Any hints.
Thank you in advance for help.
Yes…
I currently have 11.0 and 11.3 on my computer. No problems.
Yes you can… While installing make sure you install the root filesystem (/) mounted on the new partition for 11.3… Also which bootloader you wanna use might matter now - whether you want the 11.3 GRUB to boot 11.2 or the other way around… I’d prefer the former since it is easier while removing 11.2
If you wanna remove 11.2 completely you can format all the data on the partition for 11.2 after backing up the required files and settings (this is the case only if the 11.3’s GRUB is the primary GRUB - if the other way around - you might need to reconfigure your boot entries properly)
sure, currently running 11.3 and and Mint LXDE like this, so I don’t see why it shouldn’t work with 2 SUSE versions.
Thank you both. I note the Grub point, which is important. “Columbus OH” - This address brings back many memories of a pen pall from just after second world war when only snail mail was possible.
UPDATE: 2010-July 18th 23:00 UK time
Not possible easily to do two SUSE version installs on one hard drive.I find.
Downloaded SUSE11.3 DVD i586, checked md5, checked install DVD, from inside menu on DVD. OK to go.
Situation:
hard disc sda1 (Old Windows files, NO windows OS only 5 years documents for reference) 100GB
hard disc sda2 formatted into two primary partitions , & one extended partition.
sdb1 one blank D Win VFat32 20 Gb [to be re-formatted for SUSE11.3]
sdb3 One E Win VFat 32 back up of some current files 21GB
sdb2 Extended partition with Linux base stuff includes sda 5, 6,7, size about 35GB
sdb 5 Linux SWAP partition 1.5 G
sdb 6 Linux SUSE 11.2 home /home 20GB
sdb7 Linux SUSE 11.2 root / 13,5GB
Formatting within SUSE install for new install as upgrade would act on existing openSUSE 11.2 ;( automatic configure not selected) ;
it will not accept that / (root SUSE11.2 ) is to be disregarded.
Unlike other distros it does not recognize an existing Linux system and leave as is.
It will only allow re-format of sdb1 as “/root.” not as a new "/"for SUSE11.3
Auto configure gave same result, so it would have over-written the existing " / " partition
At this I abandoned attempt.
Any thoughts to enable two SUSEs on one hard disc in different partitions?
I can always partition with GParted Live disto, if needed to be done outside SUSE. But replacing sbd1 with ‘free space’ corrupts existing SUSE 11.2 boot (or it would need to be repartitioned at partition table etc)
Some distros, I am told recognise existing Linux installations, and do not overwrite.
(Which ones? From long time ago ione triple booted Win/Suse/PCLinuxOS (I think) the third OS left the existing Suse alone but shared Swap)
I would appreciate your comments.
You can install the new openSUSE on /dev/sdb1
Yes I agree the option is not directly provided by the openSUSE installer since it would usually try to install on an existing linux partition instead of trying to create a new one always… So you need to manually edit the partitioning configuration such that only /dev/sdb1 is formatted and / filesystem is mounted on this partition.
You could mount the filesystems on sdb6 and sdb7 if you like but make sure you do not format them - otherwise you might end up losing data…
You need not partition with gparted - the openSUSE’s installer has a partitioner that you can use for partitioning…
Could you tell me on which partition GRUB is currently installed to for 11.2 ? Is it installed both on MBR as well as the root partition /dev/sdb7 ? If it is not installed on sdb7 - then you cannot boot into 11.2’s GRUB from 11.3 - you might need to manually note down the entries in 11.2’s menu.lst and put it into the new 11.3’s menu.lst to be able to boot both the OSes…
Many thanks to all for advice. I ‘lurked’ for some time to see how others responded to SUSE11.3 and the problems.
Trying to manually edit, as Ash25 suggested, still did not get it to accept another partition. So eventually last night, took courage and did a direct upgrade (having full backups of existing partitions done). It worked , but with some nervous moments, as it took a long time to resolve my ancient graphics card (circa 2000 ) and staring at a blank black screen is not easy.
Success upgraded to OpenSUSE 11.3 (basic) no proprietary stuff or Packman Repository as yet added, but that is the easy part.
My thanks to many folk on the forum including all the respondents to this thread.
On 2010-07-18 01:56, eionmac wrote:
>
> 1. I have dual booted Suse and Win Xp in past. Can idea be applied to
> different versions of Suse? I have a working Suse11.2 , and I have a
> spare partition (15GB) which can be re-formated.
And 20 systems if you want. Or a hundred. It only requires a bit of expertise 
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” GM (Elessar))
That is what I lack, hence the enquiry to forum.
This now being answered from OpenSUSE 11.3 (upgrade route) so for time being , problem solved, Maybe by next time I will obtain ‘expertise’. Meanwhile I can advise the ‘upgrade’ route works well.
Thanks