Deca-booting

[willythechilly5]

Ok, so I've set up a config in which I will attempt to utilize 10 OSes, listed below.

-Windows-

98

Me

2000

XP

Vista (preinstalled OS)

 

-Other-

Mac OS X 10.5.1 Leopard (ToH)

Fedora Core 7

Ubuntu 7.10

Xubuntu 7.10

FreeBSD 7.0

 

Hardware config

Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467

Intel Core 2 Duo T5200 1.6GHz

1024MB RAM (2x512MB, dual channel)

Hitachi HTS541616J9SA00 160GB hard drive (seems to be SATA)

Unknown motherboard/chipset (but you should be able to figure it out)

Intel 3945ABG integrated WLAN

Intel GMA900 integrated graphics (?)

 

 

Now, the problem here is installing the OSes before Vista.

I already have Mac OS X installed with Vista, and the Mac OS X partition is the active one.

It's confusing when you get to the part in which the older OSes overwrite the boot files. Would it be okay if I left Mac OS X as the active partition? Or do I need to do something more elaborate?

 

And is it possible for me to install Mac OS 9.x on this machine? Just out of curiosity.

 

Edit: I forgot to add that I'm going to use Grub bootloader, this probably changes things.

EditEdit: Maybe not, just recommend me something

EditEditEdit: I also forgot to mention that I can't wipe my Vista partition, there's too much data on there that I need to back up.

[kennyp]

Why?

If it is just to see if you can do it, fine.

If you want to use it....hmmmmm....why?

Ad you want to put ME in the mix....why?

 

You should be able to install all the Linux stuff with out installing each bootloader.

The older windows stuff may be a bit harder.

Setting up Grub should work fine....

Good luck

Kenny

BTW, why?

[willythechilly5]

Why?

If it is just to see if you can do it, fine.

If you want to use it....hmmmmm....why?

Ad you want to put ME in the mix....why?

 

You should be able to install all the Linux stuff with out installing each bootloader.

The older windows stuff may be a bit harder.

Setting up Grub should work fine....

Good luck

Kenny

BTW, why?

 

I'm doing it as a weekend project.

I googled "decaboot" and got one result: a theoretical config.

So I'm going to create a decaboot machine off of one HD.

I want to use it because multibooting's cool and some programs won't run in Vista

ME just for the heck of it

 

So I just set up Grub and forget about other boot loader problems?

[timewise]

I don't know if you can get past the four primary partition limitation. Maybe with logical partitions, but I don't think you can boot a logical partition.

 

Grub will work fine for booting all those, you just have to make sure it is on the last os you install. You will have to add an entry to grub's menu.lst to boot os x.

 

If your hard drive were partitioned guid with os x first you could do many partitions. If your vista information is important use a second hard drive because you could corrupt the partitions very easily.

 

Please use a second hard drive for experimenting.

[willythechilly5]

<br />I don't know if you can get past the four primary partition limitation. Maybe with logical partitions, but I don't think you can boot a logical partition.<br /><br />Grub will work fine for booting all those, you just have to make sure it is on the last os you install. You will have to add an entry to grub's menu.lst to boot os x.<br /><br />If your hard drive were partitioned guid with os x first you could do many partitions. If your vista information is important use a second hard drive because you could corrupt the partitions very easily. <img src="style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" /> <br /><br />Please use a second hard drive for experimenting.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

 

Pssh... I wish.

But the computer I'm running this setup on is a laptop.

Which means that won't work here.

I also have no external drives, and backing up <b>65GB or so of data</b> would take an insane amount of time, even if I used all 3 of my network connections.

Which sucks.

None of the other computers in my house support SSE3, and I'm loathe to install OS X on the only other computer supporting SSE2.

 

What sucks even more is that I don't understand the Grub4DOS documentation too much. So what was intended as a weekend project will turn out to be a project lasting a month...

Unless someone helps me here.

 

The 4 primary partition limitation need not stop me, however.

If I really need to, I suppose I can rework my plans and possibly set up network booting. (Yeah right.)

