Help installing Fedora

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

I know, I know, this is the openSUSE forum! I have 11.3 working really good. I have a 1 tb drive, partitioned into:

Root for Suse
Root for Fedora
Swap for both
Home for Suse
Home for Fedora

The two Suse partitions are, as I said, installed and working well.

I want to install Fedora in the two partitions reserved for it. I know there are those here who also use Fedora. Can you help me do this without screwing up my openSUSE install?

Will the version of grub, installed in the first partition by openSUSE boot Fedora?
Does the Fedora install program allow sufficient flexibility to do what I want?

I’m assuming I can boot Fedora by calling vmlinuz. Is this in fact correct? I know I’ll have to monkey around with links if/when I update the Fedora kernel. I think I can handle that.

The Suse installation is important to me. The Fedora installation is merely a curiosity.

I already asked on the Fedora list and was assured it would work. Now, I’m asking people I trust! (I hope they don’t read this!)

Bart

#2

You could install Fedora’s GRUB in the partition boot record, then it will have no effect on the main GRUB. Then copy the appropriate stanza(s) from Fedora’s menu.lst to the main menu.lst.

#3

On 2010-07-31 14:06, montana suse user wrote:
>
> I know, I know, this is the openSUSE forum! I have 11.3 working really
> good. I have a 1 tb drive, partitioned into:
>
> Root for Suse
> Root for Fedora
> Swap for both
> Home for Suse
> Home for Fedora
>
> The two Suse partitions are, as I said, installed and working well.
>
> I want to install Fedora in the two partitions reserved for it. I know
> there are those here who also use Fedora. Can you help me do this
> without screwing up my openSUSE install?

I’ll give you a general method. Two, in fact.

Choose one install to be “master”, meaning that this one will have grub on the MBR.

Alternatively, have a generic MBR, have a primary partition marked as bootable, and have grub
installed on that partition (which has to be the one holding /boot).

Now, for the second linux install, tell its installer to install grub to its root (or /boot if
separate), never to the mbr.

If available, this root (/) or /boot can be another spare primary partition, and marked bootable
instead of the previous one. This is optional, would make the second install the master one,
reversable any time.

Now, have the first grub point to the second grub (you will have to find the exact hd numbers for
yours, of course):

title Bombadil – (via configfile in /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst

and the second grub point to the first one:

title Elessar x64 – (via configfile in /dev/sda3)
root (hd0,2)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst

This will allow you to start the second grub menu from the first one.

If you are using two primary partition marking bootable one or another, then you can change that
mark this way:

first linux:

title Bombadil – via chainload - changes active boot to /dev/sda1
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

second linux

title Elessar – via chainload - changes active boot to /dev/sda3
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
makeactive
chainloader +1

This system makes “permanent” the change, so that when you boot the computer you always get grub
number 1, or grub number 2, till you change it again by changing the bootable mark. This system can
be used for three installs - perhaps four if the extended partition can be used this way, I don’t know.

The advantage of these two systems is that each install manages completely its own grub without
interferences. It is really simple and easy to mantain. You can have as many linuxes as you like
(with the first one).

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” GM (Elessar))

#4

Carlos E. R. wrote:

