Guest Iwata Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 (edited) Hi, I'm trying to install Mandriva as a third operating system on my Macbook Pro. Mac OS X and Windows aleady work fine. I have a 120 GB harddrive (111 of which is usable), about 75GB are partitioned for OSX, 30GB for Windows, and I have about 6GB set aside for Linux. Linux doesn't seem to like my set-up, though, because when I try to install Mandriva, everything goes fine until I get to the bootloader part. I want LILO to install, but I keep on getting the error that "installation of bootloader failed partition entry not found". Other info: I'm using a normal Discovery 2007 install DVD, and I'm essentially a Linux n00b (though I do some C++ programming in it in university). Mandriva runs fine when I boot it off the disk, but I want to have it on my computer as well. What am I doing wrong? Edited October 16, 2006 by Iwata Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmanuel_uk Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 about 6GB set aside for Linux You need at least 3.5 Gb for mandy depending what you install. It is roomy in 6, but this is what I would use, 6Gb Linux doesn't seem to like my set-up Anyway it might be better you use the expert instalation mode when it comes to partition and delete that 6 gb, and then make your scheme / to be 5 gb, /home 0.5 gb. /swap 0.5 or delete that partition with Zinblows (or a live cd) and let mandy deal with the 6gb prefer grub to lilo you can install grub onto the partition of where linux is rather than the MBR. The question then what is your current bootloader ? can it chain load grub? Otherwise you can take the *risk* to install grub on the MBR, but I would do some serious backups I would wait for further advice An easy one is buy a second HD, make your life simple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 I've tried running Linux distros in small amounts of space, and it makes it very difficult for partitioning. If you're running 6GB only, and that's all your prepared to allocate, then suggest two partitions. One being swap, the other being / and that's it. If you start partitioning, you restrict what's available for your apps, and what's available for your data. I usually allocate at least 10GB, and even then I have just two partitions, swap and /. That's because it's too restrictive to create further partitions for /home, etc. Boot loader should always go to MBR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmanuel_uk Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 (edited) I agree with Ian little space is a problem, hence why I suggested another HD. It is better practice to have /home on a separate partition. His suggestion is only because you have little space Boot loader should always go to MBR I disagree with that. I do not know the rational for that statement, maybe there is one At least 1 bootloader on the MBR is needed indeed To Iwata But nothing prevent you to have 1 bootloader on the MBR that calls another bootloader at a start of a given partition. I mention this because if you start doing quad+ boot and try many distro this is quite convenient If you have another HD, you can put grub on its MBR and make it call the bootloader where Zinblows is Also putting the linux bootloader into the partition rather than the MBR give you a chance to make a backup of your MBR before messing up with it edit added a good link on dual boot, sorry not about OSX http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux/grub-w2k-HOWTO.html I have no idea if OSX bootloader can handle linux, I suppose it can. Can it chain load grub? Edited October 16, 2006 by emmanuel_uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 I disagree with that. I do not know the rational for that statement, maybe there is oneAt least 1 bootloader on the MBR is needed indeed OK, let's say you have only Windows on your system, then it will have to go to the MBR. Otherwise, you'll not be able to get Linux to boot. Of course, you can edit boot.ini and get Linux to boot from here, but really, the Linux bootloader is by far better, and looks a lot nicer. I've never really understood why you would put it on the partition than in the MBR, as you'd have the problem of trying to call it. I'd have to look into this and find out, but if you have multiple boots with multiple distros, then have a common /boot mount point, and get all distros to use this. Then, they use one single grub.conf (of course, if you're using grub). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmanuel_uk Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 (edited) have the problem of trying to call it. I'd have to look into this and find out just edit /boot/grub/menu.lst for the grub on the MBR add (have no system here to check syntax) sometitle rootnoverify (hd0,0) #choose hd and partitions no on which another grub lives chainloader +1 This is it all Maybe you meant calling it from Zindows? I have seen some methods, would need to look in paperwork, not sure from memory edit: rereading this is what you must have meant, sorry for quoting chainloader stuff Edited October 16, 2006 by emmanuel_uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 I've never really understood why you would put it on the partition than in the MBR, as you'd have the problem of trying to call it. I'd have to look into this and find out, but if you have multiple boots with multiple distros, then have a common /boot mount point, and get all distros to use this. Then, they use one single grub.conf (of course, if you're using grub). The problem is when each installed distro has 4-5 boot entries due to different kernels etc. The shared /boot soon gets messy ... it works .. its just messy and when you play about with adding a slightly different kernel its not always obvious... If all you want is 2-3 OS's installed with a single kernel each and just 2 entries its OK but as soon as you have several kernels and different options on each it becomes rather a nightmare to control. A seperate bootloader on the partition does clean things up a little IMHO... and when you for instance install a new kernel the easy way then the automatic stuff that goes on adding the boot images etc. is only messing with that one distro. To call it you just call it from the MBR boot mamager - the same way as grub or lilo call NTLOADER for windows.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmanuel_uk Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 (edited) this is what I meant by keeping Zinblows bootloader http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux/grub-w2k-HOWTO.html I much prefer grub straight on the MBR, but i have no first hand experience on a system with XP I do not use Zinblows anymore, so do not know. I belive grub on the MBR works 90% of the time on a multiboot XP+linux but in case a newbie wack their MBR I prefer also give the alternative above so they can choose Plus we still do not know what is booting OSX can you confirm you can overwrite an XP bootloader with grub and always get XP/2000 to work after that? edit Gowator: yes well put, that is the way I would have described it, in poorer words ;) ta for the kanotix suggestion, knew it by name, but not tried yet Edited October 16, 2006 by emmanuel_uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 can you confirm you can overwrite an XP bootloader with grub and always get XP/2000 to work after that? Yep, you can also overwrite it with lilo too, and as part of the distro install, it puts an entry in lilo/grub to boot Windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 can you confirm you can overwrite an XP bootloader with grub and always get XP/2000 to work after that? Yep, you can also overwrite it with lilo too, and as part of the distro install, it puts an entry in lilo/grub to boot Windows. and you can restore it fairly easily with a XP boot disk just with fdisk /mbr (just in case) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 Using http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php I've been successful in getting three Linux OS's and a Linux Swap partition active on one hard drive. I'm preferring GRUB Text and GrubEd on Ubuntu as a boot editor. http://forum.ubuntu-fr.org/viewtopic.php?id=58261 ( in French ) http://michelro.free.fr/grub/GrubEd.zip If you want to get really adventurous, and confused, use http://www.ranish.com/part/ Unfortunately it only really supports ext2 but you can get upwards of 32 Operating systems on the same hard drive. The Ranish Boot manager is a bit cryptic but lets you pile'em in there. Once I had nearly a dozen versions of Mandrake or Mandriva on the same HD. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmanuel_uk Posted October 17, 2006 Report Share Posted October 17, 2006 A grub menu booting 100+ systems of Dos, Windows, Linux, BSD and Solaris http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showthread....threadid=143973 I knew of that thread, so I thought anybody who wants to do a multiboot might want to read about it ;) Saying that it does not have OSX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted October 17, 2006 Report Share Posted October 17, 2006 A grub menu booting 100+ systems of Dos, Windows, Linux, BSD and Solaris http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showthread....threadid=143973 I knew of that thread, so I thought anybody who wants to do a multiboot might want to read about it ;) Saying that it does not have OSX Nice :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.