Will be adding new Windows 7 disk to 12.x system ->how do I head off trouble?

I have a 12.1 system that dual boots a dying XP disk via grub. I currently chainload over to that disk and it has been working just fine. Here is my grub file as an fyi


default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - generic_mbr
gfxmenu (hd0,1)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title Desktop – openSUSE 12.1 - 3.1.10-1.29
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.1.10-1.29-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD5000AAKS-22YGA0_WD-WCAS81064250-part2 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD5000AAKS-22YGA0_WD-WCAS81064250-part1 splash=silent quiet nomodeset showopts vga=0x37d
initrd /boot/initrd-3.1.10-1.29-desktop

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe – openSUSE 12.1 - 3.1.10-1.29
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.1.10-1.29-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD5000AAKS-22YGA0_WD-WCAS81064250-part2 showopts apm=off noresume edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe vga=0x346
initrd /boot/initrd-3.1.10-1.29-desktop

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
map (hd3) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd3)
rootnoverify (hd3,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

I plan to upgrade first to 12.3 from a clean DVD install (backups etc. to other internal drives).

Then I will install a additional new 1T disk I bought and install an OEM Win7 pro on that. I want to keep the XP disk for now, if only to pull data off but I’ll trash it later.

I have no experience installing Win7, nor am I yet familiar with 12.3.

Does anyone have any gotchas that would save me lots of repair time? Is there a step-by-step I could refer to?

All help is much appreiciated

So, I am not sure which disks will contain what OS, 1 hard disk or two. Normally you install Windows first and install openSUSE last. If WIndows will be on its own hard disk, you might just unplug the openSUSE one and plug it back in when you install openSUSE. openSUSE 12.3 uses grub 2 and in general, a direct upgrade from 12.1 to 12.3 is not recommended. I can tell you I prefer to keep Windows on its own hard disk and install openSUSE on a second one. To provide exact advice, we need to know the number of hard disks and just exactly what you want to end up with. Don’t do anything until you gather up all of the advice. openSUSE can be installed at any time day or night so don’t get in a hurry until you have all of the facts. For help with Partitioning, I have a blog on the subject you can read here.

Creating Partitions During Install for MBR and GPT Hard Disks - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

Thank You,

You think I should do a 12.1 -> 12.2 and then 12.2 ->12.3, even if doing a clean install from DVD?

I currently have 4 disks. The grub menu.lst I copied shows which OS is on which disk.

The first is hd0 and boots grub. Grub currently hands off to 12.1 on hd0 or remaps hd3 (the windows disk) for 0 and chainloads.
sda1 2Gb swap
sda2 / 20Gb ext4 partiion
sda3 /home 450Gb ext4

sdb1 /Science 420 Gb ext3 (didn’t see a reason to move this legacy drive to ext4. Should I?)
sdb2 /Common (shared space on the house net) ext3

sdc1 /House (other kinds of space on the house net) 1Tb ext4

sdd1 /windows 150 Gb NTFS

I presume after I add another drive that it will be hd4 and I can simply map that one and chainload it. But, I hear carping about Win7 taking control. I am under the impression that if I boot the Win7 install disk that it will allow me to select a drive to partition and install to.

Does anyone know if that will mess up grub on the first disk?

Should I upgrade before installing the win7 disk, or after? If after I suppose the 12.3 installer might configure grub2 for me whereas I would have to manally add to grub otherwise. Is that correct?

Thanks again.

So to the upgrade process, you can go 12.1 to 12.2 and then 12.2. to 12.3 if you want. OR, less trouble (in my opinion) is to do a clean install of openSUSE, particularly because you are switching from Grub Legacy to Grub 2. Remember you can do a custom partition, not based on any suggestions, where you remount everything at the same mount point and you ONLY format the root / partition. This gives you a new boot manager, all new system files (and you must redo system settings) but it keeps all personnel settings and files. While openSUSE 12.1 still works, you can run the Partitioner and print out or record every drive partition and its mount point for reference you are using now.

As for Windows, If you pull all other drives (and consider placing it on your first SATA drive port where you leave it), you can install it alone at any time. It is some trouble, but ensures nothing else gets messed up. When you attach FAT32 or NTFS drives later, they will just get added in form you (though you may want to reassign the drive letter perhaps). Same even goes for openSUSE in that when you run the Grub 2 setup option, it will find and addin Windows boot partitions for you. Now in openSUSE, you will need to use the YaST / System / Partitioner to addin additional partitions you want to be added to your fstab file, but we can help with any questions you have.

So why pull drives when installing a new OS you might ask? And by pull, I mean just disconnect as they physically can sit where they are normally located. Well the number one reason is to force all aspects, including the boot manager, to a single hard drive. First, all present PC BIOS’ or UEFI setups allow you to select the boot drive, no matter where it gets attached. Second, the new Grub 2 menu redoes all available boot partitions for you on each update. So it will catch a new Windows MBR hard disk install and add a boot option for you. The only negative is that internal disk partitions must be manually added to the fstab file or added through the use of the YaST Partitioner. And anytime you play inside your computer a cable or hardware oddity could occur. On one occasion, I did manage to break the SATA connection on a hard drive which I did repair using super glue, so I was lucky. On the positive side, Windows will not mess up openSUSE and openSUSE will not mess up Windows.

Thank You,