> On 2010-07-31 14:06, montana suse user wrote:
>>
>> I know, I know, this is the openSUSE forum! I have 11.3 working really
>> good. I have a 1 tb drive, partitioned into:
>>
>> Root for Suse
>> Root for Fedora
>> Swap for both
>> Home for Suse
>> Home for Fedora
>>
>> The two Suse partitions are, as I said, installed and working well.
>>
>> I want to install Fedora in the two partitions reserved for it. I know
>> there are those here who also use Fedora. Can you help me do this
>> without screwing up my openSUSE install?
>
> I’ll give you a general method. Two, in fact.
>
> Choose one install to be “master”, meaning that this one will have grub on
> the MBR.
>
> Alternatively, have a generic MBR, have a primary partition marked as
> bootable, and have grub installed on that partition (which has to be the
> one holding /boot).
>
>
> Now, for the second linux install, tell its installer to install grub to
> its root (or /boot if separate), never to the mbr.
>
> If available, this root (/) or /boot can be another spare primary
> partition, and marked bootable instead of the previous one. This is
> optional, would make the second install the master one, reversable any
> time.
>
>
> Now, have the first grub point to the second grub (you will have to find
> the exact hd numbers for yours, of course):
>
> title Bombadil – (via configfile in /dev/sda1)
> root (hd0,0)
> configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst
>
>
> and the second grub point to the first one:
>
>
> title Elessar x64 – (via configfile in /dev/sda3)
> root (hd0,2)
> configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst
>
>
>
> This will allow you to start the second grub menu from the first one.
>
> If you are using two primary partition marking bootable one or another,
> then you can change that mark this way:
>
>
> first linux:
>
>
> title Bombadil – via chainload - changes active boot to /dev/sda1
> rootnoverify (hd0,0)
> makeactive
> chainloader +1
>
>
> second linux
>
> title Elessar – via chainload - changes active boot to /dev/sda3
> rootnoverify (hd0,2)
> makeactive
> chainloader +1
>
> This system makes “permanent” the change, so that when you boot the
> computer you always get grub number 1, or grub number 2, till you change
> it again by changing the bootable mark. This system can be used for three
> installs - perhaps four if the extended partition can be used this way, I
> don’t know.
>
>
>
> The advantage of these two systems is that each install manages completely
> its own grub without interferences. It is really simple and easy to
> mantain. You can have as many linuxes as you like (with the first one).
>

I also always install boot loader into operating systems root partition.

But I have small ( ~ 2 Mb) partition witch contain only grub files
and memtest. This partion is marked bootable. Boot maintenance is easy
every operating system can deleted without causing problems to others.
For example now this machines menu.lst contains:

/dev/sda3 Primary grub boot select menu.lst

color white/blue black/light-gray
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu /boot/message

title sdb3 OpenSuse 11.3
rootnoverify (hd1,2)
chainloader (hd1,2)+1

title sdb1 OpenSuse 11.2
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader (hd1,0)+1

title sda5 OpenSuse 11.2 rescue
rootnoverify (hd0,4)
chainloader (hd0,4)+1

title sda1 Windows 7
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

title sda3 Memtest
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/memtest86±4.00.bin

Viljo

–
Viljo

#5

On 2010-07-31 18:37, Viljo Mustonen wrote:
> Carlos E. R. wrote:

…

> I also always install boot loader into operating systems root partition.
>
> But I have small ( ~ 2 Mb) partition witch contain only grub files
> and memtest. This partion is marked bootable. Boot maintenance is easy
> every operating system can deleted without causing problems to others.
> For example now this machines menu.lst contains:
>
> -------------------
>
> # /dev/sda3 Primary grub boot select menu.lst
>
> color white/blue black/light-gray
> default 0
> timeout 8
> gfxmenu /boot/message
>
> title sdb3 OpenSuse 11.3
> rootnoverify (hd1,2)
> chainloader (hd1,2)+1
>
> title sdb1 OpenSuse 11.2
> rootnoverify (hd1,0)
> chainloader (hd1,0)+1
>
> title sda5 OpenSuse 11.2 rescue
> rootnoverify (hd0,4)
> chainloader (hd0,4)+1
>
>
> title sda1 Windows 7
> rootnoverify (hd0,0)
> chainloader +1
>
>
> title sda3 Memtest
> root (hd0,2)
> kernel /boot/memtest86±4.00.bin

That’s good.

You can have it a bit bigger, and install on it a minimal linux install, perhaps text only, so that
you can use it for rescue operations. For example, start it, which will be fast as it doesn’t load
services or graphical displays, and edit the grub of another one that got bad. Add fsck tools, and
you can test partitions. Add mc and rsync, and you can make backups.