But after a Google search, this looks promising:

http://www.v-com.com/product/System_Commander_Home.html

I'm gonna need new software after I backup my data and blow my old Vista install away.

 

And I remember seeing something on the Internet in which someone managed to install 30+ OSes, that might work too.

 

http://www.vsubhash.com/writeups/multiboot_os.asp looks promising as well.

 

Finally, it seems possible to boot OSes off logical partitions. I'd need to test this out first, though.

[wmarsh]

Well you are a brave one, most actual physical OSs I ever did was 8.

(XP, Win ME, OS/2, DOS, Suse Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, and Tiger 10.4.8)

That too was a prove you can do it thing.

 

And I almost lost an NTFS partition full of pictures in the process -- recovered luckily by manually recreating partition table -- Backup your data!

 

I suspect your older versions of Windows won't support your SATA drive.

I did 8 on SSE2 with 2 IDE drives (4 primary partitions per drive)

 

Simple solution -- and how I now run DOS, Win98, Win ME, OS/2, and Ecomstation -- is to download Virtual PC from Microsoft.

Its free, will support all your older MS products, and even the sound works.

In full screen mode you will find it indistinguishable from a physical boot.

And it will virtualize your hardware making more memory available to your legacy programs.

[apowerr]

I also have no external drives, and backing up 65GB or so of data would take an insane amount of time, even if I used all 3 of my network connections.

Which sucks.

Regardless of how long it takes, back up your data! Don't try anything of this sort without backing up first.

[(MoC)]

Regardless of how long it takes, back up your data! Don't try anything of this sort without backing up first.

 

Seconded. And the most I have ever multi-booted was 6. That included Linux and a nice serving of a pain in my ass. :censored2:

[willythechilly5]

I finally found the solution to my backup problem. But I need to archive my files and then upload them. One file per session. It'll probably take 2 weeks to back it all up over the Internet, but I have no other choice.<br /><br />And I'm not entirely sure about the SATA drive, but the Windows 98 install disc seems to see my drive. You're also right about backing up, as I can screw up in this project (Windows 98 setup was formatting drive "C:", which is really drive E: on Vista. But now I know.<br /><br />I'm kinda loathe to use virtualization software (except for DOS) since it'll eat away at my system memory. Right now about 800MB (both RAM and page file) is being used. Virtualization would eat up even more of that (both to run the OS and extra RAM for the virtual OS).<br />And the goal of this project was to install a minimum of 10 OSes on this laptop. Just as a prove-I-can-do-it project and to unveil and post on Youtube. Of course, I can always add more (possibly DOS and Windows 3.x, NO 95, NT 4 SP4, Server , possibly Mac OS 9.x, SuperDOS, <br /><br />Additionally, I have yet again ANOTHER setback. My laptop has no floppy drive (who has an FDD in their laptops nowadays?) and this will be a problem.<br />Windows 98 Setup requires FDD to install.<br />Should I either<br />a) try to install Windows 98 off the laptop HD<br /><img src="style_emoticons/default/cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="cool.gif" /> install 98 on one of my old HDs, then ghost it to my HD<br />c) create a live CD with Windows 98 instead<br />d) use Virtual PC 2007 and virtualize Windows 98<br />e) screw it and give up<br />f) other

 

 

NEW LATE-BREAKING INFO!!!

 

I just remembered that you can't install both 98 and ME on the same computer. They're both part of the Win9x family, and you can only use one per computer unless you tinker with system files (and create batch files to automate this) or unless you use a 3rd-party bootloader.

 

Grub4DOS documentation is still hard to understand. Will check on that later.

 

Win98 successfully installed without FDD.

 

I'll need drivers for my laptop's components for Win98 (Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467), but I can't find any for the onboard graphics (Intel GMA 950). This means my screen will operate at a pathetic 640x480 resolution at 16 colors. Also I can't find any drivers for the Intel 3945ABG integrated wireless, so no wireless networking on 98. But that can be remedied by booting into WinXP/Vista...

Perhaps I can find a driver for the wireless PC Card that I have (WPC54GS Linksys Wireless-G SpeedBooster Notebook Adapter)

Sound driver found.

Chipset driver found.

Ethernet driver found.

