Triboot XP, OSX86, Ubuntu 7.10

[CraigularB]

I've been thinking about doing a tri-boot for a while, especially since I downloaded the newest version of Ubuntu (7.10). I'm just not sure how to go about doing it.

 

XP SP2 is on my secondary master drive, and OSX 10.4.8 is on my primary slave drive. My current boot system is the Windows bootloader and the chain0 file. What I'd like to do is wipe and partition the drive OSX is currently on, and put OSX on one partition and Ubuntu on the other. What order should I install them in? Could I install both and then use GParted Live to get rid of the boot flag on the OSX partition so the only bootloader is GRUB on the Ubuntu partition?

 

When I get them both installed, I'm guessing I'd need to make the primary slave drive the first in boot order so GRUB will load up first. From there I'm not sure what to do (actually, I'm not sure about any of t his haha ). I found this thread in the forums about adding OSX to the GRUB, so I'm guessing once I get it set up I'd do that for OSX and XP?

 

This is my first Linux install; I've messed around with LiveCDs before but never actually installed anything on an HDD.

 

I look forward to your replies

-Craig

 

Edited to clarify OS versions @ 12:07PM Eastern 12/28/07

[_appleboy_]

i only have a 160 GB harddisk

i had xp installed,then installed osx(gave boot flags to both)

installed ubuntu and gave that partition a boot flag too.

 

grub booted and recognized XP.

 

 

booted to ubuntu

 

opened up teminal

 

==> sudo bash

type your password

 

==>cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu.lst.backup(Just in case)

 

==>gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

 

add this to the list at the bottom

 

title Mac OSX

root(hdx,x) x depends on your system

makeactive

chainloader +1

 

save and exit and reboot

This worked for me .may or may not work for you.hope it works

 

 

 

 

[st40611]

You can just write Grub to the MBR and the order won't matter. I had it setup in some random order (Heck, Ubuntu wasn't even in a primary partition) in my old Sony VAIO and Grub still recognized all three and booted them correctly. Just make sure which partition is each OS on so you can edit the menu.lst correctly.

[3phemeral]

I've been thinking about doing a tri-boot for a while, especially since I downloaded the newest version of Ubuntu (7.10). I'm just not sure how to go about doing it.

 

XP SP2 is on my secondary master drive, and OSX 10.4.8 is on my primary slave drive. My current boot system is the Windows bootloader and the chain0 file. What I'd like to do is wipe and partition the drive OSX is currently on, and put OSX on one partition and Ubuntu on the other. What order should I install them in? Could I install both and then use GParted Live to get rid of the boot flag on the OSX partition so the only bootloader is GRUB on the Ubuntu partition?

 

When I get them both installed, I'm guessing I'd need to make the primary slave drive the first in boot order so GRUB will load up first. From there I'm not sure what to do (actually, I'm not sure about any of t his haha ). I found this thread in the forums about adding OSX to the GRUB, so I'm guessing once I get it set up I'd do that for OSX and XP?

 

This is my first Linux install; I've messed around with LiveCDs before but never actually installed anything on an HDD.

 

I look forward to your replies

-Craig

 

Edited to clarify OS versions @ 12:07PM Eastern 12/28/07

The order in which you install OSX and Ubuntu doesn't matter. I've reinstalled OSX a number of times after installing Ubuntu and this has never broken Grub...

 

I'd recommend you: format and partition [can easily be done using `Partition Editor' [gparted] from the Ubuntu install CD] the drive OSX is installed on. Keep in mind you need at least one partition for OSX, one for Ubuntu and one for Ubuntu swap [generally about 2x amount of RAM in system]. Install Ubuntu [and be sure to chose 'Manually Edit Partition Table' in step 2 or 3 during the installation process]. Restart and ensure Grub is being used as your boot manager, and that W

nXP is listed [added automatically]. Install OSX. Add OSX entry to Grub's menu.lst, as pointed out above by _appleboy_. 

 

For reference, the OSX entry in my current system [all OSes on one drive] are:

title Mac OS X

root (hd0,2) <-- note: 3rd partition [on my only drive]

savedfault

makeactive

chainloader +1

 

The entry in my old rig, which has 2 disks: ubuntu + grub on one, OS X on the other:

title Mac OS X

root (hd1,1) <-- note: 2nd partition on the second drive

makeactive

chainloader --force +1

 

All the best,

3phemeral

 

Note: should you ever break Grub, tho this shouldn't happen with your current setup, you'll have to reinstall it. This can easily be done from the installation/Live CD; see this post.

[CraigularB]

Thanks for all the help! I think I'm going to take a stab at this today or tomorrow and I will be sure to let you know how it goes.

 

One question I have though, is how do I make sure that GRUB is the bootloader I use? Should I just install OSX and Ubuntu in any order and then use the instructions provided in the link by 3phemeral to write GRUB to the root of the drive? Or is there another way?

 

Thanks again!

-Craig

[st40611]

It would be best if you install Ubuntu last so GRUB will be installed to the MBR and not overwritten, but if you happen to NOT install it last, then just boot into the liveCD and regain GRUB by using the termial. (Applcation -> Accessories -> Terminal, sudo Grub, root (hd0,x), setup (hd0) [x being the partition you installed Ubuntu on].)

 

Good luck; Ubuntu installation tends to go smoothly, so hopefully it will go well.

[CraigularB]

Hello! Just wanted to thank you all for the help you gave me. I got my tri-boot set up today and everything is working smoothly.

 

Special thanks to 3pheremal for including his old OSX grub entry, because it didn't work until I added the "--force" parameter to the chainloader section.

 

So thanks again! Happy New Year!

-Craig

[3phemeral]

Hello! Just wanted to thank you all for the help you gave me. I got my tri-boot set up today and everything is working smoothly.

 

Special thanks to 3pheremal for including his old OSX grub entry, because it didn't work until I added the "--force" parameter to the chainloader section.

 

So thanks again! Happy New Year!

-Craig

Glad to hear things worked out

It doesn't happen regularly that people 'report back' on how things went after they've asked for help, so you never know whether you were any help or not :S

 

Just out of curiousity, what order did you end up installing things in?

 

 

It would be best if you install Ubuntu last so GRUB will be installed to the MBR and not overwritten

As far as i'm aware, installing OSX will not screw up or overwrite your MBR. Windows can be a bit troublesome in this regard, but getting Grub back is quite simple, really, using, for instance, the instructions in the post i linked to earlier on

This can be important/relevant when reinstalling any one of the OSes.

 

All the best, and a happy new year,

3phemeral