Hi, im currently running ubuntu 8.10 64bit but want to try out opensuse. My hard drive is split into 3 partitions - boot, home, swap. Is it easy to install opensuse and will it resize my home partition and use the same boot/swap partitions? Also will it re-configure the grub bootloader?
Thanks
Do not use boot for both systems!!
and
Better not use home for both systems.
swap can be used without problems.
So, you need at least one partition, which will carry all directories for OpenSuse except of swap.
On regular systems, OpenSuse will install into the new partition, use the swap partition, rewrite grub configuration with its new entries and add an additional entry for ubuntu. This entry will lead you to the original ubuntu boot menu, which is untouched by OpenSuse.
However, as you have decided to use a separate boot partition, you seem to have some special reasons, not to go the main stream installation route. Your system may need to be considered more carefully than it is possible now, without any further informations.
OP only mentions boot, home, and swap partitions. Where’s the ‘root’ partition? What all is on the boot partition?
Once you are able to boot to openSUSE, start up Yast → System → Bootloader and resave the file to MBR. Reboot your computer and you should see the openSUSE Grub menu.
Good Luck!
The root partition is ‘/’ itself. When booting without any other partition (except of swap), this will be the ‘root’ for all other directories, including /boot and /home. BTW, there is a directory /root itself, which is the home directory of the administrator user “root”.
The ‘/boot’ directory contains the Kernel, the init ram disc initrd and all grub specific data. You may need a separate /boot partition, if the ‘root’ partition is not available for the regular booting process. so far for short… 