dual boot two versions ubuntu off single boot partition - help

[adix81]

Hi - i was if anyone could help.

i'm trying to setup a seperate install of ubuntu for a testbed without vmware. basically i have it partitioned like this atm.

/boot - sda5 - ext2
/ (stable system) sda6 - ext3
/home (stable system) - sda7 -ext3
/swap - sda8
/ (testbed) - sda9 xt3

my first attempt worked but didn't seem right - installed ubuntu to the testbed partition everything went under root i.e /boot /home etc.. shared the swap.

I edited my stable system menu.lst on sperate /boot (sda5) partition to include testbed build. It worked but brought up another grub menu - i assume from /boot (sda9) on testbed partition, this was a little annoying as i had two menus to choose from.

i then tried a second install this time telling the testbed to use /boot (sda5) partition as its boot partition.
i.e. both stable and testbed use sda5 as /boot

this over wrote the original grub and i couldn't boot the my stable system. I've restored it now and can boot to my stable system. however cannot boot to my testbed.

i put this into menu.lst

title testbed
root (hd0,8 )
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.17-10-generic root=/dev/sda5 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.17-10-generic
quiet
boot

Is what i'm trying to do possible?

thanks in advance

[kranny]

--->Be sure to have the stable Linux installing grub on the MBR
--->The testbed (or whatevr u call:D) should install grub on its root partition

[louieb]

Two distros or two versions of a distribution sharing a /boot partition is a pain in the as come kernel update time.


I edited my stable system menu.lst on sperate /boot (sda5) partition to include testbed build. It worked but brought up another grub menu -Might be annoying to see two GRUB menus but its the cleanest and safest way to do it.

Having said that try this: seems your not pointing to the correct root partition.


title testbed
root (hd0,7)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.17-10-generic root=/dev/sda9 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.17-10-generic

Check out this page in particular look for chainload, configfile, and dedicated grub partition. IDBS GRUB Page (http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p15.htm)
Good fun and luck to you.

[adix81]

Might be annoying to see two GRUB menus but its the cleanest and safest way to do it.


ok cheers - looks like i'll do it that way. I was just hoping to see one boot menu.