My Triple Boot laptop

[Flint Majors]

I've successfully gotten my laptop to triple boot Ubuntu 9.04, Windows 7 RC, and Windows XP (quad boot if you include the Diagnostics partition). So I thought I'd throw out here what I've done, and would like to hear how others are doing. I have a Dell Precision M4300. I deleted the recovery partition. Ha.

Partitions:
70MB Fat16 - DellUtility (hidden partition so XP still shows up with C: instead of D:, primary partition)
30GB Fat32 - WinXP (Fat32, primary partition)
50GB NTFS - Win7 (NTFS, primary partition)
10GB EXT4 - /home (Extended/logical partions here after)
20GB EXT4 - /
3GB SWAP - swap space

I had to delete my previous Ubuntu partitions before the XP disk would even boot up right. Weird.
But I partitioned XP and Win7 parts first. 1st loaded Win7 on the 3rd partition (NTFS).
Then booted with XP disk to load it next.

Then used Ubuntu to finish off the rest of the unpartitioned space to create the EXT4s and SWAP to load it. Set "/xp" mount point to WinXP partition in the Ubuntu install.
Heck, it found Windows7 and offers to mount it in Ubuntu anyway.

Utilities I used included "Super Fdisk boot disk" and "Super Grub" boot loader fixer. If you load Win7 or XP after linux it will toast your Linux. But I used super grub boot disk and fixed it 2 or 3 times while messing.

In the end I did a clean load in the order: Win7, XP, and then Ubuntu to use the its Grub loader on bootup. I needed XP for some work applications. The Windows 7 is kind of neat to play with. And I'm learning Linux, and of course it's great.

[47_MasoN_47]

Would you mind posting the piece of your menu.lst that handles Windows 7? For kicks it would be nice to see the XP one too.

[Trigsu]

I just got my 1TB hard drive to replace my broken 500GB. So I'm back in Ubuntu business.

I'm gonna format my 250GB drive for XP,W7 and Ubuntu:

40GB NTFS for XP Flint, why FAT32?
50GB NTFS for W7 RC haven't tested it yet, stole 50GB from Flint
10-30GB EXT3 for Ubuntu home mm..I'm not yet familiar with linux partitioning..
I guess swap needed (always put what install suggests)
That still leaves approx. 125GB free

----
1TB NTFS for Media

[melinux555]

Hi, I want what you have!! I have a desktop and installed Win 7 then today installed Ubuntu 9.04 and now keep getting grub 18 error! I have 2 80GB IDE and installed Ubuntu on the second drive, but keep getting this error, then did it side by side on the first drive, but same thing. When I do live CD, Win 7 is there and also when I do repair with Win 7 CD.

I just don't know how to get it to boot!!! You obviously know how, cause you have 3 OS's, I'm impressed.

Koree

[Flint Majors]

This was auto-generated by the 9.04 load. I only tweaked the title lines.


title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic
uuid 6510a6f3-08db-41b6-bee5-13d7e1d1565d
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=6510a6f3-08db-41b6-bee5-13d7e1d1565d ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 6510a6f3-08db-41b6-bee5-13d7e1d1565d
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=6510a6f3-08db-41b6-bee5-13d7e1d1565d ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+
uuid 6510a6f3-08db-41b6-bee5-13d7e1d1565d
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Windows 7 RC
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda2
title Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

[Flint Majors]

Hey Trigsu, I picked FAT32 since I used it for many years, but also just wanted to see how Ubuntu handled the difference between FAT32 and NTFS. So mainly just to see what happens.

In the future I might just do NTFS for both. But also, isn't easier to recover files from a crashed FAT32 harddrive than NTFS? I'm planning to use the FAT32 partition also to backup some important files just in case.

[Flint Majors]

I used Super Grub a few times while figuring out how to get mine to boot. It helped a lot and fixed by Grub loader easily. Burn you a boot disk.

http://www.supergrubdisk.org/

It's a DOS-like interface, not the easiest to read. But take the basic default choices and choose Ubuntu or "Linux". When it repairs it, you should get your grub loader to show Linux and Windows choices on boot. Super Grub finds your bootable partitions and fixes it up for you.

[Trigsu]

I just got my 1TB hard drive to replace my broken 500GB. So I'm back in Ubuntu business.

I'm gonna format my 250GB drive for XP,W7 and Ubuntu:

40GB NTFS for XP Flint, why FAT32?
50GB NTFS for W7 RC haven't tested it yet, stole 50GB from Flint
10-30GB EXT3 for Ubuntu home mm..I'm not yet familiar with linux partitioning..
I guess swap needed (always put what install suggests)
That still leaves approx. 125GB free

----
1TB NTFS for Media

Phase 1 completed. Fresh XP tweaked and fixed up. I put 50GB NTFS because I want to leave room for programs and games. I used to install programs to another partition to keep their settings if XP reinstall, but not this time.

