HI Rajko, On Saturday 27 October 2007 08:31:29 Rajko M. wrote: > On Friday 26 October 2007 04:55:41 pm Clive Rogers wrote: > > Hi Rajko, > > [...] > > > > Since 10.2 openSUSE is using generic bootloader that will boot any > > > partition marked bootable independent of installed operating system. > > > > Right now my friend is trying out different versions of LInux so I am not > > sure which way he is going to jump. > > So far I know any Linux can install bootloader in bootsector of own > partition. On the other side your friend can create 2 primaries, one for > swap the other for installed system, and the rest can be extended partition > with one logical for /home and few for test installations. I would not use > my normal /home for other distros as that can make trouble. > > From base system in primary and /home in first of logical partitions you > can boot whatever you want and have safe haven if other distro get borked. > By now it worked with any distro, including FreeBSD. > > > > Install grub in boot sector of openSUSE partition and using console > > > program cfdisk make it active, it is called 'bootable' in cfdisk. > > > MBR of hard disk will stay as is. > > > Limitation to this is that bootable can be only primary partition, not > > > logical as generic bootloader is looking in partition table that has > > > only 4 entries for primary partitions. > > > > This I e-mailed to him when you sent it too me. > > > > > YaST Partitioner for now lacks ability to change bootable/active flag > > > so you have to use external program (cfdisk) to change it. > > > > As you know most other distros don't use YaST so again a quick check > > would help him here and I could also e-mail him the pages I found. > > All distros I tried have cfdisk and it is with Midnight Commander (file > manager with built in editor, simple ftp client, and much more) something > that I test is it installed and if not install on the spot. > > > > If your friend decide not to use Linux all you have to do is to boot in > > > openSUSE and run cfdisk again and mark windows partition as bootable > > > and openSUSE will disappear, while it will be possible to boot it from > > > CD or USB stick. > > > > Yes, I sent him the information and he has not come back to me as yet so > > I don't know what he is doing. > > > > As far as I am concerned he should just install either lilo or grub on > > the mbr and be done with it. > > As mentioned it will not happen since 10.2. > The only thing openSUSE loads in MBR is free generic bootloader. > That way user complies with other OS license 100%, ie. no componet is used > outside OS context, and one day when user wants to remove linux generic > bootloader can continue to serve. It is not biased toward OS, it likes only > active partition :-) > > > But, he will only boot into a linux distro > > which ever one he decides to use using the CD or as I wrote him the USB > > stick like you said in your mail. > > > > Some people just like to be different for the sake of it I think ;-) > > I am hopeful he will go with SuSE 10.3 but this will be his decision. > > Some people are afraid of unknown, some to loose data, and they are not > thought to make backup. Some people spent days to recover system even with > backup. > > I did system recovery for a friends, and I know what pain that is. Sitting > in front of computer waiting for prompts for a few hours until system is > reinstalled, patched, has antivirus and firewall. > > Now I will if they want to install Linux as backup solution, and then I can > come when I have time, no rush ;-) > > -- > Regards, > Rajko.
I will pass on your thoughts and comments and see which way he jumps. -- Kindest regards, Clive http://homepage.ntlworld.com/c.rogers/ Fighting for darker skies. From 52:26ºN 01:27ºW (Coventry, UK) -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