Mmmm… I should have thought of this myself before now, and have my new computer done that way.
Too late :-}

I wonder…

How could your menu be adapted to choose a default install and boot it after timeout, without
editing menu.lst? Ie, so that it remembers automatically the last choice? Is that possible?

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” GM (Elessar))

#6

Watch it though
Fedora misbehaves and with me, even though I set grub to F13 root, it switched the boot flag so I had to switch that manually post install with Parted Magic.
At the endo fo the day it matters not what happens, it’s a doddle to put things back the way they were.

#7

Carlos E. R. wrote:

> I wonder…
>
> How could your menu be adapted to choose a default install and boot it
> after timeout, without editing menu.lst? Ie, so that it remembers
> automatically the last choice? Is that possible?
>

I have not investigated this, but I believe it is not possible with
command set of GRUB Legacy.

–
Viljo

#8

On 2010-07-31 21:27, Viljo Mustonen wrote:
> Carlos E. R. wrote:
>
>> I wonder…
>>
>> How could your menu be adapted to choose a default install and boot it
>> after timeout, without editing menu.lst? Ie, so that it remembers
>> automatically the last choice? Is that possible?
>>
>
> I have not investigated this, but I believe it is not possible with
> command set of GRUB Legacy.

Perhaps using grub-set-default or grubonce, but that needs booting. It is not important, just curious.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” GM (Elessar))

#9

Viljo Mustonen wrote:

> Carlos E. R. wrote:
>
>> I wonder…
>>
>> How could your menu be adapted to choose a default install and boot it
>> after timeout, without editing menu.lst? Ie, so that it remembers
>> automatically the last choice? Is that possible?
>>
>
> I have not investigated this, but I believe it is not possible with
> command set of GRUB Legacy.
>

Well, it is possible and easy job. I found help from

http://tiny.cc/5n7ar

I tested and it worked well, but I prefer constant default. :slight_smile:

–
Viljo

#10

I wonder if you really have to install a second Boot loader for Fedora. What if you just skip the boot loader installation on your Fedora installation and just configure your SuSE grub to find the Fedora installation (I believe that via YaST, shouldn’t be much of a pain in the butt)… That is what I would do. Install Fedora, skip the boot loader installation and then add the Fedora entry to my openSuSE grub configuration.

Or am I horribly mistaken?

#11

There’s no harm in installing the bootloader to the PBR and it gives you the flexibility to do what you suggest, or to chain the bootloader. Both methods were given by Carlos above. Installing the bootloader also ensures that a menu.lst is generated in Fedora which can be consulted in case of issues registering Fedora with openSUSE’s bootloader.

#12

On 2010-08-01 18:36, metalized wrote:
>
> I wonder if you really have to install a second Boot loader for Fedora.
> What if you just skip the boot loader installation on your Fedora
> installation and just configure your SuSE grub to find the Fedora
> installation (I believe that via YaST, shouldn’t be much of a pain in
> the butt)… That is what I would do. Install Fedora, skip the boot
> loader installation and then add the Fedora entry to my openSuSE grub
> configuration.
>
> Or am I horribly mistaken?

It is of course possible, however it is a royal but unneeded pain.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” GM (Elessar))

#13

This is exactly what I had hoped for! How great is the openSuse forum system? I’ll print this thread and have it in front of me when I do my install!

Like Carlos, I think that a small separate partition is a super idea! Like Carlos, it’s too late. However, when 11.4 comes out, I’ll install to a new drive and then, that’s what I’ll do.

Thanks SO much!

Bart

#14

Hello,

I honestly don’t remember the actual order in which I did everything, but the end result is as you have described. I use OpenSUSE’s grub and at some point manually added FC13 as a boot option. Works! FC13 can be added via yast, but I had to manually add the various boot flags the fedora is ohhhh sooooo picky about … :).