Time for Windows 7 -->

Thx for the code, I'll need some tips when the time comes.
EDIT:
Phase 2 done, Win 7 in.

--> time for Ubuntu

[Flint Majors]

"Excellent", as Mr. Burns would say from "The Simpsons". Congrats, the next step should be a breeze and you'll have it.

[Trigsu]

Phase 1 completed. Fresh XP tweaked and fixed up. I put 50GB NTFS because I want to leave room for programs and games. I used to install programs to another partition to keep their settings if XP reinstall, but not this time.

Time for Windows 7 -->

Thx for the code, I'll need some tips when the time comes.
EDIT:
Phase 2 done, Win 7 in.

--> time for Ubuntu
And he was never heard from since... :D
I'll put it when I have time..or interest to install drivers again.

[Trigsu]

I used Super Grub a few times while figuring out how to get mine to boot. It helped a lot and fixed by Grub loader easily. Burn you a boot disk.

http://www.supergrubdisk.org/

It's a DOS-like interface, not the easiest to read. But take the basic default choices and choose Ubuntu or "Linux". When it repairs it, you should get your grub loader to show Linux and Windows choices on boot. Super Grub finds your bootable partitions and fixes it up for you.

Huh..I used the SGD but was quite lost there... :D
If I add similar lines to my 1st and 2nd partitions, would you think it'll work?

Can't do it with startup manager..
Just adding lines in menu.lst didn't help much..
- XP option didnt load, back came the GRUB
- W7 (was originally W7 loader for W7/XP) jammed

To clear things out. I first installed XP, then W7. Installing Ubuntu detected only W7 install on 2nd partition.

[Trigsu]

What in the earth should I do to get them work?

Do I need to fix XP(hd0,0) loader in (hd0,0)?
Is it cabable to boot itself after W7(hd0,1) has made its own loader to (hd0,0)?

I gave up on editing GRUB..
Fixed Windows 7 loader and trying to add Ubuntu there..not succeeded yet.

EDIT: aww... After 1 hour I'm back to start position :(
GRUB comes first with Ubuntu/W7 loader and W7 includes W7/XP...

had to reinstall grub because I wasnt getting anywhere after fixing W7 loader.

[Trigsu]

What in the earth should I do to get them work?

Do I need to fix XP(hd0,0) loader in (hd0,0)?
Is it cabable to boot itself after W7(hd0,1) has made its own loader to (hd0,0)?

I gave up on editing GRUB..
Fixed Windows 7 loader and trying to add Ubuntu there..not succeeded yet.

EDIT: aww... After 1 hour I'm back to start position :(
GRUB comes first with Ubuntu/W7 loader and W7 includes W7/XP...

had to reinstall grub because I wasnt getting anywhere after fixing W7 loader.


Have you guys ever been in a situation you wish you've never touched or tried to fix anything [-o<
I wasn't able even to fix any of the windows loaders...here we go again.
Setting boot flag again to partition 1.. (damn W7 and easyBCD)

EDIT
Ok I started from beginning... removed all XP and W7 loader files and made sure boot flag was on 1st partition.
Fixed XP loader, then I fix W7 and then GRUB...It brings me again to start situation, but I'll live with it..


Guess what
I was so annoyed that W7 wanted to hog hd0,1 as C: and easyBCD putting bootflag once awhile to that 2nd partition, so I formatted it and installed it from XP.
Now they're all good together, no drive letter swapping (like it matters to anyone..)

Now fixing GRUB and no more this nonesense.


This is too much for perfectionist.

[Flint Majors]

I think that's where it came in that I had to load W7 on the 2nd partition before I loaded XP. Loading W7 blasted my XP. Not sure where you are right now Trigsu, but going with the load route of W7 (2nd partition), Win XP on 1st partition, then Ubuntu last worked without headache.
So how's it going Trigsu?

Also, for those that have asked about editing the bootup menu:

In Accessories->Terminal:
sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

[johnhlong]

Thanks Flint.

John

[konnorrigby]

I also have 3 os's on one 2oo gb hdd. the biggest one is windows xp and i gess that includes the recovery partition. the second is ubuntu 9.04 and then Kubuntu. i split the main one in half then put ubuntu on the other half. then split ubuntu in half and installed kubuntu on that part.

it works fine with grub but there's a huge list though.