[rickthegreat]

I want to install 6 OS's. Just for fun in case you are wondering. I have 4 Hard drives.

The OSs are as follows: XP, Vista Tiny, OS X 10.5 (the x86 universal version, not the pure Mac version--I don't have a Mac), Linux Ubuntu, Super Ubuntu, and Ubuntu Studio. Eventually I will probably just go with one Ubuntu and delete the other two. Might even do away with all Ubuntus eventually.

I was planning to have the 3 ubuntus on one hard-drive, the 2 windows each on their own hard drive, and Mac OSX on the fourth.

I'm guessing I should install the Ubuntus last? Grub will detect the other OS and then I will have a multi-boot menu?

Also I was thinking I would install OS X all by itself. I mean with the other hard drives disconnected.

Or would it be best to install each OS with the other hard drives disconnected and then manually mess with Grub, adding Windows and OS X to the boot menu?

Is there some freeware partition boot loader that is easy to use and will detect all 6 OS correctly without a hassle?

Another option would be to just have one Ubuntu at a time. I really just want to try them out. But either way I am mostly concerned about the boot menu! Grub will write to the boot sector of the disk you are installing Ubuntu right, not some other disk? I am really worried about my current windows boot menu being over-written.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Paul]

Grub will write to the boot sector of the disk you are installing Ubuntu right, not some other disk?

It can be installed to the boot sector of the current hard drive, or to the MBR. According to this, "If you are installing Linux to a secondary hard drive, and no part of it will be on your main hard drive, then you must install GRUB to the MBR, and take your chances with Windows overwriting the MBR with its own at some future date. If this happens, you'll have to use a Linux rescue CD to get GRUB reinstalled."

Grub is good about autodetecting every OS on the same hard drive. I can't say how it is with other drives since I haven't tried that.

Is there some freeware partition boot loader that is easy to use and will detect all 6 OS correctly without a hassle?

Grub would be your best bet there, I think.

Or would it be best to install each OS with the other hard drives disconnected and then manually mess with Grub, adding Windows and OS X to the boot menu?

Definitely install all the other OSes before Ubuntu (1) so that you do as little grub work as possible (2) so that windows doesn't have a chance to hide linux, as it enjoys doing.

I am really worried about my current windows boot menu being over-written.

You can keep using grub even if you don't have any linux installs. Works fine as a bootloader for windows.

Of course, you should keep a bootable dvd handy in case something goes wrong during your installs.

 

[rickthegreat]

Tanks so much Hoth! I'm still nervous about it. Even occurred to me to hard boot to each drive using F11, but what a pain that is, since you have to be fast to hit the damn key. I like to turn on the pc and then do other stuff. Tanks again man.