If anyone has a Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467 or one of its kin and can find which drivers I need, and where to get them, I will be very thankful and may just send them some cash via Paypal

[willythechilly5]

This topic merits a bump.

[~pcwiz]

willythechilly,

 

Thats a horrible editing job. You have HTML tags sticking out everywhere in your post...why?

[willythechilly5]

The editor just did that. Not my fault.

And I do have networking and USB support, but I still can't find any 98 drivers for Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics.

[$tealth]

Okay try this before you do a hexa Booting on the real harddisk . Install the VM ware on the computer see try out different setups for that .....

 

Make a 70 GIG hard in VM ware and try out different thing at the max I have Quadra Booting successfully Hexa booting is something very confusing

All the best matey . But one thing I want to tell windows 98 would not install on the new computer . I tried to install on windows 98 on intel pm965 I was not able to install and boot Also you will not get the drivers for the new computer as the Operating system is outdated by the Microsoft. As majority of the computer have atleast windows Xp running

 

SO all the best Buddy with Hexa booting

[macgirl]

I prefer to have 4 major booting partittions, Mac OS, Vista, Kubuntu and WinXP (DOS included in the XP partition) and the rest of OS with VMware for Windows or Fusion (Win98, Win2K, WinXP, RedHat Linux, mac OS 10.4.3 and FreeBSD).

[willythechilly5]

I did manage to get Windows 98 running. I did not find a driver for graphics though.

Now, as I said earlier in this topic, I want to get at least 10 operating systems running natively, not in a virtual machine.

Since ME is out of the question, it brings it down to 9, but I'll be installing Server 2003 (so my laptop can be a file server!).

This brings it up to 10.

And I did find out I can't run Mac OS 9.x natively but I'd need to emulate it using SheepShaver. That's no problem.

 

Considered installing OS/2 and DOS 6.22/Windows 3.1 and just said screw it.

 

$tealth, I'm not running a Intel 965PM chipset. I'm running a 945GM. So it's all fine, but Windows 98 will be stuck at 640x480 with 16 colors. But it'll still be useful for DOS applications. Ethernet works, and wireless won't be necessary since I wired a switch to my room from the office, so all I'd need is an Ethernet cable to use the Internet. It's all good. Even my USB works.

 

Now I'm ready to install Win2k.

 

Edit: I remembered I'm going to need to redo my partitions since Vista requires a hell lotta space.

Probably should buy a pair of 2GB memory modules too.

[rafarquhar]

Why are you doing Xubuntu and Ubuntu, when the only noticable difference is the window manager?

You can run both xfce and gnome from one installation.

[$tealth]

@willy

 

If you want to install the windows Vista please follow these steps can be you can install all the things

 

Taking in consideration that your harddrive is more than 160 gig please follow these instructions carefully

 

1. Download the hiren boot CD 9.1 and above

2. Format the harddrive in this way using partition Magic 8.

 

1. Primary 20 Gb for Vista ntfs

2. Extended 10 GB xp ntfs

3. Extended 10 GB Windows 2003 server ntfs

4. Extended 5 GB for 2000 ntfs

5. Extended 1 GB for windows 98 fat 32

6. Extended 20 GB for MAC os X 10.5.2 MAC Unformated

7. Extended 10 GB for ubuntu

8. Extended 10 GB for Xbuntu

9. Windows Swap memory 5 GB ntfs

10. Norton Ghost 40 GB ntfs

remaining as per your choice

 

 

Install in a sequential order

98 , 2000, xp, 2003 Sever Windows vista, MAC ox 10.5.2 , ubuntu, xbuntu

 

PS To save space the change the swapping memory to a different partition

1. Turn off the system restore off from windows xp, vista and server 2003

2. Use disk clean up to get rid of the hibernation file in vista its nearly 3 gb

3. I am successful in installing windows vista under 6 gb provided that you transfer the virtual memory to a different partition same applies to windows xp, and server 2003

3. When you install MAC os x mark the primary paritition active using paragon disk manager . dont change anything for mac os x.

