Quad-boot

[IonCannon218]

I'm going to attempt to install 4 operating systems on a computer. It's for a project that I have to do or I will fail the class.
Two will be windows and two will be linux

My plan is to put Ubuntu and Xp on one hard drive, and install Fedora and Windows 7 on another hard drive.

I only have XP installed currently, I will grab fedora and windows 7 install disks today and I will install the other 3 os this weekend.

I will use GRUB to pick which os to boot into.

Any comments, suggestions, etc?

 

[Livewire]

PLAN IT OUT FIRST!


Seriously, that did deserve all caps. Wouldn't hurt to find out how the four install (does one happen to include GRUB and install it on its own if it finds the other 3 for instance, to help save some work).

Plus if you can, it'd be -really- awesome to partition the two harddrives into two parts each - then you'd be able to install each OS on its own partition and there's zero chance they'll complain about being on a drive with another OS.


In all honesty I'm thinking install the Windows's first, then the linux's. Windows doesn't check for OS's other than previous windows installs, whereas Linux checks for other Linux -and- Windows installs. If memory serves Fedora did a GRUB install for me by default when it picked up I had XP on another drive, but Ubuntu might do the same...



Just be prepared to reformat and start it all over again, cause with 2 os's it's relatively easy. With 4, it's only a tiny bit tougher, but if somethings not right you have -4- to start over with

 

[noerrorsfound]

In all honesty I'm thinking install the Windows's first, then the linux's. Windows doesn't check for OS's other than previous windows installs, whereas Linux checks for other Linux -and- Windows installs. If memory serves Fedora did a GRUB install for me by default when it picked up I had XP on another drive, but Ubuntu might do the same...

That's the only problem I think you would encounter. Installing multiple OSs is very easy as long as you install the "rude" ones first that forcibly overwrite your MBR (Windows always does this) and as long as they have separate partitions.

 

[Livewire]

That's the only problem I think you would encounter. Installing multiple OSs is very easy as long as you install the "rude" ones first that forcibly overwrite your MBR (Windows always does this) and as long as they have separate partitions.

Even the latter's not the bad part, long as they're in different folders

But I prefer partitions cause then they're all 100% separate, shy of being in the same pc. Less of a headache if Fedora gives you a problem - format the Fedora partition and start Fedora over!



Edit: I should change that, but I won't. Windows'll probably be the one giving you the -most- hassle, although Fedora/Ubuntu might if you go messing with things you don't understand, but that's the whole point to being able to erase and reinstall

 

[IonCannon218]

I do intend to install the Window OSs then the linux OSs. I currently have XP installed already, I'm going to get the Windows 7 install disk and another hard drive from my teacher.

I'm using an old school computer for my project since my dad wont let me use his old computer.

There is one concern... I may have to reinstall XP after it expires, I do have a valid key but the key is already registered to my computer. I will present my project in about 6 weeks, I have to register XP within 30 days.

Another problem is making fedora and ubuntu play nice about GRUB, I want them to use 1 copy of grub installed on the MBR on the primary drive. I know about this kind of stuff (yeah i learned through trial and error ) about partitioning, bootloaders, dual-booting.

I dual-boot XP and Ubuntu on MY computer.

EDIT: Like you said, I may have some problems but I have 6 weeks.