Tips to install another distro ...

English Install/Boot/Login
1

hi

I have plans to install another distro but do not want to lose(for anything in the world) openS … how I do if I say I install Arch? should I install grub or not? MBR on **sda4 **or not??

**gdisk:

**

# gdisk /dev/sda
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 0.8.should

Partition table scan:
  MBR: protective
  BSD: not present
  APM: not present
  GPT: present

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.

Command (? for help): ?
b       back up GPT data to a file
c       change a partition's name
d       delete a partition
i       show detailed information on a partition
l       list known partition types
n       add a new partition
o       create a new empty GUID partition table (GPT)
p       print the partition table
q       quit without saving changes
r       recovery and transformation options (experts only)
s       sort partitions
t       change a partition's type code
v       verify disk
w       write table to disk and exit
x       extra functionality (experts only)
?       print this menu

fdisk -l:

# fdisk -l
WARNING: fdisk GPT support is currently new, and therefore in an experimental phase. Use at your own discretion.

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes, 625142448 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk label type: gpt


#         Start          End    Size  Type            Name
 1         2048        43007     20M  Microsoft basic 
 2        43008       555007    250M  Microsoft basic 
 3       555008     22059007   10.3G  EFI System

gparted:

http://i.imgur.com/pLyX5bN.png

tia!

2

As I recall, Arch makes that easy. They have an option to generate the core.img file and the grub.cfg file, but not install a grub boot sector.

You can then modify your opensuse grub menu, to add boot support for arch.

You can add a few lines to “/etc/grub.d/40_custom” on your opensuse install, with something like:


### Entry to boot Arch on sda4
menuentry "configfile for Arch on /dev/sda4"  {
        set bootdir='hd1,gpt4'
        search --fs-uuid --set=bootdir cb44c7f1-143f-41ee-b24d-034a528ca6d2
        configfile (${bootdir})/boot/grub/grub.cfg
}

Replace that funky string of characters at the end of the “search” line with the UUID of the partition containing “/boot” for Arch (presumably the root partition). You can find the UUID by running the “blkid” command.

Then regenerate your “grub.cfg” in opensuse


# grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
3

An Arch install is via the terminal so if you do not mount sda3 your openSUSE distro should be relatively safe. Personally, I would install grub while doing the Arch install (I found it convenient to edit /etc/default/grub and run grub-mkconfig at that time).

If you are going to use btrfs, back when I installed Arch I had to add support for btrfs to the “HOOKS=” line in “/etc/mkinitcpio.conf/”

4

well…what to do??? I think I need a third opinion…

5

hi…

Could you clarify that?

tia!

6

That is described here: Generate core.img alone

7

hi!

# grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found theme: /boot/grub2/themes/openSUSE/theme.txt
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.11.6-4-desktop
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd-3.11.6-4-desktop
Found memtest image: /boot/memtest.bin
  No volume groups found
rmdir: failed to remove ‘/var/lib/os-prober/mount’: Device or resource busy
rmdir: failed to remove ‘/var/lib/os-prober/mount’: Device or resource busy
rmdir: failed to remove ‘/var/lib/os-prober/mount’: Device or resource busy
done

tia!

:mad:>:(:frown:

8

I’m not sure what you are looking for. As far as I know, those messages are harmless. I vaguely recall seeing similar messages when I installed Arch a few weeks ago. (I only installed the base – I am undecided on whether to continue all the way to a working desktop, when opensuse makes that so much easier).

9

well…I know is another system bu got this error on Arch install:

grub-install: command not found

then

umount -R  /mnt

umount: /mnt : not mounted

installed minutes ago,but can’t start it!

10

lookin for an Operative System that can START …

### Entry to boot Arch on sda4
menuentry "configfile for Arch on /dev/sda4"  {
        set bootdir='hd1,gpt4'
        search --fs-uuid --set=bootdir xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
        configfile (${bootdir})/boot/grub/grub.cfg
}

that instruction set does not help me!

aanyway WHY **HD1 or GPT4 **?

11

The “hd1” refers to the first hard drive. But maybe that should be “hd0”. The “gpt4” refers to partition 4 on that drive, assuming GPT partitioning (which you seemed to be using).

The search part is supposed to search for a UUID, so that even if you get the drive and partition wrong, it will still find it.

12

hoooray…I’m doin Arch’s partitionin with **cfdisk **… I’m startin to think I’m doin wrong!

13

The Arch Linux install media includes the following partitioning tools: fdisk, gdisk, cfdisk, cgdisk and parted

which one to use?

14

If you have an EFI system, then use “gdisk” or “cgdisk” or “parted” (or “gparted”).

Of those, I would use “gdisk”. But that’s a matter of personal preference.

15

supposedly I have installed Arch ! here the proof: http://s28.postimg.org/pzn7sevqh/snapshot2.jpg](http://postimg.org/image/pzn7sevqh/)

16

accordin to my first post(images) what system do I have? EFI??

17

HOW TO START IT ??? [yeah screamin !]

18

You seem to have a working linux system (perhaps opensuse).

Try regenerating the boot menu on that. For opensuse, that would be:


# grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

For me, that added a boot entry for Arch.

19 
# grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found theme: /boot/grub2/themes/openSUSE/theme.txt
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.11.6-4-desktop
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd-3.11.6-4-desktop
Found memtest image: /boot/memtest.bin
  No volume groups found
done

NOpe!

20

Do you know which OS is in control of the boot?

Did you install the other OS’s grub in its root?