4. Use the Vista cd and repair the option to able to boot the vista

5. Once in vista use Easy BCD tool 1.71 to mark all other OS working

6. Once done that use the Hiren boot cd and mark the primary partition of vista de active you would be able to get darwin boot loader to select the operating sytem

 

atleast you can get the hexa booting successful . I am not sure about the linux make sure you make the partition images of the OS

 

Hope this helps

 

With Regards Steps

 

PS Octa boot is possible with this method

[willythechilly5]

If necessary I'll change things around.

Right now, it looks like Windows is fine from booting off a logical partition.

 

I seem to have misplaced my Fedora DVD, I'll need to make a new one.

 

Win98, Win2k and WinXP installed. Win2k3 Server installing.

 

Win98 and Win2k won't really need paging files, but if necessary I'll have over 100GB of free space left for the Windows swap partition, Linux swap partition, data partitions, application partitions, shared partitions, etc.

 

Win2k and WinXP are running comfortably off 2GB/2.5GB partitions, respectively, and Win98 is running off a 1GB partition.

Ethernet drivers are working, Intel 3945ABG WLAN working in Win2k.

 

Since I have NO valuable data on the system (only OSes, 7zip and Firefox), I can also wipe out everything IF NECESSARY.

And I would also prefer to store a Ghost system restore image on DVDs, not on a recovery partition. If my hard drive is screwed, and the recovery partition is wiped (believe me, this happened before), then I'd have to reinstall everything and attempt to recover the wiped data.

 

So this was my plan:

 

1. Create partitions as necessary. Leave unformatted.

2. Prep drivers and flash memory/USB reader combo.

3. Install Win98 to first partition (primary) with FAT32.

4. Install Win2k to 2nd partition (logical) with NTFS.

5. Install WinXP to 3rd partition (logical) with NTFS.

6. Install Win2k3 Server to 4th partition (logical) with NTFS.

7. Install Vista Ultimate to 5th partition (logical) with NTFS.

8. Install OS X 10.5.1 Leopard (I don't have 10.5.2 patched install disc) to 6th partition (logical) with HFS+.

9. Install FreeBSD.

10. Install Linux operating systems (possibly including Damn Small Linux?)

11. Format other partitions using FAT32.

12. Install all drivers and software as needed.

13. Create Ghost image and burn to DVD-Rs.

14. Use CD-RW for updated drivers as they become available.

15. Create incremental data backups as needed.

[willythechilly5]

Okay, I decided to just run 98SE in Virtual PC 2007. Easier that way.

Also decided to settle for XP/Vista/Leopard/Ubuntu quadboot, and Internet access is available since I got both a router and a standalone switch wired to this very room, with the laptop connected to its very own black 7' $17.31 Cat5e ethernet cable...

Had System 6.0.8, System 7.5.5, Mac OS 8.1, and Mac OS 9.0.4 running within Mini vMac/Sheepshaver in Leopard (funny when I tried to mount the OS 8.1 drive for startup in Mini vMac - you get a 0F000C code and a dead Mac. HAHA)

Also,

last time I could not get Leopard to boot from ntldr nor bootmgr. I tried both chain0 and tboot.

Just got a chain booting error/no HFS partition error.

My partition scheme was like this:

--------

OEM

--------

Win98SE

======

extended

 

various logical partitions

======

Leopard

--------

Unallocated space

 

Is the fact that Leopard's primary af partition is after the extended partition the problem?

Well, I'll figure out by 3:00 AM.

[Embio]

if your going to do this at least make it interesting...

 

Leopard

Tiger Server

Windows 2008

Windows XP

OS/2

Solaris

Ubuntu

Fedora

FreeBSD

Haiku

 

:D:D

[marcx987]

if your going to do this at least make it interesting...

 

Leopard

Tiger Server

Windows 2008

Windows XP

OS/2

Solaris

Ubuntu

Fedora

FreeBSD

Haiku

 

:D

 

Thats not interesting at all. Of he does it should be challenging. like putting on the first veriosn of windows and a wholle bunch of stuff. too many linux partitons will just make things easier.

[Embio]

theres only two linuxes in my list

[(MoC)]

theres only two linuxes in my list